October 23, 2024
How to think of civilian death in Israel's war on terror
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The tragic reality of the war between Israel and terrorists: Hamas and Hezbollah intentionally use civilian casualties to create international pressure on Israel. As Christians, how can we think about civilian casualties while Israel is fighting a just war against terrorists?
Problems with the West’s outrage at war
Since October 7, Israel’s counter-offensive in Gaza and Lebanon has been condemned for the loss of innocent civilian lives. The loss of any innocent life is a tragedy. However, in war, especially urban warfare, the loss of innocent lives is often unavoidable. Most Westerners are uncomfortable with this reality, leading many to support a ceasefire as a humanitarian solution.
To honor the victims, blame the right actors
We must hold in tension, compassion, sorrow, and even outrage over the loss of innocent lives while also supporting Israel’s just war. Blame must be placed not on Israel but on Hamas and its terrorist supporters in Iran and Qatar who seek to destroy Israel and use their own populations as collateral damage in order to harm Israel in world opinion. In mourning the loss of innocent lives, we must hold the right actors accountable in honor of the victims.
Terrorists purposely cause civilian deaths
Hamas and Hezbollah intentionally hide and build critical terror infrastructure among civilian centers and populations as part of their war strategy.
This is strategic for several reasons:
- It complicates Israel’s military campaign by making discriminately targeting Hamas and Hezbollah members and infrastructure very difficult.
- Hamas and Hezbollah draw Israel into urban centers, knowing that Israel will be lambasted in the media and the political arena.
Israel’s Just War against terrorism
In Just War Theory, it is the state’s responsibility to respond proportionally and discriminately to the best of its ability.
And even though Hamas aims to have the IDF kill as many innocent civilians as possible, Israel has implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any other nation in history.
Israel fights with the highest standards of morality in the face of an enemy who has no sense of morality.
The enemy’s objectives determine proportionality in war
Hamas and Hezbollah espouse the Iranian regime’s aims to wipe Israel off the Middle East’s map. October 7 was an act of genocide and war. Thus, Israel’s proportionate and just response is to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah, especially as the terrorists have vowed to attempt another October 7-style massacre whenever possible.
Many confuse proportionality as an “eye-for-an-eye.” In actuality, proportionality is determined by the enemy’s stated desires and objectives. Israel must destroy and delegitimize Hamas and Hezbollah to achieve its war aim, which simultaneously achieves a moral outcome for the people of Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel achieves unprecedented precision
In September, Israel shocked the world with its pager operation in Lebanon, which eliminated more than 2,000 top Hezbollah leaders in one of the most successful and highly discriminatory operations in military history. The operation was a reminder of Israel’s intelligence capabilities and precision in its intent to target combatants, not civilians. Yet many in the West still condemned Israel for “indiscriminate violence” and unnecessary aggression.
While Israel is fallible and makes miscalculations that have resulted in the loss of innocent civilian life in multiple operations, the precision of the IDF has repeatedly demonstrated a desire to mitigate the number of civilian casualties.
“THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED
AND SAVES THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT.” – Psalms 34:18
As Christians, we must remember the human cost of war and conflict. While many call for a ceasefire as an immediate solution to the loss of innocent lives, true peace can only be achieved after the enemy has been destroyed
Israel’s just war aims not only provide justice and security to their own people, but to all those who have suffered at the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah.