The last operating hospital in the Gaza Strip was hit by an Israeli airstrike yesterday. Israel says a Hamas command and control centre was being operated from inside the medical facility. The head of Bethlehem Bible College Rev Jack Sara condemns the attack and says he fears for the remaining 600 Christians in Gaza
The attack on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital and the adjacent church happened yesterday, on Palm Sunday.
The only functional hospital in Gaza City is also a Christian ministry that is under the Episcopalian Anglican Church here in the Holy Land. It breaks our hearts to see a Christian ministry being attacked again and again.
Israel says that there were many different orders given that the patients and employees needed to leave. I cant verify that, but evacuating a hospital in a war zone is impossible. Israel says the hospital was being used by Hamas. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do wonder why Israel need to continue hitting hospitals. I’m really shocked that this continues to happen, even as over 1,200 people have lost their lives in Israel and over 50,000 in Gaza. This madness needs to stop.
We’ve always prayed for ceasefire. We’ve always prayed for negotiations. We’ve always prayed for international interventions that this mad war should stop, but it is not stopping.
The remaining Christian community in Gaza is tiny - probably just 600 in total. We have friends there who are hiding in churches and we are so worried for them.
Living in Jerusalem, I hear what’s going on on the ground. There are people especially in this hawkish right wing Israeli government who are not interested in peace. They’re not interested in ending this war. They’re more interested in keeping their seat.
We’ve always prayed for international interventions that this mad war should stop, but it is not stopping
But ordinary Israelis want the war to stop. There are still many hostages in Gaza and the families of the hostages want them released. It is a fact that, in the past, several of those hostages inside Gaza were killed in Israeli attacks. The families are worried. There are so many marches in Jerusalem and elsewhere to stop the war and find a better solution.
We need to pray for hope.
Yesterday, I was watching the Palm Sunday march that starts near the Mount of Olives, and follows the Via Dolorosa (a path representing the route Jesus walked on his way to be crucified) to the Old City of Jerusalem. My parents’ house is literally on the eighth station of the cross on the Via Dolorosa. Normally people would shout out, “Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed.” But this time was different. The march through Jerusalem wasn’t celebratory. The bands that would march with music and sing “Hosanna” were not singing with a loud voice like they used to. It’s a more solemn prayer of asking God for intervention and seeking God’s mercy over our land.
I’ve received pictures of Christians in Gaza commemorating Palm Sunday. We Christians want to live our faith and are believing that God will be with us, even in the shadow of death.
Jack Sara was speaking to Esther Higham on Premier Christian Radio’s Inspirational Breakfast show. Listen to the interview here.
