Michael Rinehart, the author of this blog, is Bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a community of over one hundred congregations, campus ministries, retreat centers, and other agencies.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the PFLP, and the DFLP brutally attacked civilians in Israeli territory during Sukkoth.
“As people of faith, let us pray for peace, call for peace, and work for peace, so that all Israelis and Palestinians may live in peace and safety.”
They fired 3,000 rockets and attacked civilians, including a music festival. There were 1,200 deaths, including 30 children. They took 250 hostages, including 38 children. Hamas cited the Israeli occupation and the blockade of Gaza as the cause for the attack, but Hamas is a terrorist organization that has long worked for the end of Israel.
We unequivocally condemn these brutal attacks, the firing of rockets, and also Hamas’ torturing, and executing of both Palestinian and Israeli citizens. see Bishop Eaton’s statement below. 44 nations have condemned the attack.
It’s hard to understand what Hamas thought they might accomplish here. They had to know it would elicit a deadly response. They have only made things worse for everyone in the region.
Hamas has 25,000 members among the 2.5 million inhabitants of Gaza. They have brutalized their own people, but are also supported by some who have had home bulldozed as settlers expand into the occupied territories.
On October 13, Israel ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, to southern Gaza, but then it bombed the places to which people evacuated. A ground invasion began October 27. In six days, 6,000 bombs were dropped, including many 2000 pound bombs that kill people 1000 miles away. Many of these were dropped into densely populated areas. Numerous Israeli hostages were killed in the bombings.
Israel also instituted a complete blockade, allowing no food or water in.
Egypt brokered a conversation about a cease-fire. Hamas agreed to release women, children, sick, and elderly in exchange for a five day cease-fire. Netanyahu rejected it, but in time would agree after receiving pressure from hostage families who felt release of hostages should be the highest objective.
The abducted and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli group representing hostage families, said they would release of all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of all Israeli hostages. This too was rejected.
The UN security council called for the immediate release of all hostages, and a humanitarian ceasefire. this was strongly supported by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
On October 31, Israel bombed the Jabalia refugee camp, drawing swift condemnation by many countries, including Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, Columbia, Honduras, Jordan, Turkey, Chad, Bahrain, South Africa, and others.
Finally, November 24-December 1 there was a brief ceasefire, at first five days, but eventually extended to seven days. An hour before the cease-fire was to end, Israel reported a rocket being intercepted from Gaza. Israel sent out fighter jets and the war was back on.
On December 15, Israeli soldiers accidentally shot dead three Israeli hostages.
As of December 28, 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced – 85% of the population. 20,000 Gazans have been killed, most of them women and children. 61 journalists have been killed. Many more bodies are estimated to be under the rubble. The international criminal court has accused both Hamas and Israel of war crimes.
A December 28, 2023 column in the Israeli paper Haaretz called the starvation of civilians in Gaza a war crime.
The humanitarian crisis is becoming worse by the minute.
Israel, like any country, has the right to defend itself, but massacre does not justify massacre.
We call for an immediate cease fire for all parties, and the immediate return of the remaining Israeli hostages and 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody.
As people of faith, let us pray for peace, call for peace, and work for peace, so that all Israelis and Palestinians may live in peace and safety.