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War on Children

March 26, 2024

In war, the most vulnerable individuals affected are children of all ages. On October 7, a wave of over 3,000 Hamas terrorists surged through Israel’s security fence at 28 locations along the border and slammed into communities like Kibbutz Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Re’im, Nahal Oz, Nir Oz, Sderot and more. They slaughtered everyone they encountered. Those they spared were tortured, raped and kidnapped. Of these victims, children were a prime target. At the Nova Music Festival, 375 young people were murdered. In multiple communities, entire families were burned alive in their safe rooms. And on multiple occasions, children were murdered while the parents were forced to watch. On October 7, Hamas terrorists deliberately targeted children.

The youngest child kidnapped is nine-month-old Kfir Bibas, who was taken into Gaza with his four-year-old brother, Ariel. They were last seen in the tight, protective embrace of their terrified mother, Shiri, surrounded by terrorists, who dragged them into Gaza. Our team listened to the chilling recordings of emergency responders instructing petrified children hidden inside closets to be as quiet as possible—while their murdered parents lay motionless in pools of blood nearby. In Kfar Aza, Hamas terrorists placed infant twins on a bed after murdering their parents, and then proceeded to eat from the family’s refrigerator as they lay in wait for the family members and neighbors who they knew would come to the rescue of the wailing babies. Whenever would-be rescuers stepped through the door, the terrorists gunned them down.

While thousands of missiles from Gaza rained down on southern Israel and the cracking of gunfire reverberated through quiet agricultural communities on that Black Shabbat, children huddled with their terrified families in safe rooms. I spoke with one father whose children saw the dead bodies of their neighbors and friends strewn around the neighborhood. There are countless more like them. They’ve witnessed their homes engulfed in flames, smelled burning flesh and heard the pleas of the kidnapped. The minds and hearts of Israel’s children have forever been marred, their innocence robbed.

During the first days of the war, I met a man who had seen the mutilated corpses of babies. I wept and was broken over his testimony. I recently met a father whose young daughter and fiancé were murdered. My heart sunk as I gazed into his eyes filled with pain. I met a survivor from Kibbutz Be’eri who had been forced to make a decision between saving her bleeding husband or her suffocating three children as their safe room filled with black smoke. She chose to hold her children up against the small window so that they could breathe—as her husband bled to death. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I listened to this account. Even I recall spending over four hours crammed into our safe room as rockets were intercepted above Jerusalem, my own frightened children hearing the deep thuds of the missile interceptions reverberate as we prayed and distracted them with Paddington Bear and Curious George.

I have read countless studies being published on tens of thousands of Israeli children suffering from trauma after October 7. Bed-wetting, nightmares, fits of anger, depression, anxiety, uncontrolled crying, refusing to speak, hiding under blankets and insisting to sleep in a bomb shelter rather than their bedroom are clear signs of the ingrained trauma these children are experiencing.

Since 2009, Bridges for Peace has invested in the children of Israel. We have supported and loved on them through our Feed a Child program. Through our partnership with schools across Israel, we have surrounded thousands of Israeli children throughout the years to ensure they have a bright future and are not forgotten. Donors all around the world have joined us in this incredible program of breathing life into children trapped in poverty. By providing school kits, backpacks, daily hot lunches, gifts during the holidays and dental support, hundreds of Israeli families feel the support and love of Christians from around the world.

In the wake of October 7, the number of children in need has escalated tenfold as hundreds of thousands of Israelis from the south and the north have been displaced. As absorption cities filled with refugees, our partners in communities, towns and cities approached us for help. Through prayer and determination, we answered the call, reaching out to these children in need.

Since the start of the war, Bridges for Peace has been able to support over 400 additional children who were displaced with their families. This is extending our reach in such a powerful, God-honoring way, and your prayers and financial support make this possible every day. The trauma these children have endured is unthinkable and will last a lifetime, but with the light of the Lord, we are able to step into the gap and show love to every family through our actions of caring for their children. This kind of support allows them to take the vital step toward mental and emotional healing.

When you sit down with your family for dinner tonight, please pray for the children of Israel. Would you also consider making a life-changing gift of support for a child in the midst of war so that they can know that Christians around the world have not forgotten them?

With sorrow and hopeful joy,
Rev. Peter Fast
International CEO

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