Do you call it aiding when there are guns pointing at you? I think they are human shields / hostages. IMO
Human shield is a better description than hostage. A hostage is being held against their will and desires to escape. A hostage has no interest in protecting the location where they are being held. The priests or monks do not wish to escape but they do want the situation to end peacefully. If they could be guaranteed that there would be a peaceful outcome they might exit the church. However given a choice between remaining in the church under unpleasant conditions and leaving the church and then seeing it destroyed in an apocalyptic gunbattle, they would choose the former.
Israelis acting rationally in their own best interest would never destroy the church. However I am not confident that they are going to be rational. The audio harassment of the church does not inspire confidence, especially considering what happened at Waco.
In a sense it is a trap. If the Israelis either deliberately or unwittingly force a confrontation, and the church is destroyed it would permanently insert an element of anti-semitism into the Christian religion and the celebration of Christmas. Hard core zionists might blame the arabs and continue to support Israel but most of Christendom would react negatively toward Israel and the Jews.
I still don't get it. Whose side are the hostages on? How do these thugs get away with invading a church? Why doesn't the Pope send his Swiss Guards?