"Palestinian Civilian Casualties Will Be Horrendous"

The terrible price of war.

Image from Canva.

NBC News published an article titled, “Israel says it killed 1,500 Hamas terrorists, pointing to a brutal fight ahead in Gaza” by Richard Engel, Marc Smith, and Alexander Smith.

As you well know at this point, war has broken out between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas and Gaza.

“Hamas is the Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement” and has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. It’s a group that has vowed to destroy Israel entirely and was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department in 1997.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, and Israel responded to the takeover by implementing a blockade on Gaza. This significantly restricted the movement of people in and out of Gaza and reduced the flow of goods and supplies.

These actions took a toll on Gaza’s economy and have reduced many people to poverty. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth and one of the poorest.

The Gaza Strip has virtually no industry and suffers from a chronic lack of water, fuel and electricity. Around half of the population is unemployed, according to the World Bank, and more than two-thirds are reliant on development aid. (NDTV World)

Civilian Casualties in Wartime.

The United Nations reported that nearly 90% of war-time casualties were civilians.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas will require fighting by soldiers on the ground from house to house and street to street. This will happen in a small area - one of the most densely populated regions in the world, full of poor people with no resources and nowhere to go.

This is why NBC News concluded, “Obviously, Palestinian civilian casualties will be horrendous.”

Cruelty in War is the Downfall of Nations.

Part of the reason God removed nations from power in the Old Testament was because of their cruelty during times of war. For example, God referred to the bloodshed and violence of Babylon as one of the reasons why He would remove them from power.

Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men's blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:8)

Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity! (Habakkuk 2:12)

You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also—drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the LORD's right hand will be turned against you, And utter shame will be on your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men's blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:16-17)

Many other nations in the Old Testament - like Assyria and Edom - were humbled by God because of their arrogance and cruelty during times of war.

When innocent lives are mercilessly and thoughtlessly cut down, the Judge of all the earth hears their blood “cry out” to Him for justice (Genesis 4:10).