In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, one of the groups to that came out in strongest support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas was the American evangelical Christian community. In light of the events, this was a completely understandable response; Hamas’ attacks on Israeli soil were beyond tragic and were particularly alarming among American Christians and Jews, for whom Israel is of unique religious significance.

Yet in the time since Oct. 7, Israel’s military operations have expanded into a systematic effort by Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration to fully dismantle the Palestinian state. It appears Netanyahu is getting close to achieving these ends, as Israel’s offensives have killed nearly 50,000 in Gaza and Netanyahu now seems to be fully behind Trump’s plan to displace the remaining Palestinians in Gaza, who he has indicated would not be allowed back if the U.S. were to “take over” the region.

Today, there are still some Christians in the U.S. who are able to look at the destruction and death Israel has inflicted on Gaza since the war began without questioning the U.S. government’s seemingly unconditional financial support for the current Israeli regime.

However, if the deaths of thousands of Palestinians are not enough for American Christians to reconsider their support for Netanyahu’s actions, then maybe his government’s treatment of Christians would change their minds.

In the last year and a half, Israeli has launched a number of airstrikes that resulted in the destruction of Christian places of worship, threatening the already vulnerable Christian community living there. This includes a strike on the Church of Saint Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, which was damaged during a strike on Oct. 19, 2023. The strike killed at least 18 Palestinian Christians, with many others injured, according to Reuters.

Mistreatment of Christians by Netanyahu’s government is not confined to Palestinian regions; it also extends to Israel proper, where there has been a “disturbing rise” in the number of incidents of violence and harassment of Orthodox and evangelical Christians in recent years, according to the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, an Israeli multifaith organization.

The Rossing Center report also reiterates that most Jews in Israel are supportive of Christian minorities, but the nation’s government and a small number of its citizens fuel what has become a hostile environment for these groups in Israel.

The Rev. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian pastor and a major voice in opposition of Israel’s treatment of the residents of Gaza, has outlined the effect that the recent conflict has had on Gaza’s Christian population, which he noted has shrunk significantly since the war began.

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“One of the biggest problems we’re facing right now is the deterioration of our numbers — people keep leaving because of the political reality,” Munther, who lives in Jerusalem, said in an interview. “We are a small community, and as such, anything that happens to Palestinians happens to us.”

I bring up the plight of Christians in the Middle East because it is a side of the Gaza War’s impact that has received almost no media coverage. More importantly, though, I touch on it because it is unfortunately often our nature as humans that we struggle to have empathy for those in a conflict, until we recognize that some of the people suffering are “of our kin.”

As such, if Christians in the U.S. who are supportive of Israel’s war in Gaza were to see the impact that the war has had on their fellow Christians, they may be more inclined to consider if we should continue to support the current Israel government without greater accountability.

I happen to be a Christian myself, and growing up Christian — I am now an Episcopalian — I was often reminded that Jesus taught the way of peace. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus famously told his disciples that “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

I have seen my position on the war in the Middle East alter since Oct. 7, and I do partly attribute this to what I believe is my duty as a Christian — to work toward peace.

When the Oct. 7 attacks took place, I too believed that Israel had a fundamental right to defend itself against the brutal threat of Hamas. As the war played out, though, I struggled to justify the massive destruction and loss that was taking place under the umbrella of self-defense.

Today, I continue to believe that Israel’s existence is critical to the security of Jews in the Middle East, who will always be vulnerable. Because of how important Israel is, it is vital that it has competent leadership, and Netanyahu and his cabinet have not proved themselves capable in this regard.

Like many, I am appalled by the deaths that have occurred during this war — whether they are Muslim, Christian or Jewish, and whether they are Israeli or Palestinian. While the recent ceasefire has brought temporary peace, if we want to achieve lasting peace, we must recognize the full extent of loss that the war has caused.

Olin Rose-Bardawil of Florence is a student at the Williston Northampton School and the editor in chief of the school’s newspaper, The Willistonian.