Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip fired massive barrages of rockets at southern Israel throughout Tuesday, wounding at least 24 people and drawing deadly retaliatory airstrikes from the Israel Defense Forces.

The Hamas terror group claimed at one stage that it fired 137 rockets in around five minutes in a massive barrage that was an apparent attempt to overwhelm the Iron Dome missile defense system. Four people were injured in the barrage, including one critically and another in serious condition.

With a number of buildings in Ashkelon suffering direct hits over the course of the day, and concerns over the number of residential buildings in the city without bomb shelters, the Israel Defense Forces instructed residents to remain in reinforced areas.

The assaults continued after a night of almost constant rocket fire on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip and as the IDF conducted strikes on more than 100 targets in the coastal enclave, as part of what it has called “Operation Guardian of the Walls,” the military said. The previous day saw a major outbreak of violence from Gaza, including rare rocket fire on Jerusalem, where Palestinians have been clashing with police for days.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, at least 23 people in the Strip were killed on Monday night and Tuesday, including nine minors. Another 107 Palestinians were injured to varying degrees, the ministry said. The IDF said at least 15 of those killed were members of the Hamas terror group who were launching rockets or anti-tank guided missiles at Israel.

IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said a number of those killed in Gaza, including at least three children, were hit by errant rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists, not by Israeli airstrikes.

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups reported that several high-ranking commanders were killed in Israeli raids on Tuesday, including two top PIJ leaders in a drone strike on a building in the upscale Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, one of whom was the brother of another top PIJ commander, Baha Abu al-Ata, who was killed in an Israeli strike in November 2019, kicking off a major round of fighting in the Strip.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi on Tuesday afternoon gave the military a green light to keep targeting Hamas and PIJ members operating in the Strip and bombing sites connected to the terror groups’ rocket production and storage efforts.

Israel on Tuesday showed no indications that it was interested in an immediate ceasefire, as Zilberman said the fighting was expected to last at least several days and that the coming hours would be particularly punishing for Hamas.

“We have an intense day ahead of us,” Zilberman told reporters on Tuesday morning, adding, “We have a goal and we will not stop until we’ve reached it.”

HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?

It is the deep-rooted anti-Israel Bias in Nations that has stopped them from putting Iran in their place. As Netanyahu previously has stated, “If Iran’s terror proxies were firing thousands of rockets at your cities, perhaps you’d be more measured in your praise.”

Amir Tsarfati has pointed out that the rise in escalation that we are seeing currently in Israel can be attributed to the action of a failing US President that has emboldened Iran.

“I am going to say something that might sound controversial, but hear me out all the way,” Tsarfati said in an audio recording on Telegram. “What we are watching in Israel right now is directly related to the election fraud in the United States. Now, let me explain. When Biden got into office, obviously through fraud, the Iranians were very emboldened. Right now, Iran is sending its octopus arms everywhere, and they are behind what is going on here in Israel right now. So you see the connection… It is very, very simple.”

It was former President Donald Trump that stood up to Iran in the protection of Israel. He removed the United States from the nuclear deal and place stiff sanctions on the country so they would not be able to so easily fund these terror proxies that seek collectively to destroy the Jewish State.

In Genesis 12:3, God not only calls all the nations of the world to bless Israel, but He also presents a warning to those nations and people that choose to curse them: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God will ultimately judge nations by how they treated the Jewish State of Israel (Joel 3:2).

The anti-Israel bias among the nations is also on display as they continually condemn the Jewish state for defending themselves against these terrorist organizations. Which is Israel’s right.

The tensions, specifically in Jerusalem and the temple mount, have revealed that the world is turning to reflect Zechariah 12:1-3, a prophecy which tells of a time in which Israel stands alone against global leaders salivating over dividing Jerusalem and stripping it from its God-given ownership to the Jews.

Christians (should) know better and understand their biblical responsibility toward God’s chosen people. It is incumbent upon Christians to love, pray for and stand up for the Jewish people, the state of Israel, and their eternal capital of Jerusalem. God has not forgotten His people, and neither should His servants.

Hal Lindsey In his latest article, “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem,” wrote about God’s desire for us to pray for the Jewish state and its capital.

“Reports from Israel this week reminded me of a place in scripture where God Himself makes a prayer request. Psalms 122:6 says, ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,’” Lindsey said. “Praying for Jerusalem has always made sense, but especially now.”

Lindsey then went on to explain that although a person may start praying for Israel’s eternal capital out of obedience, God will use that time in prayer to provide believers with a better understanding of His plan and love for Jerusalem and the Jewish People.

“You do it out of obedience, but then you will find yourself doing it because your heart has changed,” he explained. “As you pray, you will begin to sense God’s heart for Jerusalem, her people, and His plan for the world. That plan in many ways centers on Jerusalem. God wants you to be a part of His great plan for the ages. Praying for Jerusalem brings you into His inner circle.”

With all that is taking place, let believers stand up for the rights of Israel and pray for them during this time of crisis as ambassadors for a God and Savior who loves them and is still keeping His promises to His chosen people and nation.