Palestine Israel conflict
The political conflict between Israel and the military arm of Hamas is ongoing and complex. The escalation of hostilities and air strikes from both sides in May 2021 was shocking. According to the Israeli Air Force, Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, has fired more than 3,300 rockets toward Israeli cities and towns. World leaders called for a de-escalation of the violence. (The ceasefire is currently holding).
The violence is the worst since 2014, when Israel’s seven-week invasion of Gaza and Hamas’s rocket fire ultimately claimed 2,200 lives, rendered large areas of the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and paralyzed Israel’s south. It took nearly three months for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a cease-fire.
The world continues to watch on with grave concern.
The impact of hostilities on the civilian population in Israel and Palestine was profound. At least 10 people in Israel were killed by Hamas rockets. Israeli forces and settlers killed 20 Palestinians during unrest in the West Bank, according to a Palestinian human rights group. And a wave of mob attacks hit at least one mixed Arab-Jewish city in Israel.
The worst devastation was in Gaza, a densely packed coastal enclave of about two million people on 362 square kms. Israeli forces struck homes, refugee camps, medical facilities and other buildings. The strikes killed at least 212 people, including at least 61 children, in the Gaza Strip. The strikes destroyed 132 buildings in Gaza and left 2,500 people homeless.
Gaza is the 3rd most densely populated location in the world. Approximately 1.4 million of the residents are Palestinian refugees, and children make up just under half of the population. Children are frequently harmed in attacks because there is nowhere to escape the violence and destruction. Israel restricts travel outside the Gaza Strip and maintains a blockade by air, land and sea which profoundly impacts the access to basic supplies and food staples. Living conditions are bleak in Gaza: 95% of the population does not have access to clean water. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with about 80% of the population relying on international aid to survive and access basic services.
The World Council of Churches has issued a statement to say its members are appalled and deeply moved by the suffering inflicted as a result of the currently ongoing hostilities in the Holy Land. “We convey to the churches and the people of the region our close accompaniment in prayer and in solidarity with all those who have lost loved ones, been injured, suffered harm and fear as a result of the awful violence and destruction. We renew our fervent prayer that God will bring compassion and wisdom into the hearts and minds of those responsible for the violence, and healing and consolation to the victims of their confrontation.”
