How to view the Israel-Hamas war from a Gospel perspective

Middle East — A recent report from the World Bank says the Israel-Hamas war could push Lebanon back into recession, fueling a broader demand for hostilities to end in Gaza.

World leaders and global public opinion remain divided on how long the war should last, who’s the victim, and who’s the aggressor.

“The perspective from outside is so different than the perspective from [within] this region. There’s so much polarization in the news and such an oversimplification of what’s happening,” Pierre Houssney of Horizons International says.

“We don’t view our region as Muslims versus Israelis; it’s so much more diverse than what you see on the news.”

Most headlines “try to convince everybody that it’s all complex and hard to understand,” Houssney continues.

“So, they just simplify it to mean that you’re going to choose this side or the other side.”

Based in Beirut, Lebanon, Horizons helps struggling people in the name of Jesus – no matter what country they come from or religion they follow. More about Horizons International here.

Lebanon holds “so many different kinds of Muslims – Shiites and Sunnis, and different interest groups,” Houssney says.

“There are Christian Lebanese, Christian Syrians, Jewish believers, and Palestinian believers; there are a lot of believers from Muslim backgrounds.”

Houssney encourages believers in the West, like you and me, to consider the war a call to prayer. Understanding regional context is vital to aligning our prayers with the heart of God.

“Don’t look at this in terms of who’s right or wrong, the Palestinians or the Israelis, but see this with spiritual eyes. Not the clash of civilizations or the political side of things because that’s not how God views this conflict,” he says.

“God doesn’t want anybody to perish, whether they’re Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, Christian, or Jew; nobody should die without knowing Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That’s what we need to start praying for.”

Header image courtesy of Horizons International.