Today, our hearts and prayers are with the family of Edan Alexander, a young Israeli-American soldier who has been held hostage in Gaza since Hamas’s brutal invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023. According to a report by the Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are tactically limiting operations near Rafah in preparation for Edan’s release—but without agreeing to a ceasefire with the terrorists who still hold other Israeli citizens hostage.
This decision reflects both the strength and moral clarity of Israel’s leadership—a nation that cherishes every life, even amid the hardest battles.
Hostage Diplomacy vs. True Justice
Let us not forget: Edan is not a bargaining chip. He is a son, a soldier, a child of God. His capture, like the captivity of so many other Israelis—children, elderly, men, and women—is a moral outrage.
Israel has every right to conduct military operations to defeat Hamas. That it chooses, even temporarily, to restrain operations to bring a hostage home speaks volumes. No other army in the world exercises this level of ethical restraint.
Hamas, by contrast, hides behind civilians, hoards aid, and trades in terror. It is a force of darkness—and there can be no moral equivalence between Israel and those who seek its destruction.
Faith, Family, and the Price of Peace
As Christians and Jews united by Scripture, we understand the sacred value of a single life. Jesus teaches that the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one. (Luke 15:4) Likewise, Jewish tradition teaches that “whoever saves one life… it is as if they saved an entire world.” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)
Israel lives this ethic. It fights to win, but it fights with soul. And it will go to great lengths to bring its sons and daughters home.
Let Us Stand and Intercede
Now is the time for bold prayer and bold advocacy. We urge believers to:
- Pray for Edan’s safe and swift return.
- Intercede for the other hostages, still held underground by a regime of terror.
- Support Israel’s moral right to defend itself, with or without a ceasefire.
- Advocate with your elected officials: demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Hope Without Compromise
Israel’s restraint today is not weakness—it is strength, born from a covenantal identity and a deep reverence for life. But make no mistake: this is not a truce. Evil remains on the battlefield, and Israel will finish the work it started.
To the families of the hostages, we say: You are not forgotten. We are praying. We are watching. We are speaking out. And we are with you.
To the people of Israel: You are not alone.
He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
(Psalm 121:4)
Am Yisrael Chai.