By Jeremiah Goddard
Tuesday, 7 November marked one month of the current war between the Israeli government and Hamas in Gaza following the group’s attack on Israel on 7 October. There have been many calls for a ceasefire over the past several weeks, including a resolution drafted by the United Nations National Assembly in late October. One hundred twenty (120) nations voted in favour of the resolution, with 14 nations choosing to reject it and 45 to abstain. The resolution is nonbinding and ultimately led to no real change, however, it does show the overwhelming global support for a ceasefire. Israel and the US have been resistant to the idea of a pause due to the likelihood that Hamas will use it as an opportunity to regroup. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said on 7 November he is open to “tactical pauses”, allowing aid and supplies to come in.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has encircled Gaza (which is divided into North and South) causing Palestinians to flee to the South where there is the possibility to receive aid coming through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The opportunity for aid to reach Gaza has been restricted by Israel’s blockade of Gaza (land and sea), and the limited access via the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Due to the comprehensive blockade and Egypt’s concern at the possibility of being swamped by refugees (hundreds of thousands, and possibly over a million or more), only some foreign nationals, dual citizens and a few Palestinians have been allowed to exit via the Rafah crossing. Despite these restrictions, Jordan found another way by dropping much-needed medical supplies to a Jordanian field hospital inside Gaza. Mr Blinken recently spent four days meeting with key leaders in the Middle East, including Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, with whom he spoke about setting up a maritime supply corridor which would bring in needed supplies. While visiting the Middle East, Mr Blinken tried to contain ‘spillover’ from the war into other countries. One area of such concern is Lebanon, where Iranian-backed Hezbollah (a group in support of Hamas’ assault on Israel) has backing. Escalations along Lebanon’s border with Israel run the risk of further deteriorating an already fragile relationship between the two countries.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the relentless coverage of this war and to perhaps see these things as mere facts and data, when in fact the cost of this war and every war is human life, which translates into possibly thousands of lost souls. We know that God has a heart of peace and does not desire war, but we also know that He works within war to usher new souls into His Kingdom. This became very evident from the war in Syria, where many new believers testified that they would rather choose the war again and find salvation in Christ in the process than have no war and continue living without Christ. This does not change the fact that our hearts break for the thousands who have died and continue to die without Christ, but we find solace in the knowledge that we serve a sovereign God, who is also at work within this war and can use it in a similar way to draw souls into His Kingdom on both sides of the conflict.
The citizens of Israel remain in a state of alert for fear of another attack like the one on 7 October, and on the opposite side, Palestinian citizens are caught up in the war between Hamas and Israel. With an estimated 1,405 killed in Israel together with some 240 people still held captive by Hamas, and an estimated 10,000 lives lost in Gaza, the toll of this war is immense. We know the Father’s heart weeps for the souls lost in Israel and Palestine. When we look for hope during these difficult circumstances, we find a Lord who calls for peace-making and valuing human life. We have brothers and sisters in Gaza and Israel and in both areas, there are testimonies of Christians standing up and bridging the gaps. The beauty of the bride of Christ in Gaza (a mere 1,000 or so), West Bank (about 50,000) and Israel (121,000, including Jews, Arabs, and expatriates) is the spirit of solidarity with each other, united in their faith, despite denominational differences. Not just this, but their spirit of solidarity with the Muslim Palestinians and Jews caught in the war. This is how we see God’s fingerprints in this war, in the way that the Church displays love, hope and forgiveness amid the heartache. And while we know His heart breaks for the lost souls on both sides, we trust that He will also use this war to display Himself to people and to bring in a harvest.
Map: Reuters Reporting Institute for the Study of War and AB’s critical threats project
Please pray with us for the following
- For the Israeli captives to be set free and for the loss of life to stop
- For people of peace to be raised up to bring true peace to the region, preventing any hostilities from further spreading into surrounding countries
- For Christians in Gaza and Israel to share their faith with boldness and continue to be Christ’s hands and feet
There are several ways that people can encourage and assist all who are affected by this war. Below are two of them:
https://crisisresponsenetwork.net/donate/ (reference Gaza)
https://www.bridgesforpeace.com/national-financial-information-south-africa/