By Ifeoluwa Alonge
In the early morning hours of October 7, the Hamas terrorist organisation invaded Southern Israel. They killed 1,200 civilians and military personnel. They left carnage in the Kibbutz and sent shockwaves across the globe.
4,506 OF THE GAZA WAR DEAD ARE CHILDREN
At the time of writing this article (Nov. 10), the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that 11,078 Gazans, including 400 Hamas terrorists, have been killed. Far too many of the war dead are children, according to an account by Emily Callahan, an American nurse working with Doctors Without Borders. Describing how desperate conditions are within Gaza, she informed that she and her Palestinian colleagues were in a camp with thousands of people, and they had seen children with horrific burns and amputations. She mentioned parents carrying their children to her and begging for help.
In retaliation for the horrific acts of the 7th, the Israeli government and Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have authorised thousands of air strikes on Gaza. These airstrikes affect the entire strip, but are mostly centred around the Northern part of Gaza.
Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State has said, “Far too many Palestinians have been killed.”
The IDF has dropped thousands of flyers in Northern Gaza and has made efforts to urge civilians to evacuate Northern Gaza and head south. However, Callahan stated that her Palestinian colleagues are determined to remain in Northern Gaza to treat the wounded, even if they will lose their lives doing so. One of the biggest Gaza hospitals, Indonesia Hospital, is in the northern part of the strip.
PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS PLEADING FOR HELP
A common misconception is that all Palestinians are Muslims, however, there is a Christian minority in Gaza. Around 1,100 Christians live there, according to data collected in 2022. Now, Gaza Christians are calling out for help as they fear that their already low numbers will be completely extinguished with the onslaught.
Israel is preparing for a ground offensive and has already had a small operation where IDF soldiers have gone into Gaza and killed terrorists. However, the government is keeping invasion plans tight to their chests.
In October, the Greek Orthodox Church, one of a handful of surviving churches in Gaza, was bombed. Videos of the blast showed extensive damage to the property. The Baptist Church of Gaza has also sustained damage during this war.
Notably, Palestinian Christians are mainly in favour of a two-state solution. In the West Bank region of Palestine (now considered by Israel to be separate from Gaza), 50,000 Palestinian Christians are residents. A further 500,000 Christian Palestinians live abroad as of the year 2000.
INTERNATIONAL HATE CRIMES AND PROTESTS
Across major western cities, there have been protests in the thousands. Hundreds of hate crimes primarily targeted at Jews with substantial instances of Islamophobia have exploded. One terrible example of a hate crime was the murder of Wadea al-Fayoum by his landlord in America, just because he is Muslim. The six-year-old boy was stabbed multiple times and left to die. His mother was also attacked but she survived.
Security at mosques and synagogues across the United States has been heightened. Protesters and counter-protestors have been clashing in the streets. This resulted in the death of 69-year-old Paul Kessler, a Jewish man in California, who was reportedly hit with a megaphone which caused him to fall and hit his head.
Israelis and Jews abroad participated in protests, both supporting and protesting the Israeli response to the war.
Jewish anti-war activists in Israel experienced targeting by right-wing mobs.
Arab Israelis reported a crackdown on free speech, with individuals arrested for social media posts and likes.
MY TAKE
In my opinion, I view this war as just another piece of chaos once again in the Middle East. We need to watch and pray now more than ever. My appeal is to not just pray for Israel, but pray for the people of Palestine, too; specifically, Gaza. They are poor, destitute, and have no bomb shelters. There are Christians there, and the majority of the population is 18 and under.
Most northern neighbourhoods in Gaza have been obliterated because Hamas uses civilians as shields. Despite this, the IDF is determined to eradicate Hamas at all costs, even if there is collateral damage.
Please pray that people’s souls will be saved before they die. Pray that the dangerously small Christian community in Gaza will not be eradicated. Ten times the Christian population there have been killed as a whole.
Please remember that the Jewish community is also facing rising anti-Semitism, globally. Pray for the safety of the Jews in Israel and abroad.
Pray above all that children will be spared from evil.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jer. 17:9
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Contact Ifeoluwa at godslovejam@gmail.com. He is 14 years old and has been writing for FC Rain since he was age 11.