The war between Israel and Hamas only continues to intensify one year after Hamas militants launched a deadly — and “particularly evil” — attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 others.
Israel would immediately go on to declare war against Hamas, and the conflict has escalated between Israel, Hamas militants and other Iran-backed groups across the region. Meanwhile, Baptists continue to urge prayer for peace throughout the Middle East.
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, on his podcast “The Briefing” noted on Monday that the attack on Israel is one that has been “etched in stone” and also on the minds of many Americans as he recalled the shock of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Deadly attack
“A year later [after the Hamas attack on Israel], we need to step back and recognize once again exactly what happened, then we need to take an account and understand what we know about the world now that we frankly didn’t know a year ago,” Mohler noted.
“Not only did [Hamas] kill approximately 1,200 people, but this included 787 civilians and no less than 56 children. This was a deadly attack, it was a premeditated attack — in its own way it was an ingenious attack, using even such things as kites in order to carry out the attack. It was particularly evil in form that the attack took. For instance, going into a concert of young adults and just killing as many as possible, chasing people into houses and then mowing them down inside their homes. It was an attack intended to make a statement in blood and it did.”
What we know now
Since then, a lot has been learned from the conflict.
“It was intended by Hamas to be an attack upon Israel that we now know … Hamas hoped then would be joined by others,” Mohler noted. “And as it turns out, a group like Hezbollah in Lebanon did a day later state their solidarity with Hamas, but it would be almost a year after that before Israel and Hezbollah would actually be in an exchange of warfare. Hamas overestimated the power of its patron, that would be Iran — and as others have noted — it underestimated the strength of Israel.”
Prayers continue
The International Mission Board has released a downloadable prayer guide to “Pray for Peace in the Middle East.”
For more related headlines on the crisis, see list of stories below:
One year after deadly Hamas attacks on Israel, Send Relief partners continue ministering in the region —International Mission Board
Baptist witness continues in Gaza, Israel year into war as fighting expands —Baptist Press
A Day of Infamy for Israel and the Civilized World: Today’s Anniversary of the Deadly Attack on Israel by Hamas —Albert Mohler/The Briefing
Like an ‘angel’: Mother remembers son killed by Hamas while protecting friends at Nova music festival —The Christian Post
Remembering the day Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds of hostages —The World and Everything in It
Israel intensifies bombardment of Gaza and southern Lebanon ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary —Associated Press
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled by The Baptist Paper.
