Collateral Damage

Since this blog was written on Saturday 6th August, more children and women have been killed in Gaza and rockets fired from Gaza have reached the edge of west Jerusalem. More collateral damage.

Five year old Alaa Qaddoum was killed on Friday during an Israeli assassination strike against a leader of Islamic Jihad. The Gaza strip is 365 km² and has a population of between 2.1 and 2.2 million. Gaza city has an estimated population of 590,481. The Isle of Jura, off the west cost of Scotland, has similar dimensions and area, and a population of 196. It is impossible to fire rockets into Gaza without ‘collateral damage’. Alaa Qaddom and a 23 year old woman are dead, along with a number of Palestinian Islamic Jihadists (PIJ)

Alaa Qaddoum, photographer unknown

The BBC reported, ‘On Monday night, 1^st August 2022, Israeli security forces arrested Bassem Saadi, reported to be the head of PIJ in the West Bank. He was held in the Jenin area as part of an ongoing series of arrest operations after a wave of attacks by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians that left 17 Israelis and two Ukrainians dead. Two of the attackers came from the Jenin district.’

Following the arrest Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued threats which Israel says were specific. This led to Friday’s airstrike which killed 10, including Alaa.

Israel says over 100 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel. There are no reports of any casualties. Yet.

Hamas, which governs in Gaza, while reacting angrily to the attack, has not launched any physical retaliatory action yet. The calculation is that they cannot win militarily. Also, they want to protect the jobs of Gazans who have been working in Israel and maintain the flow of goods necessary for ‘normal’ life. It is a difficult line to hold when feeling will be running high in Gaza and among many Palestinians whether in the West Bank or Israel. Memories of the violence across Israel last May 2021 are still raw.

There is some cynical speculation that caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid is bolstering his reputation in a time of election. Traditionally when Israelis have felt threatened support for the government ruling party has increased.

World reaction has been predictable, and has fallen along familiar lines. The UN condemns and calls for restraint. The US says it supports Israel’s right to self defence. John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, defended Israel’s attack on Gaza and urged both sides to de-escalate the situation. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security, and we will continue to work to strengthen all aspects of the US-Israeli partnership,” he said.

Meanwhile in Tiberias I went for a swim in the Sea of Galilee this morning. I put on a washing which will be dry by lunchtime. I’m preparing for worship in St Andrew’s Tiberias tomorrow where we will baptise a little boy.

When the war of words and the rocket attacks subside, as they will, what will have been achieved? It is an impossible situation. Tension and violence have been increasing. Increased Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is a worrying trend. Live ammunition used against stone throwing youths means the death toll mounts; along with the grief, the trauma, the anger and for some, the urge for revenge. In 2022 there has been an increase in attacks by individual Palestinians against Israelis. But the disproportionate death toll (documented by human rights organisation B’tselem https://statistics.btselem.org/en/all-fatalities/by-date-of-incident?section=overall&tab=overview ) shows where and how most deaths occur.

It all seems so pointless, so intractable, so inevitable. While occupation and injustice persist, while Israelis believe Palestinians want them gone, attacks like Friday’s will continue.

Alaa Qaddoum is dead. Her family mourn a bright, beautiful girl. Every human being, made in the image of God, should be allowed to flourish. So many, here and all around the world are not given that opportunity. The Christian community in the Holy Land advocates non-violent means in pursuit of justice, along with many Muslims and Jews who also yearn for peace. But peace without justice is at best temporary. In memory of Alaa Qaddoum and Shireen Abu Akleh and countless others, Lord, help me pray for and work for true peace.