[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
—Psalm 147:3
Dear church,
Last week, we heard from our partners on the ground in the Holy Land about another attack in Gaza on the Al Ahli Hospital — a close partner of the Augusta Victoria Hospital, which is operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The Al Ahli Hospital is part of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, a sibling church to our direct partner the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).
Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar of the ELCJHL, my colleague and our brother in Christ, has issued a statement that I echo. As the ELCA, we join our ecumenical and global partners in “condemn[ing] in the strongest possible terms not only this latest attack on civilians at Al Ahli Hospital, but all attacks against hospitals, clinics, and other places of healing in Gaza,” as well as the repeated evacuation of already-vulnerable people.
The ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World reminds us that “the Church serves when it holds power accountable, advocates justice, stands with those who are poor and vulnerable, provides sanctuary, and meets human need.” We call on the U.S. government to hold the Israeli government accountable for its clear violation of international law regarding endangerment of civilian life, health care facilities and their staff.
We must raise our voices to affirm international humanitarian law, which states that hospitals are specially protected (Article 18, Fourth Geneva Convention).
We pray for the families of the four people killed in this horrific attack, and for the speedy healing of those injured. Time and again, the Israeli government has used claims of terrorist activity to justify attacks on Gaza’s medical infrastructure, and this attack was no different. The clearest result of this justification has been the killing of over 62,000 people, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
We join Bishop Azar in asserting that due protection of neutral medical facilities, a key principle of international humanitarian law, must be enforced absolutely. We express this with all urgency, considering that this principle has been violated numerous times throughout the catastrophe in Gaza under the guise of legitimate military operations. We reiterate our support for Al Ahli Hospital, its medical staff and the Christ-aligned work of healing the sick and vulnerable, especially in such unforgiving conditions.
We call upon our elected government officials, medical institutions around the world and global faith leaders to strongly advocate for upholding international law, for instituting an immediate ceasefire and resuming humanitarian and medical aid, and for a justice-oriented path to peace so that all people in the land we call holy can live in safety and dignity.
In peace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
