Starvation
Gazans are dying by starvation. That is the conclusion drawn by most of the world, including U.N. officials and U.S. President Donald Trump. While the death toll directly from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has grown, so too has the number of civilian deaths from starvation and malnourishment.
There have been a variety of efforts made to provide sufficient food to the region (including efforts led by the U.N and other foreign coalitions), but they have each faced intense difficulty delivering the food in a manner safe to the Gazans needing it and not disrupted by the ongoing war or Hamas efforts to divert it. President Trump says the U.S. and Europe will now work to build food centers to address the crisis and implored the Israeli government to fully cooperate with the efforts.
Analysis and eternal perspective: War is so very ugly. It is an inescapable reality we’ve acknowledged since the beginning of this war when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. The tolls of war go far beyond the loss of life directly related to combat, and include the devastation of civilians being displaced from homes and cut off from methods of survival. These realities are now on full display in the region.
As we continue to apply the biblical framework through which we’ve been interacting with this story, it is clear all four points are implicated in it:
1) The Jewish people continue to be persecuted
2) Gazans made in God’s image are suffering
3) Earthly governing authorities—including both Israel and Hamas—have a role to play in addressing the crisis
4) The voice and action of other world powers is of significant consequence
There is no easy solution here. That is the hard truth. Gazans are starving—an inhumane reality that must be addressed. Hamas continues its mission to eradicate Israel (including by continuing to hold hostages) and it must not be tolerated or excused.
You, as a Jesus follower, are called to the messy place of acknowledging both these truths as you persistently pursue and pray for a true and lasting peace (Ps. 34:14). As you endeavor to faithfully apply these principles to your heart and mind, pray for those who are starving and that all in the region might soon know safety from both those who would kill out of hatred and the threat of starvation.
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.