Bishop David Walker shared this Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 this morning, addressing the recent attack on the Anglican-run Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza.
The Anglican Al Ahli Hospital suffered a devastating attack two days ago. A 20-minute warning from the Israeli forces allowed staff and patients, along with refugees on the site, to evacuate. But what was the only functioning hospital left in Gaza has been put out of action. Whether or not there was a Hamas Command Centre hidden within its buildings, as the military alleged, I’ve heard from my own conversations with Palestinians that terrorists have, in the past, forced them to accept military assets being placed in schools and medical facilities, precisely to make them harder to destroy. I can understand why some argue that the number of hostages being held by Hamas should include much of the civilian population.
One of the great moral questions is the relationship between means and ends. How do I balance the desirable outcome I am striving to achieve, against some evil that may be required in order to accomplish it? This matters both for those who would frame themselves as modern military armies and those who claim to be ‘resistance fighters’. Augustine of Hippo, writing 1500 years ago, seeks to find that balance by setting down rules which any justifiable conflict would have to satisfy. What has become known as the Just War Theory, adopted far beyond the Christian tradition, has at its heart the protection of non-combatants.
Using civilian populations as human shields appears to me a clear breach of that principle, as equally does bombing them in pursuit of a so called ‘high value target’, and preventing them from receiving adequate food and medical services. Whilst I try to be careful not to extrapolate too much from single occasions, and some events remain under investigation, the last 18 months has seen a clear and oft repeated pattern, including aid lorries hijacked and ambulance crews attacked, which makes it hard for me to conclude that either side of the conflict is adequately prioritising the welfare and protection of ordinary Gazan citizens. Whilst battle rages at street level, the moral high ground appears to have been abandoned.
War, as I see it, can have only two outcomes. Either one side succeeds in annihilating or expelling the other, or there has to be some settlement which leads to peace. In a statement urging that the ceasefire agreement be respected by all sides, all remaining hostages released unconditionally, and unfettered humanitarian aid reach the people of Gaza, the Church of England House of Bishops yesterday reiterated what I and many feel are the minimum first steps towards ending the present suffering and restoring moral values. Meanwhile, a clear commitment to the rapid repair and restoration of healthcare services, so that the Diocese of Jerusalem and others can resume their humanitarian work, would send a powerful signal that peace still has a chance.