Three Reasons Why Israel Has the Right to Wage War on Palestinians in Gaza
Israel has the right to defend its land and people. It has maintained a continuous presence since 1050 BC (historical continuity) and was re-established as a state in 1948 (UN Resolution 181, legal recognition).
Despite constant attacks from terror groups like Hamas (a designated terrorist organization), Israel is accused of aggression when it responds. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter (right to self-defense), its actions are legal and justified.
1. Israel Has the Right to Defend Itself.
Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, a state has the inherent right to defend itself if an armed attack occurs. The Jewish people learned the cost of inaction during World War II, when the Nazis murdered six million. Today, Israel takes no chances.
The IDF has tried to limit military operations, but after the October 7 massacre by Hamas, a genocidal terror group. Israel responded with full force, but unlike most nations at war, Israel warned civilians in Gaza through millions of flyers and text messages before launching retaliatory strikes.
For over 70 years, Israel has endured attacks from Islamic terrorists. Over 24,000 Israeli soldiers and 5,000 civilians have died defending the land historically known as home to Palestinian Jews.
Palestinian Voices Downplaying Hamas Terrorism
Pro-Palestinian advocates downplay that Hamas initiated the current war. Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of a Hamas founder, has stated that Hamas uses civilians, including children, as human shields and operates from schools and hospitals.
The Palestinian Authority’s “Martyrs Fund” provides stipends to families of attackers. Evidence shows Hamas built terror tunnels into southern Israel, stored weapons in civilian areas, and repurposed infrastructure for rockets. Hamas was elected in Gaza in 2006 and continues to control the territory while carrying out attacks against Israel.
DEBUNKING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA.
2. Israel Has to Protect its Citizens
Israel maintains that its military operations target Hamas, not civilians. The October 7 attack, in which Hamas militants killed over 1,000 Israeli civilians and took hostages — including women, the elderly, and children — marked one of the deadliest assaults in the country’s history. Israeli officials argue that retaliation is warranted after the large-scale attack and brutality, and that the war could end if hostages were released and Hamas surrendered.
Since 1948, Israel has fought multiple wars with neighboring Arab states. From the early 2000s through 2023, hundreds of rockets and mortars were launched from Gaza into Israeli territory, contributing to ongoing security tensions.
3. Eliminate an Ongoing Existential Threat
Hamas openly and repeatedly sought Israel’s destruction and has carried out repeated rocket attacks, tunnel infiltrations, and mass-casualty assaults. Officials contend that prior ceasefires allowed Hamas to rearm and expand its military capacity. Therefore, dismantling Hamas’s leadership, infrastructure, and control in Gaza is necessary to prevent future large-scale attacks and restore deterrence.
Double Standard on Israel
During World War I and World War II, Allied powers asserted the right to defeat and dismantle the military capacity of Germany and Imperial Japan following sustained armed aggression that resulted in millions of casualties. In both conflicts, the justification was to neutralize regimes viewed as ongoing threats to their national and regional security.
From 1993 to 2016, at least 162 suicide bombings—mainly by Hamas—targeted Israeli civilians. Despite this, Israel is blamed for defending itself. In 1945, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war and save millions of lives. Any civilized nation will act to protect its people.
Criticism of How Israel Conducted Its Defense
Not all Christian conservatives support how Israel conducted its war in Gaza. Casualties are an inevitable part of war, but some ask whether the all-out campaign was unnecessary.
While many affirm Israel’s right to defend itself, others question the scale of destruction and civilian toll, the depth of U.S.–Israel political alignment, and—on the fringe—repeat claims of Jewish control over media or government, which are longstanding conspiracy.
In defense of Israel, claims of genocide and “elite” conspiracies weaken when weighed against historical context: Israel occupies a small portion of its ancestral and former mandate territory and exists alongside 22 Arab-majority states, amid longstanding regional hostility from groups that openly call for its destruction.
