Amidst the spiraling conflict between Israel and Gaza, news broke of an Israeli airstrike that annihilated the only Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) center in the region. What is being framed by some as a tragedy for women’s healthcare is, to others, a focal point for examining the controversial nature of the services provided by the PFPPA—a facility principally engaged in performing abortions.

The airstrike occurred in the wake of attacks initiated by Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. The conflict has seen a surge in violence from both sides, but it was the destruction of this particular clinic that drew international attention to the battle over the sanctity of life.

Executive Director of PFPPA, Ammal Awadallah, called for “humanitarian aid” to resume their child-killing operations. The framing of their mission as purely an emergency healthcare provider conveniently omits the organization’s chief function, abortion services. This glaring omission is nothing short of an attempt to cast the Israeli action as an assault on women’s health while sidestepping the ethical implications of abortion—a wholly immoral act of genocide—while also ignoring the thousands of innocent children murdered by Hamas during the last week.

Israel justified the action as a necessary component of its defense strategy against continuous threats from the terror group, Hamas. While the Israeli government contends that it exercises maximum restraint to limit civilian casualties, the situation brings up moral considerations on multiple fronts, both in terms of the conflict and the ethical dimension of abortion. The protection of innocent life should be first and foremost.