Phase One of the ceasefire is done. Thirty-eight hostages were returned, of whom eight were already dead. Gaza is saying, “Okay, it’s time for Phase Two.” Israel is responding, “Not so fast.” With the way that Hamas is interpreting the second phase of the deal, Israel must completely clear out of Gaza and the terrorist group will stay in power. For Israel, that’s a non-starter.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attempted to extend the first phase of the deal while others tried to work out new plans. In Witkoff’s proposal, the ceasefire would extend 45 days and Israel would receive 30 hostages – 12 who are alive and 18 who are dead. To no one’s surprise, Hamas rejected it. Meanwhile, the Arab gathering in Cairo proposed a $50 billion Gaza reconstruction deal. However, it neglected to mention who would front the money and it does not stipulate to the removal of Hamas. Once again, Hamas rejected it. But Israel and the U.S. also eschewed the plan, as they will any proposal that keeps Hamas in Gaza.
So, what do we do with this stalemate? If you’re Israel, you take action. First, you confirm Hamas’s rejection of the Witkoff proposal. If the terrorists truly say no, then Israel will block all humanitarian aid to Gaza. By the way, the Houthis of Yemen say that if Israel blocks this aid, they will ban all Israeli ships from the Red Sea. That could lead to some major fireworks.
If Hamas still refuses to move forward and return the remaining hostages, Israel will cut the 19% of Gaza’s water that it supplies. If Hamas still refuses, Israel will cut electricity to Gaza’s desalination plants so that they cannot purify their own water. If Hamas still refuses, Israel will resume air attacks. If Hamas still refuses, Israel will resume a ground war. To this final end, Israel’s government approved a call-up of 400,000 reserves. That’s 100,000 more than were called up after October 7. In other words, Israel is not playing around.
Just yesterday, Israel installed Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir as the new Chief of Staff of the IDF. He is a fighter with an excellent strategic head on his shoulders. If the war in Gaza turns hot once again, he’s the man to lead Israel to victory.
How The ‘Religion Of Peace’ Celebrates
Saturday marked the first day of Ramadan, the ninth and ‘holiest’ month of the Muslim calendar. Each day, observers are called to fast from dawn to sunset. Then, once the sun is down, the iftar feast begins with people celebrating and making up culinarily for lost time.
So, how will you celebrate? If you are in Gaza, you will join at one of the many great feast tables where plentiful food is spread out for all to enjoy. In fact, it’s truly amazing just how much bread and meats and fruit and desserts are available for a people who, according to the media, are being genocidally starved to death by the Israeli people. If that’s what it means to be wasted away by a heartless regime, then pass me the naan and the lamb. I’m in!
If you are in Germany, though, you might want to prepare yourself for the holy month by stabbing a person in front of Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, as one 19-year-old Syrian refugee did a week-and-a-half ago. Or, you may want to ram your car into people at a bus stop on Friday wounding 14, including one 17-year-old girl who later died of her injuries. That’s how a Palestinian from Jenin celebrated in Israel. Or, you could attack a fellow Muslim in Haifa on Monday as one Druze did to an Israeli Arab, stabbing him to death before being eliminated himself. Isn’t it amazing to see how the religion of peace celebrates their holy days?
Deeper into Syria
Israel is taking advantage of the confusion surrounding the new regime in Syria. As the HTS government is trying to sort itself out with its numerous ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other factions vying for influence, the IDF is entrenching itself on Mount Hermon and doing what it can to be patrons to the Druze community of southern Syria. The goal of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is to create a new independent county in southern Syria for the Druze. To this end, the prime minister has already declared that everything south of Damascus must be demilitarized.
Netanyahu has also established a roadblock in the Syrian town of El Mal, located between the capital city and the Israeli border, where the IDF can ensure that no weapons are being smuggled along that route from the Islamist regime in Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Any places that Israel discovers are militarized in the south are being wiped out, and the Netanyahu government is making it clear that Turkey has no place in the new Syria. Meanwhile, business as usual is returning to northern Israel. People are finally returning to their homes, and the ski resorts on Mount Hermon are back open for the first time since before the war began.
New Voices in Lebanon
When asked about signing a peace agreement with Israel, the Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar said, “Lebanon’s best interest lies in neutrality and peace.” Did you get that? A member of the Lebanese government just spoke of Israel not in terms of enemy or destruction or eternal fires. Instead, they referenced the word “peace”. Pardon me while I pick myself up off the floor. This is amazing!
Nassar is not alone. New politicians and media are agreeing with him, saying, “Peace with Israel.” Israel would love this. But, as the old Russian proverb goes, “Trust but verify.” The IDF will be keeping their five positions inside of Lebanon to protect the border. They will also continue to kill the enemies who need killing, as they did Tuesday when they took out with an airstrike Khadir Sa’id Hashem, commander of the Naval Unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces.
European Crisis
Last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with United States President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Let’s just say that it didn’t go quite as the Ukrainian leader had planned. Words were exchanged with Zelenskyy being the recipient of most of them. Then, the Ukrainian slunk out of the White House and flew back to Europe. Once he landed, all the European leaders were there to give him hugs and happy words.
I don’t want to get into the ins and outs of minerals and treaties and the like. I’m mostly interested in this from an end times perspective. The divide of the Atlantic Ocean was never so apparent as it was following this incident. The European leaders were quick to condemn Trump, with some even throwing out the idea of creating a new NATO-type organization without the United States. Apparently, they would fund it using all the money they’ve collected in their change jars over the years, since the U.S. has been the primary financial supporter of NATO since its inception.
With Europe looking for a new leader from their own stock, it puts me in mind of Daniel 9 which points to the antichrist rising from that continent. America is not mentioned as a player in the Ezekiel 38 war nor in the tribulation, and I believe that it is very possible that’s because the U.S. is the one country that will be most devastated by the rapture. Europe must be ready to step into the gap opened by an America-less geopolitical landscape. I’m not saying that this is definitively what is taking place. However, the pieces all do fit into place.
Iran and the Bomb
Seventy-seven retired U.S. generals and admirals have warned President Trump that Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear power. They are urging him to back any potential Israeli military action against Iran. These military leaders are not wrong. U.S. Intelligence sources say that Iran is enriching uranium at 80% purity at the Fordow Enrichment Plant. Russia is saying, “Wait, let’s sit, pour some tea, and talk first.” But many in the United States are done talking. As Senator Lindsey Graham put it, “There is no chance of there being a nuclear agreement. The Nazi ayatollahs want to destroy Israel. President Trump should give Israel the tools to destroy the Iranian nuclear program.” To Senator Graham, I say, “Hear, hear!”
