Documents that were labeled “top secret” in Arabic were discovered on the bodies of dead Hamas terrorists this week after they launched an unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel.

The documents showed that the detailed plans Palestinian terrorists were given ordered them to “target elementary schools and a youth center” in Kfar Sa’ad, a kibbutz in Israel, and to “kill as many people as possible.”

The documents also ordered the soldiers to take hostages and return back to Gaza as fast as possible. More than 1,300 Israelis were murdered, 3,000+ more were injured, and well over 100 hostages were taken.

Surveillance footage viewed by NBC News lined up closely to the orders that were given in the documents, including the use of specific tactics.

The documents showed that Hamas had conducted extensive intelligence gathering to carry out their attacks and that they had “specific plans of attack for each village that included the intentional targeting of women and children.”

Israeli military officials told the publication that the level of detail in the maps, which NBC News published, was enough to “cause anyone in the intelligence field’s jaw to drop.”

“I saw murdered babies. I saw murdered children,” said Yossi Landau, a commander of ZAKA, an Israeli first responder organization. “I saw mothers and children murdered together.”

Another Israeli military official said that they had never seen this degree of detailed planning for a terrorist attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attacks by telling Israelis that Hamas’ time had come to an end and that country would kill every Hamas operative after the attacks.

“We are fighting in full force in all theaters. Now, we are on the offensive,” he said. “Every Hamas operative will die. Hamas is ISIS. We will crush them and get rid of them just as the world crushed and got rid of ISIS. I would like to strengthen our combatants, all the people in our security forces and relief and rescue forces. The entire people of Israel are behind you.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin agreed with Netanyahu’s assessment, saying on Friday that what he saw was “worse than what I saw with ISIS.”

DAILY WIRE

The claim that Israel received advanced warning from Egypt days prior to Saturday’s bloody attack is ‘utterly fake,’ National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi has stated.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Michael McCaul, told reporters that he received classified information during a closed-door intelligence briefing, which he said showed that Egypt cautioned the Jewish State “that an event like this could happen” three days before the massacre.

The Israeli National Security Advisor categorically denied that assertion, saying Israel received “zero information” about the Hamas attack.

Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in, calling the story “fake news” in a public address to the nation on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s office also put out a statement reiterating that “no early message came from Egypt.”

News articles cited an unnamed Egyptian official who insisted that the country told Israel ahead of time that “something big” was being planned by Hamas. However, according to Egyptian media, senior security sources within the country have denied the international press reports that an advance warning was issued.

HD STAFF

Israeli bodies were located during a raid on Gaza carried out by forces under the command of the 7th Armoured Brigade, on Friday night.

Reports were received from the forces near the border that there were “discoveries” near the border.

The discoveries underwent investigations, which led to the later decision to send in a large force under the command of Lt. Col. Shimon Putrabani.

After the brigade surrounded the location, bodies were collected from and transported to Israeli territory.

Jerusalem post

Antisemitism is a cancer. As Hamas—who is responsible for killing over 1,000 Jews in Israel, raping women, decapitating babies, taking hostages, and even using the phones of civilian victims to video their brutal murders and sending the video to their family members—called for a “day of rage,” we are seeing blatant antisemitism displayed in protests on the campuses of many of our nation’s major universities.

It’s shocking. They are ignoring the butchery that Hamas has committed. I hope donors to these schools will realize that their gifts are enabling this plague of antisemitism.

One person told me that they would never give another dollar to their alma mater because of this. If you agree, let your voice be heard.

Franklin Graham — Twitter

Israel will destroy Hamas, no matter how long it takes, and will finish the war stronger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an unusual address on Friday night.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Our enemies have only begun paying the price and I will not say more. This is just the beginning.”

Jerusalem post 

Over the past day, the IDF conducted raids in the territory of the Gaza Strip in an effort to eliminate the threat of terrorists and weapons in the area and locate hostages, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Friday evening.

According to the statement, IDF soldiers searched and collected evidence that would assist in the effort to locate hostages.

This marks the first time that the IDF has publicly confirmed that its troops searched for hostages inside the Gaza Strip.

In addition, IDF soldiers thwarted terrorist cells and infrastructure located in the area, including a Hamas cell that fired anti-tank missiles toward Israeli territory.

The IAF continued, meanwhile, its strikes on Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, as well as strikes on anti-tank missile launchers immediately after they attacked Israel.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday evening that the IDF has so far notified 120 families that their loved ones have been abducted to the Gaza Strip.

He added, “Our forces have found findings within the Strip that may help locate them.”

Israel National News

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says Hamas is responsible for any harm to civilians who do not evacuate from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

“Hamas is taking advantage of the residents of the Gaza Strip, bringing disaster upon them and calling on the residents of the Gaza Strip at this time as well not to listen to the IDF’s recommendations,” Hagari says.

“The responsibility for what may happen to those who do not evacuate is on Hamas’s head,” he says.

Hagari says the IDF is “preparing for the next stages of the war” and that it is “prepared to operate throughout the Middle East and wherever there is a security need.”

Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 120 hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“It keeps us awake at night, and many efforts are concentrated on this matter,” Hagari says.

Referring to claims that hostages have been killed in Israeli strikes, Hagari says “There are many statements from Hamas, we will only report reliable information.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL

An Israeli diplomat in China was stabbed on Friday in a suspected terrorist attack.

The diplomat, who worked in Israel’s embassy in Beijing, was attacked in an area not close to the embassy.

Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the attack, stating that the diplomat was taken to a hospital for treatment and is in stable condition.

i24 News 

The IDF notified the United Nations at midnight on Friday that the entire Palestinian population north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours, a UN spokesperson says.

The message indicates that the IDF could be readying to launch a ground invasion after six days of aerial bombardment in response to the massive Hamas onslaught on Saturday.

[Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, tore into the United Nations for its response to Israel warning the 1.1 million Palestinians living north of Wadi Gaza to evacuate.]

“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” a UN spokesperson said earlier. “The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”

Hitting back, Erdan says, “The UN’s response to Israel’s early warning to the residents of Gaza is a disgrace! For many years, the UN turned a blind eye to the arming of Hamas and its use of civilian populations and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip for murder and for stockpiling its weapons.”

“Now, instead of standing with Israel whose citizens were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists and which still tries to minimize harm to non-combatants, it preaches specifically to Israel,” Erdan says.

“It would be better for the UN to focus now on returning the captives, condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself,” he adds.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Israelis and Jews across the globe are being warned by the National Security Council and Foreign Ministry of Israel to stay vigilant after a former leader of Hamas called for an international “Day of Jihad” on Friday.

“Against the background of the Swords of Iron war, the Hamas leadership issued a call to all their supporters in the world to hold a ‘Day of Rage’ this coming Friday (October 13th), including a call to go out and harm Israelis and Jews,” a joint statement cautioned. “From this, it is likely that there will be protest events in various countries around the world, which may develop into violent events.”

Multiple governments worldwide ordered increased security for synagogues, Jewish businesses, and Jewish schools over concerns of targeted violence and antisemitism amid the war in Israel.

France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, reported a ‘dramatic’ rise in antisemitic incidents in the country since Hamas’ attack on Israel Saturday morning.

Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, took to social media to call Christians to prayer during the so-called “Day of Jihad” on Friday, October 13th.

“This call to jihad is just more evidence of the spiritual warfare that is enveloping the globe right now,” he wrote. “While terrorists are relying on their anger and calling for powers of darkness to invade the world, Christians must point everyone toward the Prince of Peace and light of the world – Jesus.”

Perkins pointed to 2 Corinthians 10:4, which reads: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”

Over the next 24 hours, he urged Christians to get out their spiritual weapons and pray that God will “[frustrate] the plans of those who want to cause further murder and mayhem within Israel and around the world.”

HD STAFF

Britain will send ships, aircraft and marines to the eastern Mediterranean in a show of military support for Israel.

Royal Navy patrol ships, spy planes and troops will travel to the region tomorrow to “track threats to regional stability”, No 10 said.

Rishi Sunak has approved the military package tonight, while the government will also begin ramping up evacuation flights for Brits who are over there.

There are believed to be around 60,000 British nationals in Israel and Gaza right now.

The prime minister said the government “must be unequivocal” in its support to ensure the “horrific scenes” unfolding in Israel “will not be repeated”.

“Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world-class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation,” he added.

The military package includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels Lyme Bay and Argus – three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines.

The British armed forces will be on stand-by to “deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance,” No 10 said.

A Royal Navy task group will also be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts.

The two surveillance aircraft will fly tomorrow to Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.

From there, they can conduct surveillance missions over Gaza and Israel.

They will be used to track threats, including the “transfer of weapons to terrorist groups,” Downing Street said.

Since Hamas stormed across Israel’s border on Saturday, Western countries have flocked to their ally’s aid – with Britain now joining the US and Germany in sending reinforcements.

The show of military force is intended to deter further aggression from terrorists groups who may attempt to take advantage of the situation, especially Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon.

Two US warship strike groups have now reached the waters near Israel, including the USS Gerald R. Ford – the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

The team manning the ship announced on Twitter today: “On scene, on time, ready. The Gerald R. Ford‘s first deployment.”

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is also expected to depart from Virginia on Friday.

And US Special ops forces are assisting Israel’s military in planning and intelligence as they look to bring an end to Hamas’ terror in the country.

Today, Germany confirmed it will lend two combat drones for support.

“We will provide two drone the Israelis had asked for. In addition, there are first requests for ammunition for ships that we will now discuss with the Israelis,” defence minister Boris Pistorius said.

He added: “We stand by Israel’s side.”

THE SUN UK

Samaritan’s Purse has teams on the ground now in Israel. We are working with dozens of churches to equip and support them in ministering to people in their communities who have been affected by these deadly terrorist attacks. The situation is changing hourly. We stand ready to deploy field hospitals, medical equipment, and teams of doctors and nurses if the government of Israel needs this help.

Most importantly, continue to pray for Israel as it goes through its greatest trial in modern history. What has taken place there is pure evil.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

More than 100 Harvard professors published an open letter condemning the 30+ student groups that signed a joint statement expressing support for Palestinian terrorists and blaming Jews for Hamas’ attack against them. The professors also called out Harvard leadership for failing to properly react to their students.

In an open letter to Harvard President Claudine Gay and the Harvard University leadership, the professors said that the recent terror attack in Israel “should not mislead us to create false equivalencies between the actions leading to this loss.”

“Hamas planned and executed the murder and kidnapping of civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly, with no military or other specific objective,” they wrote.

“This meets the definition of a war crime,” the professors affirmed. “The Israeli security forces were engaging in self-defense against this attack while dealing with numerous hostage situations and a barrage of thousands of rockets hidden deliberately in dense urban settings.”

The Harvard professors went on to slam the more than 30 student groups in question, stating that “While terrorists were still killing Israelis in their homes, 35 Harvard student organizations wrote that they hold ‘the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,’ with not a single word denouncing the horrific acts by Hamas.”

“In the context of the unfolding events, this statement can be seen as nothing less than condoning the mass murder of civilians based only on their nationality,” the professors said.

“We’ve heard reports of even worse instances, with Harvard students celebrating the ‘victory’ or ‘resistance’ on social media,” they added.

The faculty members then called out Harvard for “falling short” of using this moment as a teaching opportunity to reminds its Ivy League students that “some acts such as war crimes are simply wrong.”

“As a University aimed at educating future leaders, this could have been a teaching moment and an opportunity to remind our students that beyond our political debates, some acts such as war crimes are simply wrong. However, the statement by Harvard’s administration fell short of this goal,” the professors said.

“While justly denouncing Hamas, it still contributed to the false equivalency between attacks on noncombatants and self-defense against those atrocities,” the professors continued.

“Furthermore, the statement failed to condemn the justifications for violence that come from our own campus, nor to make it clear to the world that the statement endorsed by these organizations does not represent the values of the Harvard community,” they added.

The professors then asked, “How can Jewish and Israeli students feel safe on a campus in which it is considered acceptable to justify and even celebrate the deaths of Jewish children and families?”

The professors added that while “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long and complex history,” the “events of this week are not complicated.”

“Sometimes there is such a thing as evil, and it is incumbent upon educators and leaders to call it out, as they have with school shootings and terrorist attacks,” they said. “It is imperative that our academic leadership, whose good faith we do not doubt, state this clearly and unequivocally.”

BREITBART

Five opposition lawmakers joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on Thursday, forming a national emergency government meant to add decades of high-level security experience to the management of the war and isolate far-right influence, six days into Israel’s fight against terror groups in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking from the Knesset rostrum, Netanyahu called the Hamas terror onslaught that massacred over 1,300 — the vast majority of them civilians — and wounded more than 3,000, triggering the war, “the most horrible day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” saying it would be hard to find someone unaffected by Hamas’s “barbarism.”

The Knesset voted to approve adding five National Unity ministers to the government, 66 for and four against. Amid the mounting wartime strain on the national health system, the plenum also approved Shas MK Uriel Buso’s elevation to health minister, by a vote of 65 for and 0 against, stripping the portfolio from Interior Minister Moshe Arbel.

Gantz will also sit on a war cabinet with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Eisenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a Netanyahu confidant, will join the war cabinet as observers.

The IDF has set destroying Hamas’s military capabilities and eliminating its leadership as its goal for the war, which is expected to continue for months. For the past six days, the Israeli Air Force has hammered targets in the Gaza Strip, and the Hamas-run Health Ministry says over 1,300 have been killed.

Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will “crush” and “eliminate” Hamas, comparing it to the brutal Islamic State group and echoing Gallant’s Wednesday assertion that Hamas “will be wiped off the face of the earth.”

“This,” Netanyahu said, “is a fight for our home.”

The premier added that “the Jewish people… have withstood dark challenges, perhaps more than any other nation. But we’ve never given up.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL

(Galilee, Israel) — Israel is fighting a three-front war. In the northeast, mortar shells have been fired across the border from Syria. The IDF is closely watching activity from that region, because it is a hotbed of activity by Iranian-supported proxy militias. Russia also continues to have a strong presence there, although it is decreasing as they siphon off troops from Syria to fight in Ukraine.

The second front is Lebanon in the north. Hezbollah is sending commando raids into Israel, while firing rockets over the border. Leaders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as from Iranian proxy militias like Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, are in Lebanon orchestrating the terrorist actions. Hezbollah leadership is being very vocal against both Israel and the United States. I expect this front to explode soon due to the pressure being put on it by the IRGC.

The primary front is in Gaza to the south. This is where the attack against Israel originated, and this is where Hamas has its stronghold. Gaza looks like a warzone because that is exactly what it is. The IDF is on a mission to destroy Israel’s southern enemies – the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. To find them, they must root them out. That is why you are seeing building after building coming down in Gaza. This is not a police operation. We will not risk our people going door to door to find criminals. This is war, which means destroying the weapons, resources, safehouses, and personnel of your enemy. Those who understand war recognize the need for leveling buildings and cutting services like electricity and water. Those who don’t, cry out, “Unfair! Overkill!” If any of those naysayers actually looked at the pictures of decapitated babies and of families who were burned alive, I wonder whether they would have the same reaction. Expect the strength of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza to be what begins to turn the sentiment of the world, particularly in Europe, back against us.

In Israel, more than 400,000 reservists have been called to service. We are strong, and we are united as a nation. Once again, I hearken back to 9/11. As a population, we are where America was on that tragic day. All of our social and political differences have been set aside for another time. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has created a special emergency wartime government consisting of himself, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizencot, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. This unity government’s sole purpose is the successful prosecution of the war until peace and safety are once again achieved.

What’s Next?

Phase 1 – Cleanse Israel of Terrorists — This is easier said than done. Even up to today, terrorists are being found hiding out in the south. The bigger concern, though, is up north. If this region hasn’t blown up by the time this newsletter is released, I along with most Israelis believe it will sometime soon. Yesterday, my family and I escaped to the bomb shelter because we received notice of a drone and aircraft invasion from the north. It turned out that all the security alerts the country experienced were part of a cyber-attack. Still, we all expect that in the near future, the alerts we receive will be real.

Phase 2 – Destroy Hamas and Islamic Jihad — You can add Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the Taliban in Afghanistan, ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and any other terrorist group that joins in this attack on Israel. We’ve played around with terrorism too long. The Gazan, West Bank, and northern border terrorists are emboldened, embedded, and well supplied. They play on our compassion and our scruples about commensurate retaliation. Those gloves are off. It is now a bare-knuckle brawl, and Israel will not stop punching until these terrorists are permanently off the threat list.

Phase 3 – Go After Nations Who Helped — Ayatollah Khamenei, you cannot hide behind your proxy militias anymore. Everyone knows that it is you supplying them with weapons, training, and funds. We know that it is the voice of your leadership that is sending your ignorant fighting sheep out to be slaughtered. We’ve let it go for this long, but we will not anymore. That also goes for you, Vladimir, and you, Recep, and any other puppet masters who are pulling the strings of terrorism in the Middle East. Any of you who have read my novels know the old Talmudic saying, “If anyone is coming to kill you, rise up and kill them first.” We Israelis are tired of people coming to kill us. It’s time for us to rise up.

We are in the beginning stages of a long battle. I can’t say that it will get worse before it gets better, because I can’t imagine anything worse than what has already taken place in southern Israel. I’ve compared this event to a second 9/11, but as I’ve seen the pictures and heard the stories it is nothing less than a second Holocaust. Maybe not in numbers, but certainly in brutality and depth of evil. Still, the numbers are horrific. Proportionally to the population, it is like 26,000 Americans being viciously slaughtered in one day. And rather than it being one grand event that took everyone out, it was innocents being killed one by one. Children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children. Gunned down at a party, shot in their beds, executed in the streets. Absolutely barbaric.

Pray for Israel. Pray for our leaders, particularly those of the emergency government. Pray for our military. Hundreds of thousands have left their jobs and their homes to temporarily step back into uniform. Pray for the families of the dead. Pray for the recovery of the wounded. Pray for those who are hostages or who were hostages. So many have been brutalized in the most violent of ways. Most of all, pray that God will somehow be glorified in all of this. He is good. He is God. We trust His ways.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog fired back at a CNN reporter during a press conference on Thursday morning after the reporter insinuated that Israel was committing “war crimes.”

After Herzog explained that Israel had been abiding by international law after it was attacked by Hamas terrorists, CNN reporter Becky Anderson suggested that Israel was instituting “collective punishment” and committing a “war crime.”

“So now we’re starting with the rhetoric about war crimes. Really? Truly? Truly? I just said that Israel abides by international law. Operates by international law. Every operation is secured and covered and reviewed legally,” Herzog responded.

Herzog was asked by an ITV reporter how concerned he was that international support for Israel would wane as the Israeli attack on Gaza continued.

“This is exactly the moment of truth. Nations must stand up to the truth. … We have to understand [that Hamas] has built a machine of evil right at our doorstep. It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true, this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’etat, murdering their family members,” he said. “There’s a short memory in the world.”

When a journalist from Channel 4 in the U.K. accused Herzog of holding “the people of Gaza responsible” for not removing Hamas, making them legitimate targets, Herzog fired back, “I did not say that … with all due respect, if you have a missile in your [expletive] kitchen, and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself? Yes!”

“Humanity has to decide: Are we accommodating terror or are we fighting terror? We are fighting terror. ”

Daily Wire

The Israeli military has identified the vast majority of soldiers killed by Hamas terrorists so far in the ongoing war, Israeli Defense Forces said Thursday.

A total of 222 Israeli soldiers have died and their families have all been notified, a spokesperson for the military said.

The Israeli military keeps databases of fingerprints and dental scans and each soldier carries a dogtag to help identify those that fall in combat, according to the Times of Israel.

Identification of civilians killed by Hamas has been more difficult. As of Thursday, a total of 854 bodies of civilians were brought to the IDF rabbinate base for identification, the paper reported.

Only 361 bodies were identified and 264 have been buried.

“Before authorities clear a body for burial, DNA tests and pictures must be taken, which are then run through various national databases. In some cases, families are being asked to come in to identify their loved ones,” the report said.

More than 1,200 Israeli civilians are believed to have been killed by Hamas since surprise terror attack on Saturday.

Jerusalem Post

France is banning pro-Palestinian protests as they are “likely to generate disturbances to public order,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday in a letter to prefects across the country.

Earlier this week, Hamas called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday to support Palestinians amid the bloody conflict between the terrorist organization and Israel.

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Paris had already been banned on Thursday for fear of outbursts.

France is home to some of Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations and conflicts in the Middle East can stoke tensions there – which Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the government aimed to avert with heightened police protection of Jewish sites, including schools and synagogues.

Since Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel from Gaza on Saturday, French police have arrested more than 20 people over dozens of antisemitic acts, including harassment of Jewish children by fellow pupils at school, the government said on Wednesday.

Jerusalem post

Israeli officials on Thursday denounced an attempt by Hamas and Al Jazeera to publish a video from Saturday, showing a woman and a child being left to escape from the Gaza Strip, after a brutal surprise attack by terrorists against Israel.

While much of the world was condemning the massacre of young and old in Israel’s southern communities, as well as taking civilian hostages back to the Gaza Strip, the Hamas terrorist organization and Al Jazeera were on PR damage control.

On Wednesday night, Al Jazeera published a grainy video of the woman and child being left behind as the Hamas terrorists returned to the Gaza Strip, saying that it was a humanitarian release of hostages, claiming it was also a mother and two children. Israel media immediately pointed out that it was an incident already reported on Saturday, and it was a neighbor named Avital Aladgem and not the mother of 4-year-old Negev and 6-month-old Ashel.

The next day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called out the incident, first by the head of Araba media and later by the Chief Spokesperson, who said it was “Al Jazeera trying to change the public opinion of Hamas, to minimize the damage of it being like ISIS, but are actually worse than ISIS.”

“After the whole world saw its ugly and true face as a barbaric organization that executed hundreds of innocent children and women in a terrorist attack and a hideous massacre, Hamas is trying to change the truth through the theatrics of publishing a propaganda video through its media mouthpieces,” IDF spokesperson for Araba media, Avichay Adraee, posted on X (formerly Twitter, after Al Jazeera published the video.

“The truth is clear and obvious, and its features will become more clear in the coming days. Hamas is worse than ISIS, and we will continue to strike it hard without stopping,” Adraee added.

i24 News

All over the world (Canada, Europe, USA), people have gathered on the streets to protest and speak up. While there were people coming to show their support to Israel, many more came with a pro-Palestinian agenda and unashamedly voiced their support for Hamas, chanting, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Shall be Free!” which is a euphemism for killing all Jews in Israel. How in the world could anyone support the barbaric torturing and killing of innocent civilians (children, teenagers, adults and the elderly alike, including beheading? This is not about occupation or a two-state solution. This is pure, evil antisemitism. There were even people displaying swastikas during a protest in Time Square, NY.

Jewish people worldwide do not feel safe anymore. When on the street, they have to watch their backs. When at services in Synagogue, they fear armed intruders at any moment. They stay home, lock their doors and pray for the best. This is no life to live, but safety first, I understand, yet, even that, might not be safe anymore.

Apparently, a hacker has claimed that he has stolen genetic data from millions of users on the DNA ancestry service 23andMe. The company originally stated that they had not been hacked, but they eventually requested that all their users change their passwords immediately. The hacker also claimed that he was willing to sell a million names of individuals with Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jews) lineage. If the hack actually happened, it means that Jewish people are now being identified at the individual level, including personal data and home addresses. We are now seeing the stage being set for the rounding up of Jews. I do not take the Holocaust lightly, considering that I lost my grandfather in Auschwitz, but we have to start drawing parallels between the 2023 open season on the Jews and the 1930s open season on the Jews.

In 1935, the Nazi regime announced two new laws related to race: The Reich Citizenship Law and The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. They were meant to identify and ostracize the Jews. As they were first introduced in Nuremberg, they became known as “The Nuremberg Laws.” This was the start of the Nazi death factories. But, before the Nazis could kill 6,000.000 Jews in the Death Camps, they had to transport them there, and before they could transport them they had to gather and keep them together in ghettos, but before all that, the Jewish people had to be identified, thus the Nuremberg Laws.

Once the Nuremberg Laws were put in place, the domino effect started. In August 1938, all Jews had to have the names “Sara” for females and “Israel” for males, added to their identification papers for quick identification. Three months later, the stamped red letter “J” was added to the passports of all the Jewish people. One month later Kristallnacht took place in Germany. It has been recognized as the official start of the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” In September of 1941, the Yellow Star patch (that my parents wore in France) became mandatory.

Even if the hacker’s story is not true, the mere fact that someone thought of doing such a thing, shows the world’s obsession with the destruction of all Jewish people. Maybe this hacker is a fake and he has nothing, but the idea is now in the open and someone will find a way to get Jewish addresses. This is pure evil and it validates Satan’s main agenda: The destruction of Israel and all Jews. The dominos are in place and it only takes one push.

There is evidence in Kibbutz Be’eri that children were slain in front of their parents, Maj. Doron Spielman says. Knives were found left in some of the children.

Bodies are still being taken out of the kibbutz, which Spielman says will be remembered as a symbol of Hamas’s massacre, like Auschwitz is the symbol of the Holocaust.

Some 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered by the terror group, including over 100 at Be’eri alone.

Spielman says body parts of children were found, and they still do not know who they belonged to until they are matched with the DNA of living relatives.

Zaka search and rescue teams continue to work on finding and clearing bodies.

“It will take weeks to understand what happened here,” says Spielman.

In one of the homes, 40 civilians were held by 20 terrorists. The building was stormed by special forces, six of whom were killed.

A white bag lays on a walkway, the word terrorist sprayed in red on it. Inside is the corpse of a Hamas terrorist. There are over 100 others, scattered around the kibbutz.

All around are homes barely standing. Walls are collapsed, rooms are burnt and the smell of dead bodies wafts in the air.

This is the tragic aftermath of Kibbutz Be’eri. pic.twitter.com/mBdtrzRUO9

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 12, 2023

Times Of Israel

The National Security Ministry said Wednesday that it has received over 7,946 new requests to carry arms since fighting with Hamas began in Israel’s South this Saturday.

Over 545 permits for personal handguns have been processed, with 970 new licenses being issued overall. To address the high demand, the ministry is allocating 60 additional staff members to assist the department. Notably, more than 27,000 permits have been granted from the start of the year.

“Every city resident will be able to get an armament license,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said this morning at the Sderot police station. “We are facing operation Guardian of the Walls 2, so we will be ensuring that we are prepared, with guns on every street corner,” he added.

Correspondingly, the National Security Ministry has overseen the purchase of 10,000 firearms, out of which 4,000 assault rifles have been bought in a deal that costs around NIS 23 million. These guns will purportedly be distributed Wednesday, alongside other protective gear, to emergency response units in 400 locations across Israel.

Jerusalem Post 

Iranian media reported a phone conversation on Wednesday between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the war unfolding between Hamas and Israel.

According to news outlets within the Islamic Republic, the two discussed the “need to end war crimes against Palestine,” though Saudi Arabia, in a statement on Wednesday, underscored that its desire is for escalation to be stopped and condemned the killing of any civilians.

It is believed by many that Iran orchestrated Saturday’s massacre to kibosh a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which appeared to be moving closer to completion.

As Hal Lindsey noted on Sunday, “A peace agreement with Saudi Arabia seemed close just a few days ago.”

“The Saudis cannot make peace with Israel now because they cannot seem to be taking the side of Jews against Muslims,” Lindsey explained. “The reason Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have been willing to cooperate with Israel is their common enemy, Iran. So, who benefits with peace set aside? Iran.”

HD STAFF 

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, an opposition party leader, announced they have reached an agreement to form an emergency unity government in the wake of attacks launched by the militant group Hamas.

The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday that both sides came to an agreement after meeting at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The agreement allows Gantz, a former military general, and his fellow party members to be officially sworn in as ministers for the duration of the war. Gantz will join a security cabinet that includes Netanyahu, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition party member Gadi Eisenkot.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will serve as an observer in the war cabinet, while a spot will be open for opposition leader Yair Lapid to join the cabinet, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The agreement also states no law should be passed in the country’s legislature throughout the duration of the war.

The formation of the emergency government comes after Hamas, a militant group that is the de facto authority in Gaza, launched its deadly attack against Israel on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis.

Israeli armed forces have launched a counteroffensive against the group, with Netanyahu saying that his country’s forces will exact a “huge price” against Hamas for the attack.

the hill

The IDF says the drone infiltration alerts that sounded in northern Israel earlier are a false alarm.

“As of now, fear of an infiltration is ruled out,” the IDF says.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says there is no security incident in northern Israel, adding that the military is investigating what caused the drone alerts to sound across northern Israel earlier this evening.

TIMES OF ISRaeL 

The United States is watching developments on the Lebanon-Israel border closely and does not want to see the conflict widened or expanded, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

“We have seen rocket fire coming from southern Lebanon … into northern Israel. We obviously are watching this with great concern. We don’t want to see this conflict widened or expanded,” Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC.

He said he does not believe it is in Israel’s interest to have a second front to fight and defend.

The Hezbollah terrorist movement warned on Wednesday that it considers the US a “full partner” with Israel in the ongoing war launched by Hamas this week, saying it was “not frightened” by the entry of a US aircraft carrier to the area.

Jerusalem post

In an interview with Sean Hannity discussing the war in Israel, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo urged the United States to take a strong stance in support of Israel.

Calling the actions of Hamas “grotesque” and “barbaric,” Pompeo highlighted that “Prime Minister Netanyahu should have a free hand to do what he needs to do.”

“I am just hoping that this administration doesn’t slow him down,” he implored. “There are going to be long weeks. There are going to be some pictures that come out of Gaza that are going to be tragic. But make no mistake about it: Prime Minister Netanyahu has the duty to defend his own people in the same way that the United States has that duty.”

Israel must firstly be given the freedom to secure themselves, Pompeo continued. “[Israel] has got to go take down Hamas. Every last person who’s connected has got to be wiped out.”

“We should definitely not be telling Israel, no one should be telling Israel, how to conduct its foreign policy,” he insisted.

Iran’s Direct Involvement 

When asked about Iran’s role in the carnage, the former Secretary of State said unequivocally that it was Iran that fuelled the massacre.

“It is Iran that is the problem,” he urged. “Hamas executed a mission that was funded, trained, and directed by the Iranians.”

Pompeo, who is an evangelical Christian and a firm friend to the Jewish State, added that he is worried Iran will expand its attack on Israel to the northern border.

“The Iranians are prepared to fight to the last Hezbollah life or the last Hamas life,” he asserted.

“The United States should demand that, not only the United States, but every other country stop providing any money to Iran,” he said. “They’re still funding the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. They’re still underwriting all kinds of programs that go to these terrorists. We’ve got to stop all of that funding. It could be done tomorrow, President Biden just as to say so.”

This includes the need to “pull back” the $6 billion given in ransom payments to Iran last month, Pompeo explained.

Weakness On The World Stage

The Biden administration has set a bad precedent of weakness on the world stage, which Pompeo noted is largely to blame for the increased brazenness of bad actors like Iran.

“The deaths that happened today are the responsibility of Hamas. They were caused by Iran. But the conditions were set by American weakness in Afghanistan, by allowing Vladimir Putin to think that a small invasion might be okay, and then ultimately, by not convincing the Iranians that we would have Israel’s back,” he warned. “I pray that President Biden understands what is at risk. It is Israel and America’s place in the world. We have to get this right.”

“We now have Americans held hostage, and Hamas—puppet of Iran—is threatening to kill them. They’ve already killed 11 Americans, they’re threatening to kill Americans live on video and broadcast the audio as well,” Pompeo described. “President Biden hasn’t told the Iranians [and] hasn’t told the world what America’s response to that will be.”

“If we don’t stand with Israel, if we don’t give them the tools that they need… then we will risk even more American lives,” he stressed.

The October 7 attack on Israel launched the nation into war.

“This has been the most devastating attack in the history of the state of Israel over the last 75 years,” Cissie Graham Lynch said on the newest episode of her Fearless podcast. “Why is it so important that as Christians we are paying attention to what is happening there right now?”

For this special episode, Lynch invited Pastor Gary Hamrick from Cornerstone Chapel in Virginia to share his perspective on the conflict taking place. Pastor Hamrick had originally been scheduled to lead a tour to Israel this very week.

“God chose to reveal His plan of redemption for mankind from this particular plot of land,” he said.

Lynch believes that this land of promise is continually under attack because “whatever God blesses, Satan’s going to curse.”

“The church needs to be aware what is happening, and our hearts should be stirred,” Pastor Hamrick said. He encouraged believers to remain vigilant, pointing out how “as we get closer to the return of Christ, we’re going to see more and more anti-Semitism around the world.”

Complete peace on Earth won’t happen until the Lord returns, but Scripture still tells us to pray for Israel.

“We pray for He who watches over Israel, the Lord, who never slumbers nor sleeps, to continue to give peace and comfort to those who are there,” Pastor Hamrick said. “There’s been hundreds of families now that have lost loved ones, and we need to remember them and pray for their comfort as well.”

During this time of suffering and war, Lynch called on listeners to continue faithfully praying for peace in this troubled land.

HD Editor’s Note: In his conversation with Cissie Graham Lynch, Pastor Gary Hamrick explained that these unprecedented events in Israel are a reminder for Christians to get ready for the Rapture.

“Jesus told us we should know the signs of the times,” he noted. “When we look at what is happening right now in the news and when we look at what is happening right now in Israel, these are all part of the labor pains leading up to the ultimate return of Jesus.”

“We should always be living in the expectation of the imminent return of Jesus. The Rapture of the church could happen at any time. There’s still a lot of Prophecy that still has to happen in scripture in general, but there’s no prophecy that still needs to happen before the Rapture of the church,” he described. “When people see stuff stirring in Israel, as Christians, it should remind us to get ready because we don’t know at what point that trumpet call could sound.”

BGEA

Following the launch of several rockets toward the northeastern portion of Israel, the IDF is responding with artillery and mortar shells into Syria from which the rockets were launched.

“Part of the launches crossed into Israeli territory and presumably fell in open areas,” the IDF stated Tuesday evening.

Israel is currently also responding to rocket fire from Gaza in the south and Lebanon from the north.

A short while ago, “In response to the rocket launches identified from Lebanese territory a short while ago, IDF tanks struck two observation posts belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement.

In addition, the IDF has stuck 2,329 targets in Gaza since Saturday. Overnight, an IDF aircraft neutralized “Zachariah Abu Ma’amar, a senior member of the Hamas terrorist organization’s political bureau.”

As well as the “head of its office for internal relations, [who] was involved in the organization’s decision-making and the planning of numerous terror activities against the State of Israel.

HD STAFF

As a broader picture of the carnage from Hamas’ weekend attack on Israel continues to emerge, mixed reports indicate that fighters from the Palestinian militant group may have slaughtered upwards of 40 babies, beheading some of the young children at a settlement near the Gaza border.

“It’s hard to even explain exactly, just the mass casualties that happened right here,” i24 News correspondent Nicole Zedek said emotionally during a Tuesday broadcast from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. “Babies with their heads cut off, that’s what [the soldiers] said. Gunned down. Families gunned down, completely gunned down in their beds.”

“This is nothing that anyone would have even imagined,” she said of the “sheer horror.”

Located near Sderot, about a quarter-mile from the Gaza Strip, Kfar Aza was one of several kibbutzim attacked when Hamas militants breached Israel’s defensive fence in the southern part of the country and unleashed a torrent of violence that segued into a full-fledged war.

According to i24 News, about 70 Hamas fighters are believed to have used guns, knives and grenades to carry out the butchery at Kfar Aza.

“It’s not a war,” Gen. Itai Veruv, head of the Israel Defense Force’s Depth Command, told the outlet. “It’s not a battlefield. You see the babies, the mothers, the fathers in their bedrooms, in their protection rooms, and how the terrorists kill them. It’s not a war. … It’s a massacre.”

“It is something that I never saw in my life,” the military leader continued. “It’s something that we used to imagine from our grandfathers, grandmothers in the pogrom in Europe and other places. It’s not something that happens in new history.”

Zedek reported that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists were still clearing the destruction on Tuesday, with soldiers slowly removing the bodies of the dead due to booby traps such as grenades in many of the homes. The outlet reported that the bodies of 40 babies and children had been recovered so far.

IDF Major Nir Dinar told Insider in a statement that soldiers had found the bodies of decapitated babies at the village but said he had not seen images or videos himself.

“We cannot confirm any numbers,” he said. “What happened in Kibbutz Kfar Aza is a massacre in which women children, toddlers and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action.”

Despite the numerous reports of brutal killings, the Turkish state-run news outlet Anadolu Agency reported that the IDF has “no information confirming allegations that ‘Hamas beheaded babies.’ ”

The New York Post reported that as of Tuesday evening local time, the Israeli death count is believed to be around 1,100, with more than 2,000 people injured.

NEWSMAX

Like many of you, I woke up Saturday morning, October 7, shocked by the news of what had been transpiring in Israel as barbarous Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israel and committed mass murder, killing men, women, and children and taking hostage many others, including young IDF soldiers, trying to prevent Israel from responding to this grievous attack on its sovereignty.

Today, our hearts are heavy as we pray for Israel as a nation and for Israeli families scattered all throughout the land who wonder what has happened to their sons, their daughters, and their loved ones.

You know, as I thought about this horrific attack on Israel, I was reminded of what David wrote in Psalm 59 when he said, “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me” (Psalm 59:1-3).

David felt the same onslaught of hatred and bitterness that we see manifest today by satanically inspired terrorists who want to kill innocent Israelis, who have a hatred for Israel and Jewish people just because of who they are.

And so, at Lamb and Lion Ministries, we do indeed stand united with Israel. We stand united behind God’s chosen people, knowing that He has a plan and a provision for them to bring a great remnant of them to salvation.

So, we pray for Israel today. We pray for Israelis. We pray for Jewish people, some of whom I know by name.

I often turn to a Psalm each day of the month. On October 7, Psalm chapter 7 was so poignant in describing the horror that we witnessed taking place in Israel. David, again writing, says: “O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded… Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:1,6,9-11).

At the very conclusion of Psalm seven, in verse 17, David writes this: “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.”

Today, we pray for the deliverance of those who are being held hostage. We pray for comfort, for Shalom, for all Israel, and all those families whose lives have been devastated. We stand with Israel.

Lamb and Lion Ministries will continue to pray for the Jewish people, even as we seek to bless them, and the name of our great God and Savior, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the wonderful name of our Jewish Messiah, Yeshua.

May He come quickly, and until He comes, may each of you have peace, His eternal shalom, as well.

TIM MOORE

Hamas supporters chanted, “Gas the Jews,” beside the world-famous Sydney Opera House in Australia, according to a video shared by the Australian Jewish Association.

The October 9 crowd of several hundred people, mostly immigrant Muslims, also chanted, “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is Supreme!”) and “F*** the Jews,” as a line of police watched.

The event was held to celebrate Hamas’ massacre of Jews and its simultaneous attacks on Israeli security forces.

The shouters waved their home country flags, including the flags of Turkey and Lebanon. Some waved the flag adopted by people who identify as Palestinians.

Hamas supporters held many similar celebrations in the Arab world, as well as in Europe and the United States.

BREITBART

A Hamas official claimed in an interview Monday that Hamas did not kill any civilians in its early Saturday surprise attack on Israel.

“We didn’t kill any civilians,” Dr. Basem Naim, Head of Political and International Relations in Hamas, said in an interview with Sky News.

Dr. Naim apparently dubbed reports of the murder and kidnapping of innocent civilians as “Israeli propaganda.”

“We have the original story,” Dr. Naim claimed. “We have also to redefine what does it mean [to be] a civilian. I cannot consider a settler in the occupied West Bank who has stolen my land, carrying guns, burning the city of Hawara is a civilian,” Dr. Naim said.

Dr. Naim opposed Austin’s point that the attack was “an operation that was deliberately designed to murder civilians.”

DAILY CALLER

The Israel Defense Forces’ top spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, says the military has regained control of the porous Gaza border, after Hamas terrorists blew up sections of the border fence during its attack on Saturday morning.

“In the last day, not a single terrorist entered via the fence,” he says in a call with reporters.

Combat Engineering troops are working to mine the areas near the holes in the fence, Hagari says.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

As the war effort continues to take shape in Israel, the IDF’s spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said the mobilization of reservists has been the largest and fastest in Israel’s history.

“We have never mobilized so many reservists so quickly – 300,000 reservists in 48 hours,” he said.

No official announcement has been made yet regarding a ground campaign into Gaza, but signs indicate that forces are being prepared for such a campaign.

Large numbers of tanks were seen being moved towards the Gaza perimeter, and reports indicated a large build-up of troops, as well.

A former international spokesperson of the IDF military, Jonathan Conricus, recently called up for reserve duty, stated that some 100,000 reserve troops have been gathered in southern Israel.

“We have amassed around 100,000 reserve troops who are currently in southern Israel,” he said.

“Our job is to make sure that at the end of this war, Hamas will no longer have any military capability to threaten Israeli civilians,” Conricus added.

Thousands of Israelis came out to cheer on the soldiers arriving in the south, lining the streets to greet them and handing out food, water and toiletries.

After a couple of tense, tragic days, they welcomed the sight of Israeli soldiers ready to take the fight to the enemy on its own territory.

Waving Israeli flags, playing Israeli music, and handing out homemade food, the residents of the south showered the soldiers with love, thanks and prayers for success.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS

The Israeli Defence Force dubbed the Islamist terror group “worse than ISIS” as horrendous footage of the killings appeared online.

Video apparently showed the brutal executions with swords and knives similar to those seen online at the height of the Islamic State’s reign of terror in Iraq and Syria.

Israeli forces have slammed Hamas as “savages, animals and butchers” as they continue to carpet bomb enemy strongholds in the Gaza Strip.

The terrorist group earlier today threatened to start executing Israeli civilian hostages in retaliation for the Israeli bombing, without warning.

Hours later, Israel said the terror group had released footage of them beheading captured soldiers.

The armed wing of Hamas tonight announced it will also begin executing one Israeli captives for every new civilian house bombed, without warning.

A spokesperson for the wing, Qassam Brigades, said they will “urgently broadcast with audio and video” the brutal beheadings of Israeli captives.
In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, “Hamas has released footage of them beheading captured soldiers.

“We will not share it, but the world needs to know their depravity exceeds that of ISIS – we have been telling you all for years.”

THE SUN UK 

France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, reported a significant rise in antisemitic incidents in the country since Hamas’ attack on Israel Saturday morning.

While antisemitism has been increasing in France in recent years, the interior minister called the rise in antisemitic incidents since Saturday “dramatic.”

Ten individuals have been arrested, and twenty instances have been reported of antisemitism, including threats targeted at synagogues and Jewish places of business. 

Forty-four investigations have also begun into posts on social media praising the murderous actions of the Hamas terrorist organization.

Security measures have increased around synagogues, Jewish schools, and other key areas, in several cities in France. The increased protections came from concerns that the war with Hamas may lead to targeting and violence against the Jewish community.

It was reported that Jewish parents in the country have instructed their children to remove their skullcaps and other identifiers while walking in the streets, with one father warning, “You never know who might be in the cars passing by.”

HD STAFF

On October 6, 1973, the unthinkable happened. On the watch of Prime Minister Golda Meier, Israel’s enemies gathered on her borders and planned to wipe out the very memory of her existence (Psalm 83). They nearly succeeded.

Meier appealed to President Richard Nixon—no friend of the Jews to be sure. Could America step in and avert the utter destruction of the country? Nixon’s staffers were not in favor of this, but he had the voice of his mother in his ear, who had warned him about a day like this. And when he might encounter it, please come to Israel’s aid.

And so, he did. Big time. God and Nixon saved the beleaguered nation.

No one imagined that the scenario would repeat itself in 2023. Not the exact scenario, but very similar. That was 50 years ago and a different generation. But I have some vague recollection of the Yom Kippur War and am haunted that the ghost of Golda Meier is still around.

Here are some thoughts—and questions:

• This is a warning to free Western nations to protect borders because some of humanity is barbaric and we don’t wish to be invaded. Learn from this. We keep loved ones inside and those who would harm us, outside. Good fences make good neighbors said Robert Frost.

• American politicians—and certainly those on the Left—have more concern for Ukraine than for our number one Mideast ally! Voters should take note.

• The evil on display can only be dealt with through God’s justice, not humanity’s justice. How can many on the Left, starting with “the squad”, side with barbarians? What part of “depravity” do they not get? They are tolerant, but only on behalf of evil.

• How can one of the world’s most sophisticated and high-tech nations have had such a security and intelligence slip-up? Were there not sensors and cameras along the Gaza border? Was there not chatter among the Gaza terrorists in their many months of planning? Couldn’t Israel’s world-class technology have spied on these terrorists more effectively?

• Never underestimate the Iranians who planned it all. Hang-gliders, terror squads with thousands of jihadis, bulldozers, and other war-like weaponry, should have been obvious to Israelis who never let their guard down. Yet the killers had five hours to do their dirty work before Israel could even respond!

• When America lacks a leader, the whole world groans. Earth longs for a leader, a Pied Piper to follow, even if he leads them over a cliff. One is coming who will mesmerize the left behind world.

• Israel’s enemies don’t want a dialogue! They want her annihilation. They want Psalm 83! When can we stop forcing her to have peace talks with ruthless Islamists?

• When an evil society cries “death to America” and “death to Israel”, believe them. They mean what they say! Iran means it. Iran financed the effort, in part, thanks to a $6 billion gift from Biden and his cronies. What part of “death to Israel” do you not get? Yet the Left has “appeasing Islam” in their veins. When do we bury the perverted slogan that Islam is a religion of peace?

• Many denominations and churches cannot comprehend all that is going on. Because of their theology, Israel is an inconvenience and a thorn. A good Mid-East ally but not special to them. They have made the church the “chosen people.” How many churches this past Sunday ignored this tragedy as they sloshed around in the puddle of Replacement Theology?

• Jews have not been hunted—and slaughtered—like this since the Holocaust. Not since the Holocaust have we seen so many Jews rounded up, beaten, and humiliated in public. And never before has it happened within the borders of modern Israel.

Finally, who can forget Golda Meier’s classic statement, “When peace comes, we will perhaps, in time, be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”

Amir Tsarfati wrote this on Sunday, “Pray for Israel. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones. Pray for the captives and the wounded. They will all have incredible trauma that they will have to process through in the months and years to come.

“Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government as they mete out their response against Hamas and evaluate the steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Most of all, pray that God is glorified somehow through this.”

Am Yisrael Chai. The people of Israel live. But they need a Savior. Be sure to tell them. His Name is Yeshua. Some day soon, they will look upon him whom they pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10). Only then will there be the peace in Jerusalem we pray for.

JAN MARKELL

On Monday, several gunmen reportedly infiltrated Israel’s northern border from Lebanon before being neutralized by the IDF.

Hezbollah vehemently denies involvement with the incursion, an official of the group told Reuters.

Two Mortar shells were also fired from Lebanon on Monday toward northern Israel, causing sirens to sound in Upper Galilee towns.

“The military says one projectile landed in an open area, causing no injuries, and the other projectile landed short in Lebanon,” the Times of Israel reported.

In response to Monday’s flare-up on its northern border, the Israeli military has reportedly begun striking targets within Lebanon through the use of combat helicopters.

According to YNet News, “the Home Front Command ordered residents in dozens of communities near the border with Lebanon to enter their protective rooms until further notice.”

HD STAFF

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells local politicians from southern Israel that Israel will transform the region as it retaliates for a devastating Hamas attack and rehabilitates shell-shocked communities.

“I know you’ve been through tough, terrible things. What Hamas will go through will be tough and terrible — we’re already in the midst of the battle and we’ve only just begun,” Netanyahu says according to a statement from his office.

He praises them for their steadfastness and says the coming fight will take time.

“The nation will turn over every stone to help you all. I ask that you stand strong because we are going to change the Middle East,” he says.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

I woke up Saturday morning and was shocked to read the headline, “Israel is at war.”

This is near the anniversary of the last time Israel was officially at war, in 1973, when she was attacked by Egypt, Syria, and others. But this was a different kind of war. Thousands of rockets rained on Israel from multiple directions. Hamas gunmen invaded by land, sea, and sky, and hundreds of people were murdered and kidnapped. They were using what we might describe as ISIS-like methods.

They specifically targeted young women and young children. They launched massive, indiscriminate rocket fire toward civilian population centers, as well as terrorist infiltration of cities and settlements close to the Gaza border. They went home to home, door to door, looking for the young and the elderly. Some of the women they took as hostages were survivors of the Holocaust.

When it’s all said and done, this number tragically will only get larger. There are 700 dead and over 2,000 wounded. This is without precedent, causing the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to say they are now at war.

Who is Hamas? They’re a terrorist organization funded by Iran. That’s not a secret. In fact, a PR person from Hamas stated that this was funded by Iran. This is something that’s an established fact.

Iran has long stated their objective, which is to destroy Israel. An Iranian leader celebrated the attacks, putting out this message: “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem is completed.”

Iran has also signaled that they are developing a nuclear weapon. In the past, they have threatened to, in their own verbiage, wipe Israel off the face of the map.

One leader of Iran said, “Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism? But you had best know that this slogan and this goal are altogether attainable, and surely can be achieved. This regime that is occupying Jerusalem must be wiped from the map.”

It’s interesting how it always comes back to Jerusalem.

The Bible predicted 1000s of years ago that the end-times events would revolve around Jerusalem. Not Irvine. Not Los Angeles. Not Moscow. Not Paris. Jerusalem, this tiny little city, this tiny sliver of land, will play a key role in the events of the last days. It’s a focal point of end-times events.

In Zechariah 12:2-3, God says, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

CBC Leaked Email Tells Reporters Not to Use Term ‘Terrorists’ in Connection With Israel Attacks

A leaked email purportedly written by CBC’s director of journalistic standards instructs reporters not to call those involved in the current attacks on Israel “terrorists.”

The email, dated Oct. 7, written by CBC’s director of journalistic standards George Achi, says: “Do not refer to militants, soldiers, or anyone else as ‘terrorists.’ The notion of terrorism remains heavily politicized and is part of the story.”

“Even when quoting/clipping a government or a source referring to fighters as ‘terrorists,’ we should add context to ensure the audience understands this is opinion, not fact. That includes statements from the Canadian government and Canadian politicians,” Mr. Achi wrote.

Mr. Achi also warned reporters not to use “loaded language.”

“This is not a story that comes out of the blue, but is deeply rooted in the political and military landscape of the past few years,” states Mr. Achi.

The Canadian government has designated Hamas as “a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization.”

“Since 1990, Hamas has been responsible for terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets. Hamas has been one of the primary groups involved in suicide bombings aimed at Israelis,” Public Safety Canada says. 

Conservative MP Michael Cooper condemned the CBC email, stating on X on Oct. 8, “As Hamas commits atrocities in Israel, the CBC’s so-called ‘Director of Journalistic Standards’ directed journalists to say that rape, torture, kidnapping, and acts of violence against civilians should not be called acts of terror.”

“This is blatantly antisemitic,” wrote Mr. Cooper, including the hashtag “#DefundTheCBC,” which refers to the calls by his party to end government funding for the public broadcaster.

EPOCH TIMES

Comments from last December by a Senior Hamas Official have resurfaced amid the terror organization’s attack on Israel, demonstrating the group’s Islamic motivations to eradicate both Jews and Christians from the face of the earth.

“The entire 510 million square kilometers of Planet Earth will come under [a muslim system] where there is no injustice, no oppression, no Zionism, no treacherous Christianity and no killings and crimes like those being committed against the Palestinians, and against the Arabs in all the Arab countries, in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and other countries,” Mahmoud Al-Zahar was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying.

Hal Lindsey, in his article, “What is Hamas?” delved into the Hamas Charter, which explicitly calls for the indiscriminate murder of Jews.

“The eradication of Israel is their goal. They don’t just want to win a military victory over Israel or carve out a Palestinian state. Hamas wants nothing less than the destruction of the Jewish people. Genocide is their aim and reason. How could you describe Hamas as anything but a terror group?”

As noted by Lindsey, Article 7 of the Hamas Charter reads: “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.'”

Hamas also stands firmly against a negotiated peace, he explained, with Article 13 stating: “So-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility.”

“Hamas stands for unending violence, war, and terror,” Lindsey asserted. “To those Americans who have placed themselves in solidarity with Hamas, I have to ask: Are you for peace or for never-ending jihad?”

HD STAFF

The military says aircraft are continuing to pound the Gaza Strip at this time in order to “devastate the capabilities of the Hamas terror group.”

Among the targets hit in recent hours were several command posts; a building housing Hamas operatives; a command center used by a senior official in Hamas’s naval forces; an “operational asset used by Hamas” located within a mosque in Jabaliya; and an asset used by the terror group for intelligence.

Times Of Israel 

The great earthquake of the Ezekiel 38 war has NOT begun. But we are in the midst of a major foreshock. In the last few hours, Hamas fired thousands of missiles from Gaza into Israel. They targeted Israeli civilians. Hamas soldiers broke through checkpoints and bulldozed parts of the border fence. Their army attacked Israeli neighborhoods in border towns, randomly killing and randomly taking hostages.

But this did not originate with Hamas. A peace agreement with Saudi Arabia seemed close just a few days ago. But the Saudis cannot make peace with Israel now because they cannot seem to be taking the side of Jews against Muslims. The reason Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have been willing to cooperate with Israel is their common enemy, Iran. So, who benefits with peace set aside? Iran.

This attack was planned, funded, and equipped by Iran. That’s why I consider it a precursor to the war prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 — a war led by Russia and Iran. And make no mistake, Russia is tied to this. Just last month, Iran’s Minister of Defense said, “Russia and Iran have significantly broadened the range of their cooperation over the past few years. In particular, I would like to note regional affairs, such as the joint war on terrorism and extremism.” How is that for ironic? These are the words of the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

If you find it hard to believe that the orders came from Iran, consider this. A few days before the attack began, a billboard went up in Iran’s capital city of Tehran. The billboard says, “The liberation operation ‘Storming of Al-Aqsa’ has started.” Al-Aqsa refers to the oldest mosque on the Temple Mount. It irks Iran’s mullahs that Jews have ultimate jurisdiction over what Islam claims to be its third holiest site.

Shortly after the attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard posted on X (previously Twitter), “We Told You We Would Come for You.” That’s a terrorist organization taking credit for its work! And this is definitely a war of terror. These people are shooting schoolgirls on the streets. They are kidnapping whole families including children and the elderly. Their missiles target civilian neighborhoods and other civilian locations with no connection to the military. These are terrorists fighting a war of terror!

Israel has been standing as a buffer between us and radical Islamic terrorists for decades. If Israel doesn’t stop them now, Iranian terror will continue to spread in the Middle East and around the world. Never forget that Iran considers Israel the little Satan and the United States the big Satan. We are a target, too. And, ironically, we are helping to fund these attacks on our friends and eventually on ourselves. We keep releasing money to Iran and Iran keeps using it in its campaign of terror around the world.

After the attack began, the US State Department’s Office for Palestinian Affairs put up a post on Twitter urging all sides to “refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks.” After receiving heavy criticism, they removed the tweet. But their knee-jerk reaction was that Israel should allow their citizens to be pummeled without responding. That shows the kind of thinking in the State Department’s entrenched bureaucracy, also known as the deep state.

The Palestinian attack has been especially egregious, easily qualifying as a series of horrible war crimes. How will the world respond?

And how will you respond? Christians should remember that this did not catch God by surprise. His plan continues. He’s taking care of you, and His offer of salvation remains open to everyone.

Hal Lindsey 

Here we go again. Not even 24 hours had passed since terrorists launched and unprecedented attack on Israel, and unfounded Palestinian propaganda was already being used to justify Hamas’ mass slaughter.

Despite the fact that Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Canada and other free countries, murdered an estimated 700 Israelis in cold blood, Palestinians in Toronto set up a cheering squad on a local highway overpass this weekend. They are also planning rallies against the “Zionists.”

If you are rooting for the terrorists, understand this: Grandmothers were killed in their wheelchairs. Children have been beaten, ripped from their mothers’ arms and taken hostage in Gaza. Thousands of rockets are being shot at Israeli neighbourhoods, aiming to maim and kill.

What is there to celebrate? Death and destruction? An ISIS-style attack by terrorists riding in pickup trucks through villages and murdering people? What kind of sick people are waving Palestinian flags on our highways?

Already, our political leaders are talking out of both sides of their mouths. While Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the attack on Israel in one tweet, two hours later she also wrote, “We must acknowledge Palestinian pain and severe loss of life during this time” (though the tweet has since been deleted).

This is like saying that we must acknowledge the pain Taliban fighters suffered following their murder of women in a soccer stadium. There is no moral equivalence between the pain suffered by Israeli civilians as a result of this unprovoked attack and the Hamas fighters who have been killed in retaliation. If we fail to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong, our own society will begin to crumble. Maybe it has.

And the radical left-wing spin is only picking up speed. We are going to hear our media call Hamas “militants,” not terrorists. We are going to hear justifications for the murder of Israeli children based on the false narrative that Israel is an “apartheid state” or an “occupier” — even though it does not occupy Gaza, the festering enclave of terrorism from which these attacks originated.

An assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University retweeted a message that the Hamas attack was in response to Israeli incursions into Arab towns in recent months and years. Not mentioned was the thousands of terror attacks Israel has sustained this year at the hands of Palestinian terrorists.

One of CUPE’s Twitter accounts retweeted a tweet reading, “Today, as Palestinians break down colonial barriers, they breathe life into the dream of an open, liberated geography.” This is false. Israelis are not colonizers of their own land. They are indigenous to the Land of Israel.

As Israel’s offensive commences and inevitably, and sadly, people get killed and hurt, the media will quickly forget about Saturday’s brutal Palestinian assault on Israel. It will begin siding with the Palestinians, lying and distorting the truth and giving ample fodder for pro-Palestinian demonstrations on our streets and campuses.

The shame of left-wing hate and antisemitism will be couched in the language of “proportionality” and Israel’s so-called “military edge.” Some military edge. The Palestinian-controlled images will flow onto our screens, attempting to create sympathy and justifying Saturday’s brutal terror attack.

The United Nations will likely pass resolutions calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Israel for defending itself. Throughout history, and during all of Israel’s 75-year existence, Jewish self-defence has consistently been questioned. A Jew? Defending himself? How can this be?

But alas, this time, Israel has awoken. Jews are a peaceful people by nature, but they easily fall asleep at the wheel. Yet when Israel does wake up, when Jews unify, there is no amount of false sympathy that will save the other side. To all the propagandists out there, to the flag-wavers on the highway, to those who falsely accuse us of being colonizers and justify mass murder, shame on you. If you think we are willing to be herded once again like sheep to the slaughter, you are in for a rude awakening.

National Post

It took four hours for the military to mount a concerted response, which was eventually dubbed Operation Iron Sword. By that time, the carnage was devastating. Bodies of Jewish civilians littered the streets. A still unknown number were kidnapped and taken hostage into Gaza. Women, children, the elderly, no one was spared the violence of these Palestinian criminals. Not since the Holocaust have we seen so many Jews rounded up, beaten, and humiliated in public. And never before has it happened within the borders of modern Israel. Eventually, once the tide of battle had turned, the terrorists fled back into Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) followed them in. Hamas members, from the top leaders down to the soldiers, were targeted, as were their headquarters, warehouses, and homes. This is all part of a three-level response by the Israeli military. The first level is to purify Israel of all terrorists. Anyone who crossed the border as part of this attack and is still in Israel needs to either be arrested or killed. The second level is to take from Hamas and other terrorist organizations that threaten Israel all their military capabilities. To accomplish this, Israel’s government has invoked Article 40 of the Basic Laws, which amounts to a declaration of war. Last time Article 40 was used was in 1973 for the Yom Kippur War. This will allow the IDF to use all air, ground, and naval forces to accomplish this feat.

The third level of Israel’s response is to hold accountable the countries that assisted Hamas in this attack. Hamas is neither equipped nor sophisticated enough to have pulled this off alone. Most automatically look to Iran, but U.S. intelligence says the ayatollahs were not involved. The question we have to ask is who has jamming equipment advanced enough to nullify the protection of the Iron Dome? Also, what country has effectively used drones to drop bombs on targets? The answer is Russia. The relationship between Moscow and Jerusalem has been souring due to Israel’s expanding exports of natural gas and Russia’s deepening relationships with Israel’s enemies, like Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.

But the hatred of the Jews has gone on long before last week. If there is one thing that both radical Shiite and Sunni Muslims can agree upon is that the Jews in Israel must be exterminated. This is not about land, it is about religious-based genocide fueled by Iran and a radical jihadist agenda.

Because the origin of this and other terrorist attacks against Israel is based on religion and ethnicity rather than actions, we know that there is nothing that we can do as Jews to stop them from wanting to come at us again. All we can do is take away their ability to do so.

Moving forward, Israel must restore deterrence, whether it’s based on respect for the strength of our military or the personal fear of each potential terrorist as they consider what might happen to them, their family, and their home if they join in with the jihadists. Along with that, Israel must eliminate Hamas. To do so, the IDF must stop caring what the world will say and what the media will say. The gloves must come off.

The IDF late Sunday night struck around 150 targets all within the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza, leveling large portions of the neighborhood associated with Hamas terror infrastructure in a short period of time.

The aerial assault followed a similar earlier assault on Beit Hanoun, with both of these instances showing a large escalation in the speed and volume of airstrikes by the IDF.

Shejaiya was also a central fighting point between the IDF and Hamas during the 2014 Gaza war.

Over 50 Israeli fighter jets operated against Hamas in Gaza’s Beit Hanoun on Sunday, according to the IDF Spokesperson. Dozens of IDF fighter jets have struck near the Gaza border fence in Beit Hanun, according to an IDF statement.

IDF has hit over 800 targets in Gaza Sunday afternoon. They also struck 120 targets in the Beit Hanoun area that were staging invasions into Israel.

IDF Chief Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said, “Hamas carried out the worst massacre of Israeli civilians in Israeli history. Haas was more barbaric than ISIS.”

Hamas claimed that it’s al-Qassam Brigades had sent additional forces into Israeli territory on Sunday, as Israeli forces continued efforts to clear terrorists from a number of Israeli towns and bases on the second day of the war.

Jerusalem POst 

Israel’s security cabinet this weekend voted to officially go to war for the first time since the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already declared that Israel was “at war” on Saturday, but the high-level security cabinet decision unlocks “significant military activities,” Netanyahu’s office announced according to the Times of Israel.

So far, the Hamas attack has killed at least 600 Israelis and wounded 2,000 more. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to the area around Gaza, and military officials say they will “kill every terrorist in Israel.”

FOX NEWS

Hashem Safi al-Din, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, holds a press conference today in which he gives a message to the US and Israel, saying that their violations of Islamic holy places and “crossing of all lines” have led to Hamas’s “Al-Aqsa Deluge” terror operation.

The whole Islamic nation will join the “deluge” if they persist in their “foolishness,” he says.

On Sunday morning, Hezbollah launched mortar shells at Israeli military sites on the Lebanon border, claiming it was in solidarity with the “Palestinian resistance.”

The Israel Defense Forces did not report any injuries, and said it responded with artillery fire toward the area of the launches and a drone strike against “Hezbollah infrastructure” in the area.

Times of israel

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad tells the BBC that Iran gave its support to the Palestinian terror group to launch its surprise multi-front attack on Israel on Saturday, as cited by Hebrew media.

The unprecedented attack saw 300 Israeli civilians and security forces killed, over 1,000 injured, and an unknown number of people — women, children, men, elderly people, and soldiers — abducted from southern Israel and taken into the Gaza Strip.

Tehran is a key backer of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Why did Hamas stage a long-planned, carefully executed and multifaceted attack on Israeli towns, soldiers, and civilians—one designed to instill terror by executing noncombatants, taking hostages, and desecrating the bodies of the dead?

And how were the killers able to enter Israeli proper in enough numbers to kill what could be hundreds and perhaps eventually wound what could be thousands?

a) Ostensibly, radical Palestinians wanted to stop any rumored rapprochement between the Gulf monarchies—the traditional source of much of their cash—and Israel, by forcing the issue of Arab solidarity in times of “war”, especially through waging a gruesome attack aimed at civilians and encompassing executions and hostage taking. Iran likely was the driving force to prompt the war—given its greatest fear is a Sunni Arab-Israeli rapprochement.

b)  Arab forces have had only success against Israel through surprise attacks during Israeli holidays, as in the Yom Kippur War (i.e., was it any accident that the present attack began 50-years almost to the day after the October 6, 1973 beginning of the Yom Kippur War?). And so they struck again this Saturday during Simchat Torah, coming at the end of a weeklong Jewish celebration of Sukkot—in hopes that others will join in as happened in 1973. (So much for the Arab warnings not for Westerners to conduct war during Ramadan).

c) Hamas may have reckoned that recent Israeli turmoil and mass leftist street protests over proposed reforms of the Israeli Supreme Court had led to permanent internal divisions and thus a climate of domestic distraction if not an erosion of deterrence.

But, more importantly, in a larger sense the Biden administration has contributed both to the notion that Hamas was a legitimate Middle East player, and to the perception that the U.S. was backing away from its traditional support for Israel—to the delight of Hamas—based on the following inexplicable policies:

1) In February Secretary of State Blinken had bragged that not only had the Biden administration resumed massive aid to the PLA cancelled by Trump, but cumulatively had transferred $1 billion—even as Palestinian authorities bragged that they would continue to pay bounties to the families of “martyrs” (i.e., those killed while conducting terrorists attacks against Israel).

And millions of American dollars also went into Gaza, run by Hamas—despite the Biden administration’s efforts to keep mostly quiet the resumption of such inexplicable support. In this regard, note the current shameful State-Department (“U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs”) website news release that was posted after today’s attack. It ended with this quite embarrassing, morally equivalent admonition:

“We urged all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”

“All sides?” “Refrain from retaliatory attacks?”

So Israel is the moral equivalent of terrorists executing civilians and brutalizing their corpses? And the IDF then is not supposed to retaliate against these killers?

This Biden State Department insanity cannot stand. So expect some apparatchik to take down this Munich-like posting as soon as possible.

2) The Biden administration had recently released some $6 billion to Iran through a prison swap deal that saw South Korea hand over embargoed Iranian money to Qatar—despite Tehran’s  increased anti-Israeli rhetoric and its loud brag about the escalation. We should assume money for rockets (Hamas claims they have launched 5,000, and have received 100,000 of them via the Damascus airport) and weapons in general for Hamas were supplied by Iran, which again is likely the chief catalyst for this surprise attack.

3) Almost immediately, after his inauguration Biden mobilized to resume the bankrupt Iran deal. And in unhinged fashion he appointed the anti-Israeli bigot, pro-Iranian journalist Robert Malley as America’s chief negotiator. Note that Malley is now under FBI investigation for security breaches, involving disclosing classified U.S. documents and also for allegedly helping pro-Iranian activists and propagandists land influential billets inside the U.S. government.

In short, there was a general Hamas and Iranian perception that the Biden administration had resumed the discredited Obama madness of empowering Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. This discredited agenda was to “balance” the power of Israel and the moderate Arab Gulf governments to achieve “creative tension”, exacerbated by Biden’s loathing of the government of Benjamín Netanyahu (who has been snubbed by Biden and never invited for an official visit).

Note as well that the Biden administration has siphoned off key weapons and munitions from stockpiles inside Israel to transfer them to Ukraine. The so-called “War Reserve Ammunition—Israel” is all but depleted of just the sorts of weapons needed in the present crisis.

What to expect in Israel?

Expect the following: the usual Hamas/terrorist selling and/or execution of Israeli hostages, the use of Israeli hostages as “human shields” in Gaza,  the bargaining/sale of the remains of Israeli dead, occasional killings of Jews inside Israel by Arabs who falsely believe there will be a winning Middle East-wide existential war against Israel. And finally, a devastating Israeli counter-response that will eventually earn a U.S. rebuke.

What should the U.S. instead do?

It should quit talking to Iran and restore full sanctions against it. It should cut off all aid immediately to all the Palestinians. It should undertake a 1973-like massive arms lift of key munitions to Israel and warn Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and others in the Middle East not to intervene or else, given that Israel will need several weeks to deal with Hamas and Gaza. And if it shows any hesitation or weakness, other terrorist groups will opportunistically jump in.

Here we are 78 years after the end of the Holocaust and once agains thuggish killers dressed in black are pulling Jewish elderly, women, and children out of their homes and executing them, and then throwing their bodies into the street. But in 1945 we were fighting the SS murderers, now we are sending millions in subsidies to their modern Hamas killer squad counterparts. We the American people should demand not one more American cent to these Gestapo and SS killers.

Victor Davis Hanson — Twitter

In a statement published earlier today by Tom Cotton, the Senator asserted that the Iran-backed attack was an endeavor to counter the progress of normalization talks between Saudi Arabia and the Jewish State.

“I join Arkansans in condemning the brazen attack on Israel by Iran’s proxy, Hamas. This war is a transparent attempt by Iran to derail the peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The United States should provide Israel the military and diplomatic support it needs to destroy Hamas. And the Biden administration should cease all engagement with Iran.”

“Israel will need reinforcements in this war. President Biden should follow President Nixon’s example from the Yom Kippur War when faced with another surprise attack on Israel fifty years ago this weekend: send everything that shoots on everything that flies,” Cotton added on Twitter. “I never believe in little plays when big issues are at stake.”

In response to the Hamas attack and subsequent retaliation from Israel, Saudi Arabia called for an “immediate halt to the escalation of conflict between Palestinians and Israel.”

As Pastor Mark Hitchcock recently noted, “the main sticking point between Israel and Saudi Arabia is the Palestinian issue. They’ve got to work out some solution to that problem before they’re able to broker this final piece.”

HD STAFF

Sirens warning of incoming rockets are sounding in Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel where Israeli security forces and Palestinian terrorists who infiltrated into the kibbutz from Gaza are engaged in a gun battle.

Hebrew media reports say Israeli forces are still working to clear the kibbutz of terrorists and exchanges of gunfire can be heard.

Earlier, dozens of people were rescued from the kibbutz dining hall where they were held hostage for hours. According to public broadcaster Kan, at least 48 people were rescued in the incident.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

An American woman living near Gaza described in harrowing detail the hours she spent hiding in a “safe room” in her own home, waiting for members of the Israeli Defense Forces to come and assist with a safe evacuation.

Adele Raemer, 68, grew up in the Bronx — but according to a report from The New York Post she moved to Israel in 1975, where she has retired from her job as an English teacher and works as a hospital clown for sick children.

Over the course of several hours, Raemer pivoted from happy social media posts to fearful ones.

“For the past hour, Israel has been majorly under attack. This is just totally unprecedented. We never had anything like this before,” she said. “The sheer number of rockets that are being shot at the same time is overwhelming Iron Dome. So I don’t know where we’re going from here, but this is war. There is no getting around that.”

“I’m in my safe room with my son. We locked the doors and can’t go outside, and I have to say this is very scary. I’ve never been this scared in my life,” she added later. “Terrorists have infiltrated into Israel and that’s in addition to the massive rocket attacks. If you’re the praying type, pray for us.”

In later posts she described being afraid to leave the safe room to use the bathroom and not drinking too much water to prevent such a trip being necessary. She said that she could hear the Hamas terrorists as they went from door to door, looking for Israelis — and said that she had not even turned on the air conditioning for fear that someone would hear it and know there were people inside.

But Raemer was among those who were eventually evacuated, as she shared in a later post.

DAILY WIRE

The death toll from the Hamas terror group’s massive multi-front attack on Israel rises to more than 300, Hebrew-language media reports say, citing medical officials.

The toll is expected to continue to rise.

At least 1,590 have been wounded, many seriously.

Dozens of civilians as well as IDF soldiers are believed to have been abducted and brought into Gaza; Hamas has boasted that the number of hostages is higher than Israel knows.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “embarking on a long and difficult war” that was “forced upon us by a murderous attack by Hamas” throughout the day.

The first phase of the war, he writes on X, involves “destroying most of the enemy forces” that have infiltrated into Israel and have killed civilians and soldiers.

Israel has also begun an offensive into Gaza “and it will continue without hesitation and without respite – until the goals are achieved.”

“We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win,” he writes.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Direct impacts of rockets fired from Gaza and Hamas terrorists who infiltrated into Israel killed at least 250 Israelis and injured over 1,450, with 285 in serious condition, according to Israeli media reports.

The Hamas terror organization has continuously fired rockets toward Israel since around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, about 3,500 rockets in total.

Hundreds of terrorists infiltrated settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip including the southern cities of Sderot and Ofakim, according to the IDF.

IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari confirmed that Hamas terrorists killed a number of IDF soldiers and took “hostages and prisoners of war.”

The IDF and Israel Police are scanning the area for the terrorists and are engaging them in shootouts. The IDF stated on Saturday evening that it had killed “hundreds” of terrorists.

According to him, hundreds of terrorists breached the border fence at a number of points and landed on Israeli shores with boats.

There was fighting in 22 locations, Hagari confirmed, including hostage situations in the Kibbutz Be’eri and the town of Ofakim. He stressed that army forces had arrived at all of the settlements that were under attack.

At least 30 IDF battalions were concentrated near the border with the Gaza Strip, Hagari said, adding that large reserve forces were called up and were making their way there.

Unconfirmed videos circulating on social media show groups of armed terrorists roaming the streets in Jewish settlements near the Gaza Strip and firing on passersby, including police. Another video shows an armed terrorist paragliding into Israeli territory.

The IDF has closed off the area around the Gaza Strip in a wide perimeter with armed checkpoints. Smoke was seen rising from a number of settlements in the area.

ALL ISREAL NEWS

Pray for the state of Israel, the region, and all those who could be emboldened worldwide to cause further havoc.

And pray for America. It is hard not to connect this attack on Israel to the current chaos in Congress and lack of leadership from the White House.

Israel’s enemies—funded by the billions the Biden admin released to Iran—seized upon a paralyzed Congress.

Tony Perkins — Twitter

JERUSALEM, Israel —The Islamic Republic of Iran—a key military and strategic partner of the Palestinian Hamas terrorist movement in the Gaza Strip—is the driving force in the war launched Saturday against the Jewish state, said Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Middle East experts.

Just this week, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Israel: “The usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.”

The “usurper regime” is Israel for Khamenei, whose jingoistic foreign policy consists of the destruction of the Jewish state and the financing of Palestinians terrorist groups  on Israel’s borders.

Lior Haiat, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, told Fox News Digital on Saturday, “Those terror organizations [Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad] are working as proxies of the Ayatollah regime ” in the Islamic Republic.

Haiat added: “Iran is trying for years, especially in the last few months, to have a terror organization, both the Islamic Jihad that is fully supported and financed by Iran, and Hamas terror organization that is also financed but not fully by Iran. They are calling them to attack Israel and Israelis.”

He stressed that Iran is “without a doubt . . . behind the scenes” of this war against Israel.

The Iranian regime-controlled Tehran Times reported on Saturday that the Islamic Republic backs the Palestinian Hamas and PIJ war against Israel. According to the Tehran Times article, Iran’s Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi declared the war on Israel as  “glorious” that has murdered at least 100 Israelis.

“We declare our support for this operation, and we are confident that the Resistance Front also supports this move,” Safavi told attendees at the 6th International Conference of Solidarity with Palestinian Youth. He added that Iran will stand alongside the Palestinian resistance “until the liberation of Palestine and al-Quds.”

Iran’s reference to Palestine means the Jewish state, and al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

The Iran-backed Hamas invasion of Israel follows President Biden’s decision just last month to release $6 billion dollars to Iran as part of a prisoner swap.

Republicans in the House and Senate blasted the Biden administration for unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets just weeks before the attack occurred.

While the Biden administration said the funds will be supervised by Qatar and not used for terrorism, Iran’s U.S.-sanctioned President Ebrahim Raisi boasted that the money will be used “wherever we need it.”

Fox News 

Just hours ago, the terrorist group, Hamas launched a violent attack on the nation of Israel, shooting whole families, and kidnapping civilians. 250 people are already dead and about 1500 are injured seriously.

The images coming out of the region are heartbreaking. I’ve never seen anything quite like it since 1967. Groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Islamic jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade,the PLO and others, are funded by Iran, and have sworn the destruction of Israel.

Please pray with me for stability in the region, peace in Israel, and the security of borders against these terrorists.

Pastor Skip Heitzig — Twitter

In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to use “all the power” of the IDF to destroy Hamas’s capabilities, and tells Gaza’s residents to “get out now.”

Calling today’s events something “never before seen in Israel,” he vows to ensure “it will never happen again.”

He begins by saying Hamas “invaded Israeli territory this morning,” and started a “cruel and evil war,” targeting innocent civilians young and old.

“We will win this war, but the price will be unbearably heavy,” he says.

“Hamas wants to murder us all,” Netanyahu says, “murdering children and mothers in their homes, in their beds.

“It is an enemy that kidnaps elderly people, children, young girls,” an enemy “that massacres and slaughters our civilians, our children, who simply wanted to enjoy the festival.”

“What happened today has never been seen before in Israel and I will ensure it never happens again. The entire government supports this decision. The IDF will immediately use all its power to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” he says. “We will fight them to the bitter end and avenge this black day they plotted for Israel and its people.”

Israel will target Hamas everywhere — turning the places it “hides and operates” into “cities of ruin.”

He tells the “residents of Gaza” to “get out now because we will operate everywhere and with full force.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:

“This morning, on Shabbat and a holiday, Hamas invaded Israeli territory and murdered innocent citizens including children and the elderly. Hamas has started a brutal and evil war.” pic.twitter.com/ckPXuXNHk0

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 7, 2023

Times of israel

The Hamas terrorist organization has taken Israelis captive in Gaza, the IDF has confirmed hours after a barrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel Saturday. Hamas terrorists infiltrated the country and took over Southern Israeli towns, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is at war. “Since this morning, the State of Israel is at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, shortly after the IDF declared “Operation Swords of Iron.” At least 100 people were announced dead by early evening and more than 900 wounded by Magen David Adom and the Health Ministry. The number of people captured has not yet been confirmed. Among them, Ofir Liebstein, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, was killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists. Liebstein was killed as he defended his settlement during an attack. Deputy head of the council, Yossi Keren, is currently filling his place.

Jerusalem post 

Sirens sounded Saturday morning in Israeli cities and towns throughout the Jerusalem area, central Israel, and southern Israel, prompting the IDF to declare “Operation Swords of Iron.”

Multiple civilians reported hearing loud explosions in their immediate vicinity; as of 7:30p.m. on Saturday, at least 3,000 rockets had been fired towards Israeli civilians.

Just after 8:00p.m., air raid sirens were activated in Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Herzliya, and various other communities. Less than ten minutes later, a second barrage was fired towards Ramat Gan, Kfar Chabad, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Tel Aviv, and other areas. Magen David Adom reported hits and injuries in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.

Two people were seriously injured by one of the barrages on central Israel. At the same time, a building in Bat Yam was reported hit by the barrage; no one was injured, but damage was caused.

Following this, the IDF reported that it is striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

The barrages were fired as Jews around Israel celebrated the Simchat Torah holiday, and in many cases disrupted the holiday prayer services.

Parallel to the rocket attacks, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of terrorists infiltrated multiple Israeli communities, overtaking Israeli towns on the Gaza border and murdering Jews in nearby cities as well. Initial reports were that these attacks left at least 100 Israelis dead; an 8:50p.m. update raised the number of dead to 200.

Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 1,104 injured Israelis have been evacuated to hospitals. Of these, 17 are in critical condition, 200 are in serious condition, 226 are in moderate condition, 451 suffered only light injuries, 11 suffered shock, and 142 are being evaluated.

Israel National News 

Documents that were labeled “top secret” in Arabic were discovered on the bodies of dead Hamas terrorists this week after they launched an unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel.

The documents showed that the detailed plans Palestinian terrorists were given ordered them to “target elementary schools and a youth center” in Kfar Sa’ad, a kibbutz in Israel, and to “kill as many people as possible.”

The documents also ordered the soldiers to take hostages and return back to Gaza as fast as possible. More than 1,300 Israelis were murdered, 3,000+ more were injured, and well over 100 hostages were taken.

Surveillance footage viewed by NBC News lined up closely to the orders that were given in the documents, including the use of specific tactics.

The documents showed that Hamas had conducted extensive intelligence gathering to carry out their attacks and that they had “specific plans of attack for each village that included the intentional targeting of women and children.”

Israeli military officials told the publication that the level of detail in the maps, which NBC News published, was enough to “cause anyone in the intelligence field’s jaw to drop.”

“I saw murdered babies. I saw murdered children,” said Yossi Landau, a commander of ZAKA, an Israeli first responder organization. “I saw mothers and children murdered together.”

Another Israeli military official said that they had never seen this degree of detailed planning for a terrorist attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attacks by telling Israelis that Hamas’ time had come to an end and that country would kill every Hamas operative after the attacks.

“We are fighting in full force in all theaters. Now, we are on the offensive,” he said. “Every Hamas operative will die. Hamas is ISIS. We will crush them and get rid of them just as the world crushed and got rid of ISIS. I would like to strengthen our combatants, all the people in our security forces and relief and rescue forces. The entire people of Israel are behind you.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin agreed with Netanyahu’s assessment, saying on Friday that what he saw was “worse than what I saw with ISIS.”

DAILY WIRE

The claim that Israel received advanced warning from Egypt days prior to Saturday’s bloody attack is ‘utterly fake,’ National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi has stated.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Michael McCaul, told reporters that he received classified information during a closed-door intelligence briefing, which he said showed that Egypt cautioned the Jewish State “that an event like this could happen” three days before the massacre.

The Israeli National Security Advisor categorically denied that assertion, saying Israel received “zero information” about the Hamas attack.

Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in, calling the story “fake news” in a public address to the nation on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s office also put out a statement reiterating that “no early message came from Egypt.”

News articles cited an unnamed Egyptian official who insisted that the country told Israel ahead of time that “something big” was being planned by Hamas. However, according to Egyptian media, senior security sources within the country have denied the international press reports that an advance warning was issued.

HD STAFF

Israeli bodies were located during a raid on Gaza carried out by forces under the command of the 7th Armoured Brigade, on Friday night.

Reports were received from the forces near the border that there were “discoveries” near the border.

The discoveries underwent investigations, which led to the later decision to send in a large force under the command of Lt. Col. Shimon Putrabani.

After the brigade surrounded the location, bodies were collected from and transported to Israeli territory.

Jerusalem post

Antisemitism is a cancer. As Hamas—who is responsible for killing over 1,000 Jews in Israel, raping women, decapitating babies, taking hostages, and even using the phones of civilian victims to video their brutal murders and sending the video to their family members—called for a “day of rage,” we are seeing blatant antisemitism displayed in protests on the campuses of many of our nation’s major universities.

It’s shocking. They are ignoring the butchery that Hamas has committed. I hope donors to these schools will realize that their gifts are enabling this plague of antisemitism.

One person told me that they would never give another dollar to their alma mater because of this. If you agree, let your voice be heard.

Franklin Graham — Twitter

Israel will destroy Hamas, no matter how long it takes, and will finish the war stronger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an unusual address on Friday night.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Our enemies have only begun paying the price and I will not say more. This is just the beginning.”

Jerusalem post 

Over the past day, the IDF conducted raids in the territory of the Gaza Strip in an effort to eliminate the threat of terrorists and weapons in the area and locate hostages, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Friday evening.

According to the statement, IDF soldiers searched and collected evidence that would assist in the effort to locate hostages.

This marks the first time that the IDF has publicly confirmed that its troops searched for hostages inside the Gaza Strip.

In addition, IDF soldiers thwarted terrorist cells and infrastructure located in the area, including a Hamas cell that fired anti-tank missiles toward Israeli territory.

The IAF continued, meanwhile, its strikes on Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip, as well as strikes on anti-tank missile launchers immediately after they attacked Israel.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday evening that the IDF has so far notified 120 families that their loved ones have been abducted to the Gaza Strip.

He added, “Our forces have found findings within the Strip that may help locate them.”

Israel National News

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says Hamas is responsible for any harm to civilians who do not evacuate from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

“Hamas is taking advantage of the residents of the Gaza Strip, bringing disaster upon them and calling on the residents of the Gaza Strip at this time as well not to listen to the IDF’s recommendations,” Hagari says.

“The responsibility for what may happen to those who do not evacuate is on Hamas’s head,” he says.

Hagari says the IDF is “preparing for the next stages of the war” and that it is “prepared to operate throughout the Middle East and wherever there is a security need.”

Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 120 hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“It keeps us awake at night, and many efforts are concentrated on this matter,” Hagari says.

Referring to claims that hostages have been killed in Israeli strikes, Hagari says “There are many statements from Hamas, we will only report reliable information.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL

An Israeli diplomat in China was stabbed on Friday in a suspected terrorist attack.

The diplomat, who worked in Israel’s embassy in Beijing, was attacked in an area not close to the embassy.

Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the attack, stating that the diplomat was taken to a hospital for treatment and is in stable condition.

i24 News 

The IDF notified the United Nations at midnight on Friday that the entire Palestinian population north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours, a UN spokesperson says.

The message indicates that the IDF could be readying to launch a ground invasion after six days of aerial bombardment in response to the massive Hamas onslaught on Saturday.

[Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, tore into the United Nations for its response to Israel warning the 1.1 million Palestinians living north of Wadi Gaza to evacuate.]

“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” a UN spokesperson said earlier. “The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”

Hitting back, Erdan says, “The UN’s response to Israel’s early warning to the residents of Gaza is a disgrace! For many years, the UN turned a blind eye to the arming of Hamas and its use of civilian populations and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip for murder and for stockpiling its weapons.”

“Now, instead of standing with Israel whose citizens were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists and which still tries to minimize harm to non-combatants, it preaches specifically to Israel,” Erdan says.

“It would be better for the UN to focus now on returning the captives, condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself,” he adds.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Israelis and Jews across the globe are being warned by the National Security Council and Foreign Ministry of Israel to stay vigilant after a former leader of Hamas called for an international “Day of Jihad” on Friday.

“Against the background of the Swords of Iron war, the Hamas leadership issued a call to all their supporters in the world to hold a ‘Day of Rage’ this coming Friday (October 13th), including a call to go out and harm Israelis and Jews,” a joint statement cautioned. “From this, it is likely that there will be protest events in various countries around the world, which may develop into violent events.”

Multiple governments worldwide ordered increased security for synagogues, Jewish businesses, and Jewish schools over concerns of targeted violence and antisemitism amid the war in Israel.

France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, reported a ‘dramatic’ rise in antisemitic incidents in the country since Hamas’ attack on Israel Saturday morning.

Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, took to social media to call Christians to prayer during the so-called “Day of Jihad” on Friday, October 13th.

“This call to jihad is just more evidence of the spiritual warfare that is enveloping the globe right now,” he wrote. “While terrorists are relying on their anger and calling for powers of darkness to invade the world, Christians must point everyone toward the Prince of Peace and light of the world – Jesus.”

Perkins pointed to 2 Corinthians 10:4, which reads: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”

Over the next 24 hours, he urged Christians to get out their spiritual weapons and pray that God will “[frustrate] the plans of those who want to cause further murder and mayhem within Israel and around the world.”

HD STAFF

Britain will send ships, aircraft and marines to the eastern Mediterranean in a show of military support for Israel.

Royal Navy patrol ships, spy planes and troops will travel to the region tomorrow to “track threats to regional stability”, No 10 said.

Rishi Sunak has approved the military package tonight, while the government will also begin ramping up evacuation flights for Brits who are over there.

There are believed to be around 60,000 British nationals in Israel and Gaza right now.

The prime minister said the government “must be unequivocal” in its support to ensure the “horrific scenes” unfolding in Israel “will not be repeated”.

“Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world-class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation,” he added.

The military package includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels Lyme Bay and Argus – three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines.

The British armed forces will be on stand-by to “deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance,” No 10 said.

A Royal Navy task group will also be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts.

The two surveillance aircraft will fly tomorrow to Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.

From there, they can conduct surveillance missions over Gaza and Israel.

They will be used to track threats, including the “transfer of weapons to terrorist groups,” Downing Street said.

Since Hamas stormed across Israel’s border on Saturday, Western countries have flocked to their ally’s aid – with Britain now joining the US and Germany in sending reinforcements.

The show of military force is intended to deter further aggression from terrorists groups who may attempt to take advantage of the situation, especially Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon.

Two US warship strike groups have now reached the waters near Israel, including the USS Gerald R. Ford – the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

The team manning the ship announced on Twitter today: “On scene, on time, ready. The Gerald R. Ford‘s first deployment.”

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is also expected to depart from Virginia on Friday.

And US Special ops forces are assisting Israel’s military in planning and intelligence as they look to bring an end to Hamas’ terror in the country.

Today, Germany confirmed it will lend two combat drones for support.

“We will provide two drone the Israelis had asked for. In addition, there are first requests for ammunition for ships that we will now discuss with the Israelis,” defence minister Boris Pistorius said.

He added: “We stand by Israel’s side.”

THE SUN UK

Samaritan’s Purse has teams on the ground now in Israel. We are working with dozens of churches to equip and support them in ministering to people in their communities who have been affected by these deadly terrorist attacks. The situation is changing hourly. We stand ready to deploy field hospitals, medical equipment, and teams of doctors and nurses if the government of Israel needs this help.

Most importantly, continue to pray for Israel as it goes through its greatest trial in modern history. What has taken place there is pure evil.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

More than 100 Harvard professors published an open letter condemning the 30+ student groups that signed a joint statement expressing support for Palestinian terrorists and blaming Jews for Hamas’ attack against them. The professors also called out Harvard leadership for failing to properly react to their students.

In an open letter to Harvard President Claudine Gay and the Harvard University leadership, the professors said that the recent terror attack in Israel “should not mislead us to create false equivalencies between the actions leading to this loss.”

“Hamas planned and executed the murder and kidnapping of civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly, with no military or other specific objective,” they wrote.

“This meets the definition of a war crime,” the professors affirmed. “The Israeli security forces were engaging in self-defense against this attack while dealing with numerous hostage situations and a barrage of thousands of rockets hidden deliberately in dense urban settings.”

The Harvard professors went on to slam the more than 30 student groups in question, stating that “While terrorists were still killing Israelis in their homes, 35 Harvard student organizations wrote that they hold ‘the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,’ with not a single word denouncing the horrific acts by Hamas.”

“In the context of the unfolding events, this statement can be seen as nothing less than condoning the mass murder of civilians based only on their nationality,” the professors said.

“We’ve heard reports of even worse instances, with Harvard students celebrating the ‘victory’ or ‘resistance’ on social media,” they added.

The faculty members then called out Harvard for “falling short” of using this moment as a teaching opportunity to reminds its Ivy League students that “some acts such as war crimes are simply wrong.”

“As a University aimed at educating future leaders, this could have been a teaching moment and an opportunity to remind our students that beyond our political debates, some acts such as war crimes are simply wrong. However, the statement by Harvard’s administration fell short of this goal,” the professors said.

“While justly denouncing Hamas, it still contributed to the false equivalency between attacks on noncombatants and self-defense against those atrocities,” the professors continued.

“Furthermore, the statement failed to condemn the justifications for violence that come from our own campus, nor to make it clear to the world that the statement endorsed by these organizations does not represent the values of the Harvard community,” they added.

The professors then asked, “How can Jewish and Israeli students feel safe on a campus in which it is considered acceptable to justify and even celebrate the deaths of Jewish children and families?”

The professors added that while “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long and complex history,” the “events of this week are not complicated.”

“Sometimes there is such a thing as evil, and it is incumbent upon educators and leaders to call it out, as they have with school shootings and terrorist attacks,” they said. “It is imperative that our academic leadership, whose good faith we do not doubt, state this clearly and unequivocally.”

BREITBART

Five opposition lawmakers joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on Thursday, forming a national emergency government meant to add decades of high-level security experience to the management of the war and isolate far-right influence, six days into Israel’s fight against terror groups in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking from the Knesset rostrum, Netanyahu called the Hamas terror onslaught that massacred over 1,300 — the vast majority of them civilians — and wounded more than 3,000, triggering the war, “the most horrible day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” saying it would be hard to find someone unaffected by Hamas’s “barbarism.”

The Knesset voted to approve adding five National Unity ministers to the government, 66 for and four against. Amid the mounting wartime strain on the national health system, the plenum also approved Shas MK Uriel Buso’s elevation to health minister, by a vote of 65 for and 0 against, stripping the portfolio from Interior Minister Moshe Arbel.

Gantz will also sit on a war cabinet with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Eisenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a Netanyahu confidant, will join the war cabinet as observers.

The IDF has set destroying Hamas’s military capabilities and eliminating its leadership as its goal for the war, which is expected to continue for months. For the past six days, the Israeli Air Force has hammered targets in the Gaza Strip, and the Hamas-run Health Ministry says over 1,300 have been killed.

Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will “crush” and “eliminate” Hamas, comparing it to the brutal Islamic State group and echoing Gallant’s Wednesday assertion that Hamas “will be wiped off the face of the earth.”

“This,” Netanyahu said, “is a fight for our home.”

The premier added that “the Jewish people… have withstood dark challenges, perhaps more than any other nation. But we’ve never given up.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL

(Galilee, Israel) — Israel is fighting a three-front war. In the northeast, mortar shells have been fired across the border from Syria. The IDF is closely watching activity from that region, because it is a hotbed of activity by Iranian-supported proxy militias. Russia also continues to have a strong presence there, although it is decreasing as they siphon off troops from Syria to fight in Ukraine.

The second front is Lebanon in the north. Hezbollah is sending commando raids into Israel, while firing rockets over the border. Leaders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as from Iranian proxy militias like Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, are in Lebanon orchestrating the terrorist actions. Hezbollah leadership is being very vocal against both Israel and the United States. I expect this front to explode soon due to the pressure being put on it by the IRGC.

The primary front is in Gaza to the south. This is where the attack against Israel originated, and this is where Hamas has its stronghold. Gaza looks like a warzone because that is exactly what it is. The IDF is on a mission to destroy Israel’s southern enemies – the terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. To find them, they must root them out. That is why you are seeing building after building coming down in Gaza. This is not a police operation. We will not risk our people going door to door to find criminals. This is war, which means destroying the weapons, resources, safehouses, and personnel of your enemy. Those who understand war recognize the need for leveling buildings and cutting services like electricity and water. Those who don’t, cry out, “Unfair! Overkill!” If any of those naysayers actually looked at the pictures of decapitated babies and of families who were burned alive, I wonder whether they would have the same reaction. Expect the strength of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza to be what begins to turn the sentiment of the world, particularly in Europe, back against us.

In Israel, more than 400,000 reservists have been called to service. We are strong, and we are united as a nation. Once again, I hearken back to 9/11. As a population, we are where America was on that tragic day. All of our social and political differences have been set aside for another time. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has created a special emergency wartime government consisting of himself, former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizencot, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. This unity government’s sole purpose is the successful prosecution of the war until peace and safety are once again achieved.

What’s Next?

Phase 1 – Cleanse Israel of Terrorists — This is easier said than done. Even up to today, terrorists are being found hiding out in the south. The bigger concern, though, is up north. If this region hasn’t blown up by the time this newsletter is released, I along with most Israelis believe it will sometime soon. Yesterday, my family and I escaped to the bomb shelter because we received notice of a drone and aircraft invasion from the north. It turned out that all the security alerts the country experienced were part of a cyber-attack. Still, we all expect that in the near future, the alerts we receive will be real.

Phase 2 – Destroy Hamas and Islamic Jihad — You can add Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the Taliban in Afghanistan, ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and any other terrorist group that joins in this attack on Israel. We’ve played around with terrorism too long. The Gazan, West Bank, and northern border terrorists are emboldened, embedded, and well supplied. They play on our compassion and our scruples about commensurate retaliation. Those gloves are off. It is now a bare-knuckle brawl, and Israel will not stop punching until these terrorists are permanently off the threat list.

Phase 3 – Go After Nations Who Helped — Ayatollah Khamenei, you cannot hide behind your proxy militias anymore. Everyone knows that it is you supplying them with weapons, training, and funds. We know that it is the voice of your leadership that is sending your ignorant fighting sheep out to be slaughtered. We’ve let it go for this long, but we will not anymore. That also goes for you, Vladimir, and you, Recep, and any other puppet masters who are pulling the strings of terrorism in the Middle East. Any of you who have read my novels know the old Talmudic saying, “If anyone is coming to kill you, rise up and kill them first.” We Israelis are tired of people coming to kill us. It’s time for us to rise up.

We are in the beginning stages of a long battle. I can’t say that it will get worse before it gets better, because I can’t imagine anything worse than what has already taken place in southern Israel. I’ve compared this event to a second 9/11, but as I’ve seen the pictures and heard the stories it is nothing less than a second Holocaust. Maybe not in numbers, but certainly in brutality and depth of evil. Still, the numbers are horrific. Proportionally to the population, it is like 26,000 Americans being viciously slaughtered in one day. And rather than it being one grand event that took everyone out, it was innocents being killed one by one. Children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children. Gunned down at a party, shot in their beds, executed in the streets. Absolutely barbaric.

Pray for Israel. Pray for our leaders, particularly those of the emergency government. Pray for our military. Hundreds of thousands have left their jobs and their homes to temporarily step back into uniform. Pray for the families of the dead. Pray for the recovery of the wounded. Pray for those who are hostages or who were hostages. So many have been brutalized in the most violent of ways. Most of all, pray that God will somehow be glorified in all of this. He is good. He is God. We trust His ways.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog fired back at a CNN reporter during a press conference on Thursday morning after the reporter insinuated that Israel was committing “war crimes.”

After Herzog explained that Israel had been abiding by international law after it was attacked by Hamas terrorists, CNN reporter Becky Anderson suggested that Israel was instituting “collective punishment” and committing a “war crime.”

“So now we’re starting with the rhetoric about war crimes. Really? Truly? Truly? I just said that Israel abides by international law. Operates by international law. Every operation is secured and covered and reviewed legally,” Herzog responded.

Herzog was asked by an ITV reporter how concerned he was that international support for Israel would wane as the Israeli attack on Gaza continued.

“This is exactly the moment of truth. Nations must stand up to the truth. … We have to understand [that Hamas] has built a machine of evil right at our doorstep. It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true, this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’etat, murdering their family members,” he said. “There’s a short memory in the world.”

When a journalist from Channel 4 in the U.K. accused Herzog of holding “the people of Gaza responsible” for not removing Hamas, making them legitimate targets, Herzog fired back, “I did not say that … with all due respect, if you have a missile in your [expletive] kitchen, and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself? Yes!”

“Humanity has to decide: Are we accommodating terror or are we fighting terror? We are fighting terror. ”

Daily Wire

The Israeli military has identified the vast majority of soldiers killed by Hamas terrorists so far in the ongoing war, Israeli Defense Forces said Thursday.

A total of 222 Israeli soldiers have died and their families have all been notified, a spokesperson for the military said.

The Israeli military keeps databases of fingerprints and dental scans and each soldier carries a dogtag to help identify those that fall in combat, according to the Times of Israel.

Identification of civilians killed by Hamas has been more difficult. As of Thursday, a total of 854 bodies of civilians were brought to the IDF rabbinate base for identification, the paper reported.

Only 361 bodies were identified and 264 have been buried.

“Before authorities clear a body for burial, DNA tests and pictures must be taken, which are then run through various national databases. In some cases, families are being asked to come in to identify their loved ones,” the report said.

More than 1,200 Israeli civilians are believed to have been killed by Hamas since surprise terror attack on Saturday.

FOX News

France is banning pro-Palestinian protests as they are “likely to generate disturbances to public order,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday in a letter to prefects across the country.

Earlier this week, Hamas called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday to support Palestinians amid the bloody conflict between the terrorist organization and Israel.

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Paris had already been banned on Thursday for fear of outbursts.

France is home to some of Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations and conflicts in the Middle East can stoke tensions there – which Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the government aimed to avert with heightened police protection of Jewish sites, including schools and synagogues.

Since Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel from Gaza on Saturday, French police have arrested more than 20 people over dozens of antisemitic acts, including harassment of Jewish children by fellow pupils at school, the government said on Wednesday.

Jerusalem post

Israeli officials on Thursday denounced an attempt by Hamas and Al Jazeera to publish a video from Saturday, showing a woman and a child being left to escape from the Gaza Strip, after a brutal surprise attack by terrorists against Israel.

While much of the world was condemning the massacre of young and old in Israel’s southern communities, as well as taking civilian hostages back to the Gaza Strip, the Hamas terrorist organization and Al Jazeera were on PR damage control.

On Wednesday night, Al Jazeera published a grainy video of the woman and child being left behind as the Hamas terrorists returned to the Gaza Strip, saying that it was a humanitarian release of hostages, claiming it was also a mother and two children. Israel media immediately pointed out that it was an incident already reported on Saturday, and it was a neighbor named Avital Aladgem and not the mother of 4-year-old Negev and 6-month-old Ashel.

The next day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called out the incident, first by the head of Araba media and later by the Chief Spokesperson, who said it was “Al Jazeera trying to change the public opinion of Hamas, to minimize the damage of it being like ISIS, but are actually worse than ISIS.”

“After the whole world saw its ugly and true face as a barbaric organization that executed hundreds of innocent children and women in a terrorist attack and a hideous massacre, Hamas is trying to change the truth through the theatrics of publishing a propaganda video through its media mouthpieces,” IDF spokesperson for Araba media, Avichay Adraee, posted on X (formerly Twitter, after Al Jazeera published the video.

“The truth is clear and obvious, and its features will become more clear in the coming days. Hamas is worse than ISIS, and we will continue to strike it hard without stopping,” Adraee added.

i24 News

All over the world (Canada, Europe, USA), people have gathered on the streets to protest and speak up. While there were people coming to show their support to Israel, many more came with a pro-Palestinian agenda and unashamedly voiced their support for Hamas, chanting, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Shall be Free!” which is a euphemism for killing all Jews in Israel. How in the world could anyone support the barbaric torturing and killing of innocent civilians (children, teenagers, adults and the elderly alike, including beheading? This is not about occupation or a two-state solution. This is pure, evil antisemitism. There were even people displaying swastikas during a protest in Time Square, NY.

Jewish people worldwide do not feel safe anymore. When on the street, they have to watch their backs. When at services in Synagogue, they fear armed intruders at any moment. They stay home, lock their doors and pray for the best. This is no life to live, but safety first, I understand, yet, even that, might not be safe anymore.

Apparently, a hacker has claimed that he has stolen genetic data from millions of users on the DNA ancestry service 23andMe. The company originally stated that they had not been hacked, but they eventually requested that all their users change their passwords immediately. The hacker also claimed that he was willing to sell a million names of individuals with Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jews) lineage. If the hack actually happened, it means that Jewish people are now being identified at the individual level, including personal data and home addresses. We are now seeing the stage being set for the rounding up of Jews. I do not take the Holocaust lightly, considering that I lost my grandfather in Auschwitz, but we have to start drawing parallels between the 2023 open season on the Jews and the 1930s open season on the Jews.

In 1935, the Nazi regime announced two new laws related to race: The Reich Citizenship Law and The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. They were meant to identify and ostracize the Jews. As they were first introduced in Nuremberg, they became known as “The Nuremberg Laws.” This was the start of the Nazi death factories. But, before the Nazis could kill 6,000.000 Jews in the Death Camps, they had to transport them there, and before they could transport them they had to gather and keep them together in ghettos, but before all that, the Jewish people had to be identified, thus the Nuremberg Laws.

Once the Nuremberg Laws were put in place, the domino effect started. In August 1938, all Jews had to have the names “Sara” for females and “Israel” for males, added to their identification papers for quick identification. Three months later, the stamped red letter “J” was added to the passports of all the Jewish people. One month later Kristallnacht took place in Germany. It has been recognized as the official start of the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” In September of 1941, the Yellow Star patch (that my parents wore in France) became mandatory.

Even if the hacker’s story is not true, the mere fact that someone thought of doing such a thing, shows the world’s obsession with the destruction of all Jewish people. Maybe this hacker is a fake and he has nothing, but the idea is now in the open and someone will find a way to get Jewish addresses. This is pure evil and it validates Satan’s main agenda: The destruction of Israel and all Jews. The dominos are in place and it only takes one push.

There is evidence in Kibbutz Be’eri that children were slain in front of their parents, Maj. Doron Spielman says. Knives were found left in some of the children.

Bodies are still being taken out of the kibbutz, which Spielman says will be remembered as a symbol of Hamas’s massacre, like Auschwitz is the symbol of the Holocaust.

Some 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered by the terror group, including over 100 at Be’eri alone.

Spielman says body parts of children were found, and they still do not know who they belonged to until they are matched with the DNA of living relatives.

Zaka search and rescue teams continue to work on finding and clearing bodies.

“It will take weeks to understand what happened here,” says Spielman.

In one of the homes, 40 civilians were held by 20 terrorists. The building was stormed by special forces, six of whom were killed.

A white bag lays on a walkway, the word terrorist sprayed in red on it. Inside is the corpse of a Hamas terrorist. There are over 100 others, scattered around the kibbutz.

All around are homes barely standing. Walls are collapsed, rooms are burnt and the smell of dead bodies wafts in the air.

This is the tragic aftermath of Kibbutz Be’eri. pic.twitter.com/mBdtrzRUO9

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 12, 2023

Times Of Israel

The National Security Ministry said Wednesday that it has received over 7,946 new requests to carry arms since fighting with Hamas began in Israel’s South this Saturday.

Over 545 permits for personal handguns have been processed, with 970 new licenses being issued overall. To address the high demand, the ministry is allocating 60 additional staff members to assist the department. Notably, more than 27,000 permits have been granted from the start of the year.

“Every city resident will be able to get an armament license,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said this morning at the Sderot police station. “We are facing operation Guardian of the Walls 2, so we will be ensuring that we are prepared, with guns on every street corner,” he added.

Correspondingly, the National Security Ministry has overseen the purchase of 10,000 firearms, out of which 4,000 assault rifles have been bought in a deal that costs around NIS 23 million. These guns will purportedly be distributed Wednesday, alongside other protective gear, to emergency response units in 400 locations across Israel.

Jerusalem Post 

Iranian media reported a phone conversation on Wednesday between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the war unfolding between Hamas and Israel.

According to news outlets within the Islamic Republic, the two discussed the “need to end war crimes against Palestine,” though Saudi Arabia, in a statement on Wednesday, underscored that its desire is for escalation to be stopped and condemned the killing of any civilians.

It is believed by many that Iran orchestrated Saturday’s massacre to kibosh a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which appeared to be moving closer to completion.

As Hal Lindsey noted on Sunday, “A peace agreement with Saudi Arabia seemed close just a few days ago.”

“The Saudis cannot make peace with Israel now because they cannot seem to be taking the side of Jews against Muslims,” Lindsey explained. “The reason Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have been willing to cooperate with Israel is their common enemy, Iran. So, who benefits with peace set aside? Iran.”

HD STAFF 

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, an opposition party leader, announced they have reached an agreement to form an emergency unity government in the wake of attacks launched by the militant group Hamas.

The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday that both sides came to an agreement after meeting at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The agreement allows Gantz, a former military general, and his fellow party members to be officially sworn in as ministers for the duration of the war. Gantz will join a security cabinet that includes Netanyahu, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition party member Gadi Eisenkot.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will serve as an observer in the war cabinet, while a spot will be open for opposition leader Yair Lapid to join the cabinet, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The agreement also states no law should be passed in the country’s legislature throughout the duration of the war.

The formation of the emergency government comes after Hamas, a militant group that is the de facto authority in Gaza, launched its deadly attack against Israel on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis.

Israeli armed forces have launched a counteroffensive against the group, with Netanyahu saying that his country’s forces will exact a “huge price” against Hamas for the attack.

the hill

The IDF says the drone infiltration alerts that sounded in northern Israel earlier are a false alarm.

“As of now, fear of an infiltration is ruled out,” the IDF says.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says there is no security incident in northern Israel, adding that the military is investigating what caused the drone alerts to sound across northern Israel earlier this evening.

TIMES OF ISRaeL 

The United States is watching developments on the Lebanon-Israel border closely and does not want to see the conflict widened or expanded, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

“We have seen rocket fire coming from southern Lebanon … into northern Israel. We obviously are watching this with great concern. We don’t want to see this conflict widened or expanded,” Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC.

He said he does not believe it is in Israel’s interest to have a second front to fight and defend.

The Hezbollah terrorist movement warned on Wednesday that it considers the US a “full partner” with Israel in the ongoing war launched by Hamas this week, saying it was “not frightened” by the entry of a US aircraft carrier to the area.

Jerusalem post

In an interview with Sean Hannity discussing the war in Israel, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo urged the United States to take a strong stance in support of Israel.

Calling the actions of Hamas “grotesque” and “barbaric,” Pompeo highlighted that “Prime Minister Netanyahu should have a free hand to do what he needs to do.”

“I am just hoping that this administration doesn’t slow him down,” he implored. “There are going to be long weeks. There are going to be some pictures that come out of Gaza that are going to be tragic. But make no mistake about it: Prime Minister Netanyahu has the duty to defend his own people in the same way that the United States has that duty.”

Israel must firstly be given the freedom to secure themselves, Pompeo continued. “[Israel] has got to go take down Hamas. Every last person who’s connected has got to be wiped out.”

“We should definitely not be telling Israel, no one should be telling Israel, how to conduct its foreign policy,” he insisted.

Iran’s Direct Involvement 

When asked about Iran’s role in the carnage, the former Secretary of State said unequivocally that it was Iran that fuelled the massacre.

“It is Iran that is the problem,” he urged. “Hamas executed a mission that was funded, trained, and directed by the Iranians.”

Pompeo, who is an evangelical Christian and a firm friend to the Jewish State, added that he is worried Iran will expand its attack on Israel to the northern border.

“The Iranians are prepared to fight to the last Hezbollah life or the last Hamas life,” he asserted.

“The United States should demand that, not only the United States, but every other country stop providing any money to Iran,” he said. “They’re still funding the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. They’re still underwriting all kinds of programs that go to these terrorists. We’ve got to stop all of that funding. It could be done tomorrow, President Biden just as to say so.”

This includes the need to “pull back” the $6 billion given in ransom payments to Iran last month, Pompeo explained.

Weakness On The World Stage

The Biden administration has set a bad precedent of weakness on the world stage, which Pompeo noted is largely to blame for the increased brazenness of bad actors like Iran.

“The deaths that happened today are the responsibility of Hamas. They were caused by Iran. But the conditions were set by American weakness in Afghanistan, by allowing Vladimir Putin to think that a small invasion might be okay, and then ultimately, by not convincing the Iranians that we would have Israel’s back,” he warned. “I pray that President Biden understands what is at risk. It is Israel and America’s place in the world. We have to get this right.”

“We now have Americans held hostage, and Hamas—puppet of Iran—is threatening to kill them. They’ve already killed 11 Americans, they’re threatening to kill Americans live on video and broadcast the audio as well,” Pompeo described. “President Biden hasn’t told the Iranians [and] hasn’t told the world what America’s response to that will be.”

“If we don’t stand with Israel, if we don’t give them the tools that they need… then we will risk even more American lives,” he stressed.

The October 7 attack on Israel launched the nation into war.

“This has been the most devastating attack in the history of the state of Israel over the last 75 years,” Cissie Graham Lynch said on the newest episode of her Fearless podcast. “Why is it so important that as Christians we are paying attention to what is happening there right now?”

For this special episode, Lynch invited Pastor Gary Hamrick from Cornerstone Chapel in Virginia to share his perspective on the conflict taking place. Pastor Hamrick had originally been scheduled to lead a tour to Israel this very week.

“God chose to reveal His plan of redemption for mankind from this particular plot of land,” he said.

Lynch believes that this land of promise is continually under attack because “whatever God blesses, Satan’s going to curse.”

“The church needs to be aware what is happening, and our hearts should be stirred,” Pastor Hamrick said. He encouraged believers to remain vigilant, pointing out how “as we get closer to the return of Christ, we’re going to see more and more anti-Semitism around the world.”

Complete peace on Earth won’t happen until the Lord returns, but Scripture still tells us to pray for Israel.

“We pray for He who watches over Israel, the Lord, who never slumbers nor sleeps, to continue to give peace and comfort to those who are there,” Pastor Hamrick said. “There’s been hundreds of families now that have lost loved ones, and we need to remember them and pray for their comfort as well.”

During this time of suffering and war, Lynch called on listeners to continue faithfully praying for peace in this troubled land.

HD Editor’s Note: In his conversation with Cissie Graham Lynch, Pastor Gary Hamrick explained that these unprecedented events in Israel are a reminder for Christians to get ready for the Rapture.

“Jesus told us we should know the signs of the times,” he noted. “When we look at what is happening right now in the news and when we look at what is happening right now in Israel, these are all part of the labor pains leading up to the ultimate return of Jesus.”

“We should always be living in the expectation of the imminent return of Jesus. The Rapture of the church could happen at any time. There’s still a lot of Prophecy that still has to happen in scripture in general, but there’s no prophecy that still needs to happen before the Rapture of the church,” he described. “When people see stuff stirring in Israel, as Christians, it should remind us to get ready because we don’t know at what point that trumpet call could sound.”

BGEA

Following the launch of several rockets toward the northeastern portion of Israel, the IDF is responding with artillery and mortar shells into Syria from which the rockets were launched.

“Part of the launches crossed into Israeli territory and presumably fell in open areas,” the IDF stated Tuesday evening.

Israel is currently also responding to rocket fire from Gaza in the south and Lebanon from the north.

A short while ago, “In response to the rocket launches identified from Lebanese territory a short while ago, IDF tanks struck two observation posts belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement.

In addition, the IDF has stuck 2,329 targets in Gaza since Saturday. Overnight, an IDF aircraft neutralized “Zachariah Abu Ma’amar, a senior member of the Hamas terrorist organization’s political bureau.”

As well as the “head of its office for internal relations, [who] was involved in the organization’s decision-making and the planning of numerous terror activities against the State of Israel.”

HD STAFF

As a broader picture of the carnage from Hamas’ weekend attack on Israel continues to emerge, mixed reports indicate that fighters from the Palestinian militant group may have slaughtered upwards of 40 babies, beheading some of the young children at a settlement near the Gaza border.

“It’s hard to even explain exactly, just the mass casualties that happened right here,” i24 News correspondent Nicole Zedek said emotionally during a Tuesday broadcast from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. “Babies with their heads cut off, that’s what [the soldiers] said. Gunned down. Families gunned down, completely gunned down in their beds.”

“This is nothing that anyone would have even imagined,” she said of the “sheer horror.”

Located near Sderot, about a quarter-mile from the Gaza Strip, Kfar Aza was one of several kibbutzim attacked when Hamas militants breached Israel’s defensive fence in the southern part of the country and unleashed a torrent of violence that segued into a full-fledged war.

According to i24 News, about 70 Hamas fighters are believed to have used guns, knives and grenades to carry out the butchery at Kfar Aza.

“It’s not a war,” Gen. Itai Veruv, head of the Israel Defense Force’s Depth Command, told the outlet. “It’s not a battlefield. You see the babies, the mothers, the fathers in their bedrooms, in their protection rooms, and how the terrorists kill them. It’s not a war. … It’s a massacre.”

“It is something that I never saw in my life,” the military leader continued. “It’s something that we used to imagine from our grandfathers, grandmothers in the pogrom in Europe and other places. It’s not something that happens in new history.”

Zedek reported that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists were still clearing the destruction on Tuesday, with soldiers slowly removing the bodies of the dead due to booby traps such as grenades in many of the homes. The outlet reported that the bodies of 40 babies and children had been recovered so far.

IDF Major Nir Dinar told Insider in a statement that soldiers had found the bodies of decapitated babies at the village but said he had not seen images or videos himself.

“We cannot confirm any numbers,” he said. “What happened in Kibbutz Kfar Aza is a massacre in which women children, toddlers and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action.”

Despite the numerous reports of brutal killings, the Turkish state-run news outlet Anadolu Agency reported that the IDF has “no information confirming allegations that ‘Hamas beheaded babies.’ ”

The New York Post reported that as of Tuesday evening local time, the Israeli death count is believed to be around 1,100, with more than 2,000 people injured.

NEWSMAX

Like many of you, I woke up Saturday morning, October 7, shocked by the news of what had been transpiring in Israel as barbarous Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israel and committed mass murder, killing men, women, and children and taking hostage many others, including young IDF soldiers, trying to prevent Israel from responding to this grievous attack on its sovereignty.

Today, our hearts are heavy as we pray for Israel as a nation and for Israeli families scattered all throughout the land who wonder what has happened to their sons, their daughters, and their loved ones.

You know, as I thought about this horrific attack on Israel, I was reminded of what David wrote in Psalm 59 when he said, “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me” (Psalm 59:1-3).

David felt the same onslaught of hatred and bitterness that we see manifest today by satanically inspired terrorists who want to kill innocent Israelis, who have a hatred for Israel and Jewish people just because of who they are.

And so, at Lamb and Lion Ministries, we do indeed stand united with Israel. We stand united behind God’s chosen people, knowing that He has a plan and a provision for them to bring a great remnant of them to salvation.

So, we pray for Israel today. We pray for Israelis. We pray for Jewish people, some of whom I know by name.

I often turn to a Psalm each day of the month. On October 7, Psalm chapter 7 was so poignant in describing the horror that we witnessed taking place in Israel. David, again writing, says: “O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded… Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:1,6,9-11).

At the very conclusion of Psalm seven, in verse 17, David writes this: “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.”

Today, we pray for the deliverance of those who are being held hostage. We pray for comfort, for Shalom, for all Israel, and all those families whose lives have been devastated. We stand with Israel.

Lamb and Lion Ministries will continue to pray for the Jewish people, even as we seek to bless them, and the name of our great God and Savior, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the wonderful name of our Jewish Messiah, Yeshua.

May He come quickly, and until He comes, may each of you have peace, His eternal shalom, as well.

TIM MOORE

Hamas supporters chanted, “Gas the Jews,” beside the world-famous Sydney Opera House in Australia, according to a video shared by the Australian Jewish Association.

The October 9 crowd of several hundred people, mostly immigrant Muslims, also chanted, “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is Supreme!”) and “F*** the Jews,” as a line of police watched.

The event was held to celebrate Hamas’ massacre of Jews and its simultaneous attacks on Israeli security forces.

The shouters waved their home country flags, including the flags of Turkey and Lebanon. Some waved the flag adopted by people who identify as Palestinians.

Hamas supporters held many similar celebrations in the Arab world, as well as in Europe and the United States.

BREITBART

A Hamas official claimed in an interview Monday that Hamas did not kill any civilians in its early Saturday surprise attack on Israel.

“We didn’t kill any civilians,” Dr. Basem Naim, Head of Political and International Relations in Hamas, said in an interview with Sky News.

Dr. Naim apparently dubbed reports of the murder and kidnapping of innocent civilians as “Israeli propaganda.”

“We have the original story,” Dr. Naim claimed. “We have also to redefine what does it mean [to be] a civilian. I cannot consider a settler in the occupied West Bank who has stolen my land, carrying guns, burning the city of Hawara is a civilian,” Dr. Naim said.

Dr. Naim opposed Austin’s point that the attack was “an operation that was deliberately designed to murder civilians.”

DAILY CALLER

The Israel Defense Forces’ top spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, says the military has regained control of the porous Gaza border, after Hamas terrorists blew up sections of the border fence during its attack on Saturday morning.

“In the last day, not a single terrorist entered via the fence,” he says in a call with reporters.

Combat Engineering troops are working to mine the areas near the holes in the fence, Hagari says.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

As the war effort continues to take shape in Israel, the IDF’s spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said the mobilization of reservists has been the largest and fastest in Israel’s history.

“We have never mobilized so many reservists so quickly – 300,000 reservists in 48 hours,” he said.

No official announcement has been made yet regarding a ground campaign into Gaza, but signs indicate that forces are being prepared for such a campaign.

Large numbers of tanks were seen being moved towards the Gaza perimeter, and reports indicated a large build-up of troops, as well.

A former international spokesperson of the IDF military, Jonathan Conricus, recently called up for reserve duty, stated that some 100,000 reserve troops have been gathered in southern Israel.

“We have amassed around 100,000 reserve troops who are currently in southern Israel,” he said.

“Our job is to make sure that at the end of this war, Hamas will no longer have any military capability to threaten Israeli civilians,” Conricus added.

Thousands of Israelis came out to cheer on the soldiers arriving in the south, lining the streets to greet them and handing out food, water and toiletries.

After a couple of tense, tragic days, they welcomed the sight of Israeli soldiers ready to take the fight to the enemy on its own territory.

Waving Israeli flags, playing Israeli music, and handing out homemade food, the residents of the south showered the soldiers with love, thanks and prayers for success.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS

The Israeli Defence Force dubbed the Islamist terror group “worse than ISIS” as horrendous footage of the killings appeared online.

Video apparently showed the brutal executions with swords and knives similar to those seen online at the height of the Islamic State’s reign of terror in Iraq and Syria.

Israeli forces have slammed Hamas as “savages, animals and butchers” as they continue to carpet bomb enemy strongholds in the Gaza Strip.

The terrorist group earlier today threatened to start executing Israeli civilian hostages in retaliation for the Israeli bombing, without warning.

Hours later, Israel said the terror group had released footage of them beheading captured soldiers.

The armed wing of Hamas tonight announced it will also begin executing one Israeli captives for every new civilian house bombed, without warning.

A spokesperson for the wing, Qassam Brigades, said they will “urgently broadcast with audio and video” the brutal beheadings of Israeli captives.
In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, “Hamas has released footage of them beheading captured soldiers.

“We will not share it, but the world needs to know their depravity exceeds that of ISIS – we have been telling you all for years.”

THE SUN UK 

France’s Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, reported a significant rise in antisemitic incidents in the country since Hamas’ attack on Israel Saturday morning.

While antisemitism has been increasing in France in recent years, the interior minister called the rise in antisemitic incidents since Saturday “dramatic.”

Ten individuals have been arrested, and twenty instances have been reported of antisemitism, including threats targeted at synagogues and Jewish places of business. 

Forty-four investigations have also begun into posts on social media praising the murderous actions of the Hamas terrorist organization.

Security measures have increased around synagogues, Jewish schools, and other key areas, in several cities in France. The increased protections came from concerns that the war with Hamas may lead to targeting and violence against the Jewish community.

It was reported that Jewish parents in the country have instructed their children to remove their skullcaps and other identifiers while walking in the streets, with one father warning, “You never know who might be in the cars passing by.”

HD STAFF

On October 6, 1973, the unthinkable happened. On the watch of Prime Minister Golda Meier, Israel’s enemies gathered on her borders and planned to wipe out the very memory of her existence (Psalm 83). They nearly succeeded.

Meier appealed to President Richard Nixon—no friend of the Jews to be sure. Could America step in and avert the utter destruction of the country? Nixon’s staffers were not in favor of this, but he had the voice of his mother in his ear, who had warned him about a day like this. And when he might encounter it, please come to Israel’s aid.

And so, he did. Big time. God and Nixon saved the beleaguered nation.

No one imagined that the scenario would repeat itself in 2023. Not the exact scenario, but very similar. That was 50 years ago and a different generation. But I have some vague recollection of the Yom Kippur War and am haunted that the ghost of Golda Meier is still around.

Here are some thoughts—and questions:

• This is a warning to free Western nations to protect borders because some of humanity is barbaric and we don’t wish to be invaded. Learn from this. We keep loved ones inside and those who would harm us, outside. Good fences make good neighbors said Robert Frost.

• American politicians—and certainly those on the Left—have more concern for Ukraine than for our number one Mideast ally! Voters should take note.

• The evil on display can only be dealt with through God’s justice, not humanity’s justice. How can many on the Left, starting with “the squad”, side with barbarians? What part of “depravity” do they not get? They are tolerant, but only on behalf of evil.

• How can one of the world’s most sophisticated and high-tech nations have had such a security and intelligence slip-up? Were there not sensors and cameras along the Gaza border? Was there not chatter among the Gaza terrorists in their many months of planning? Couldn’t Israel’s world-class technology have spied on these terrorists more effectively?

• Never underestimate the Iranians who planned it all. Hang-gliders, terror squads with thousands of jihadis, bulldozers, and other war-like weaponry, should have been obvious to Israelis who never let their guard down. Yet the killers had five hours to do their dirty work before Israel could even respond!

• When America lacks a leader, the whole world groans. Earth longs for a leader, a Pied Piper to follow, even if he leads them over a cliff. One is coming who will mesmerize the left behind world.

• Israel’s enemies don’t want a dialogue! They want her annihilation. They want Psalm 83! When can we stop forcing her to have peace talks with ruthless Islamists?

• When an evil society cries “death to America” and “death to Israel”, believe them. They mean what they say! Iran means it. Iran financed the effort, in part, thanks to a $6 billion gift from Biden and his cronies. What part of “death to Israel” do you not get? Yet the Left has “appeasing Islam” in their veins. When do we bury the perverted slogan that Islam is a religion of peace?

• Many denominations and churches cannot comprehend all that is going on. Because of their theology, Israel is an inconvenience and a thorn. A good Mid-East ally but not special to them. They have made the church the “chosen people.” How many churches this past Sunday ignored this tragedy as they sloshed around in the puddle of Replacement Theology?

• Jews have not been hunted—and slaughtered—like this since the Holocaust. Not since the Holocaust have we seen so many Jews rounded up, beaten, and humiliated in public. And never before has it happened within the borders of modern Israel.

Finally, who can forget Golda Meier’s classic statement, “When peace comes, we will perhaps, in time, be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”

Amir Tsarfati wrote this on Sunday, “Pray for Israel. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones. Pray for the captives and the wounded. They will all have incredible trauma that they will have to process through in the months and years to come.

“Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government as they mete out their response against Hamas and evaluate the steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Most of all, pray that God is glorified somehow through this.”

Am Yisrael Chai. The people of Israel live. But they need a Savior. Be sure to tell them. His Name is Yeshua. Some day soon, they will look upon him whom they pierced and mourn (Zechariah 12:10). Only then will there be the peace in Jerusalem we pray for.

JAN MARKELL

On Monday, several gunmen reportedly infiltrated Israel’s northern border from Lebanon before being neutralized by the IDF.

Hezbollah vehemently denies involvement with the incursion, an official of the group told Reuters.

Two Mortar shells were also fired from Lebanon on Monday toward northern Israel, causing sirens to sound in Upper Galilee towns.

“The military says one projectile landed in an open area, causing no injuries, and the other projectile landed short in Lebanon,” the Times of Israel reported.

In response to Monday’s flare-up on its northern border, the Israeli military has reportedly begun striking targets within Lebanon through the use of combat helicopters.

According to YNet News, “the Home Front Command ordered residents in dozens of communities near the border with Lebanon to enter their protective rooms until further notice.”

HD STAFF

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells local politicians from southern Israel that Israel will transform the region as it retaliates for a devastating Hamas attack and rehabilitates shell-shocked communities.

“I know you’ve been through tough, terrible things. What Hamas will go through will be tough and terrible — we’re already in the midst of the battle and we’ve only just begun,” Netanyahu says according to a statement from his office.

He praises them for their steadfastness and says the coming fight will take time.

“The nation will turn over every stone to help you all. I ask that you stand strong because we are going to change the Middle East,” he says.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

I woke up Saturday morning and was shocked to read the headline, “Israel is at war.”

This is near the anniversary of the last time Israel was officially at war, in 1973, when she was attacked by Egypt, Syria, and others. But this was a different kind of war. Thousands of rockets rained on Israel from multiple directions. Hamas gunmen invaded by land, sea, and sky, and hundreds of people were murdered and kidnapped. They were using what we might describe as ISIS-like methods.

They specifically targeted young women and young children. They launched massive, indiscriminate rocket fire toward civilian population centers, as well as terrorist infiltration of cities and settlements close to the Gaza border. They went home to home, door to door, looking for the young and the elderly. Some of the women they took as hostages were survivors of the Holocaust.

When it’s all said and done, this number tragically will only get larger. There are 700 dead and over 2,000 wounded. This is without precedent, causing the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to say they are now at war.

Who is Hamas? They’re a terrorist organization funded by Iran. That’s not a secret. In fact, a PR person from Hamas stated that this was funded by Iran. This is something that’s an established fact.

Iran has long stated their objective, which is to destroy Israel. An Iranian leader celebrated the attacks, putting out this message: “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem is completed.”

Iran has also signaled that they are developing a nuclear weapon. In the past, they have threatened to, in their own verbiage, wipe Israel off the face of the map.

One leader of Iran said, “Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism? But you had best know that this slogan and this goal are altogether attainable, and surely can be achieved. This regime that is occupying Jerusalem must be wiped from the map.”

It’s interesting how it always comes back to Jerusalem.

The Bible predicted 1000s of years ago that the end-times events would revolve around Jerusalem. Not Irvine. Not Los Angeles. Not Moscow. Not Paris. Jerusalem, this tiny little city, this tiny sliver of land, will play a key role in the events of the last days. It’s a focal point of end-times events.

In Zechariah 12:2-3, God says, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

CBC Leaked Email Tells Reporters Not to Use Term ‘Terrorists’ in Connection With Israel Attacks

A leaked email purportedly written by CBC’s director of journalistic standards instructs reporters not to call those involved in the current attacks on Israel “terrorists.”

The email, dated Oct. 7, written by CBC’s director of journalistic standards George Achi, says: “Do not refer to militants, soldiers, or anyone else as ‘terrorists.’ The notion of terrorism remains heavily politicized and is part of the story.”

“Even when quoting/clipping a government or a source referring to fighters as ‘terrorists,’ we should add context to ensure the audience understands this is opinion, not fact. That includes statements from the Canadian government and Canadian politicians,” Mr. Achi wrote.

Mr. Achi also warned reporters not to use “loaded language.”

“This is not a story that comes out of the blue, but is deeply rooted in the political and military landscape of the past few years,” states Mr. Achi.

The Canadian government has designated Hamas as “a radical Islamist-nationalist terrorist organization.”

“Since 1990, Hamas has been responsible for terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets. Hamas has been one of the primary groups involved in suicide bombings aimed at Israelis,” Public Safety Canada says. 

Conservative MP Michael Cooper condemned the CBC email, stating on X on Oct. 8, “As Hamas commits atrocities in Israel, the CBC’s so-called ‘Director of Journalistic Standards’ directed journalists to say that rape, torture, kidnapping, and acts of violence against civilians should not be called acts of terror.”

“This is blatantly antisemitic,” wrote Mr. Cooper, including the hashtag “#DefundTheCBC,” which refers to the calls by his party to end government funding for the public broadcaster.

EPOCH TIMES

Comments from last December by a Senior Hamas Official have resurfaced amid the terror organization’s attack on Israel, demonstrating the group’s Islamic motivations to eradicate both Jews and Christians from the face of the earth.

“The entire 510 million square kilometers of Planet Earth will come under [a muslim system] where there is no injustice, no oppression, no Zionism, no treacherous Christianity and no killings and crimes like those being committed against the Palestinians, and against the Arabs in all the Arab countries, in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and other countries,” Mahmoud Al-Zahar was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying.

Hal Lindsey, in his article, “What is Hamas?” delved into the Hamas Charter, which explicitly calls for the indiscriminate murder of Jews.

“The eradication of Israel is their goal. They don’t just want to win a military victory over Israel or carve out a Palestinian state. Hamas wants nothing less than the destruction of the Jewish people. Genocide is their aim and reason. How could you describe Hamas as anything but a terror group?”

As noted by Lindsey, Article 7 of the Hamas Charter reads: “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.'”

Hamas also stands firmly against a negotiated peace, he explained, with Article 13 stating: “So-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility.”

“Hamas stands for unending violence, war, and terror,” Lindsey asserted. “To those Americans who have placed themselves in solidarity with Hamas, I have to ask: Are you for peace or for never-ending jihad?”

HD STAFF

The military says aircraft are continuing to pound the Gaza Strip at this time in order to “devastate the capabilities of the Hamas terror group.”

Among the targets hit in recent hours were several command posts; a building housing Hamas operatives; a command center used by a senior official in Hamas’s naval forces; an “operational asset used by Hamas” located within a mosque in Jabaliya; and an asset used by the terror group for intelligence.

Times Of Israel 

The great earthquake of the Ezekiel 38 war has NOT begun. But we are in the midst of a major foreshock. In the last few hours, Hamas fired thousands of missiles from Gaza into Israel. They targeted Israeli civilians. Hamas soldiers broke through checkpoints and bulldozed parts of the border fence. Their army attacked Israeli neighborhoods in border towns, randomly killing and randomly taking hostages.

But this did not originate with Hamas. A peace agreement with Saudi Arabia seemed close just a few days ago. But the Saudis cannot make peace with Israel now because they cannot seem to be taking the side of Jews against Muslims. The reason Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have been willing to cooperate with Israel is their common enemy, Iran. So, who benefits with peace set aside? Iran.

This attack was planned, funded, and equipped by Iran. That’s why I consider it a precursor to the war prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 — a war led by Russia and Iran. And make no mistake, Russia is tied to this. Just last month, Iran’s Minister of Defense said, “Russia and Iran have significantly broadened the range of their cooperation over the past few years. In particular, I would like to note regional affairs, such as the joint war on terrorism and extremism.” How is that for ironic? These are the words of the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

If you find it hard to believe that the orders came from Iran, consider this. A few days before the attack began, a billboard went up in Iran’s capital city of Tehran. The billboard says, “The liberation operation ‘Storming of Al-Aqsa’ has started.” Al-Aqsa refers to the oldest mosque on the Temple Mount. It irks Iran’s mullahs that Jews have ultimate jurisdiction over what Islam claims to be its third holiest site.

Shortly after the attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard posted on X (previously Twitter), “We Told You We Would Come for You.” That’s a terrorist organization taking credit for its work! And this is definitely a war of terror. These people are shooting schoolgirls on the streets. They are kidnapping whole families including children and the elderly. Their missiles target civilian neighborhoods and other civilian locations with no connection to the military. These are terrorists fighting a war of terror!

Israel has been standing as a buffer between us and radical Islamic terrorists for decades. If Israel doesn’t stop them now, Iranian terror will continue to spread in the Middle East and around the world. Never forget that Iran considers Israel the little Satan and the United States the big Satan. We are a target, too. And, ironically, we are helping to fund these attacks on our friends and eventually on ourselves. We keep releasing money to Iran and Iran keeps using it in its campaign of terror around the world.

After the attack began, the US State Department’s Office for Palestinian Affairs put up a post on Twitter urging all sides to “refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks.” After receiving heavy criticism, they removed the tweet. But their knee-jerk reaction was that Israel should allow their citizens to be pummeled without responding. That shows the kind of thinking in the State Department’s entrenched bureaucracy, also known as the deep state.

The Palestinian attack has been especially egregious, easily qualifying as a series of horrible war crimes. How will the world respond?

And how will you respond? Christians should remember that this did not catch God by surprise. His plan continues. He’s taking care of you, and His offer of salvation remains open to everyone.

Hal Lindsey 

Here we go again. Not even 24 hours had passed since terrorists launched and unprecedented attack on Israel, and unfounded Palestinian propaganda was already being used to justify Hamas’ mass slaughter.

Despite the fact that Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Canada and other free countries, murdered an estimated 700 Israelis in cold blood, Palestinians in Toronto set up a cheering squad on a local highway overpass this weekend. They are also planning rallies against the “Zionists.”

If you are rooting for the terrorists, understand this: Grandmothers were killed in their wheelchairs. Children have been beaten, ripped from their mothers’ arms and taken hostage in Gaza. Thousands of rockets are being shot at Israeli neighbourhoods, aiming to maim and kill.

What is there to celebrate? Death and destruction? An ISIS-style attack by terrorists riding in pickup trucks through villages and murdering people? What kind of sick people are waving Palestinian flags on our highways?

Already, our political leaders are talking out of both sides of their mouths. While Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the attack on Israel in one tweet, two hours later she also wrote, “We must acknowledge Palestinian pain and severe loss of life during this time” (though the tweet has since been deleted).

This is like saying that we must acknowledge the pain Taliban fighters suffered following their murder of women in a soccer stadium. There is no moral equivalence between the pain suffered by Israeli civilians as a result of this unprovoked attack and the Hamas fighters who have been killed in retaliation. If we fail to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong, our own society will begin to crumble. Maybe it has.

And the radical left-wing spin is only picking up speed. We are going to hear our media call Hamas “militants,” not terrorists. We are going to hear justifications for the murder of Israeli children based on the false narrative that Israel is an “apartheid state” or an “occupier” — even though it does not occupy Gaza, the festering enclave of terrorism from which these attacks originated.

An assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University retweeted a message that the Hamas attack was in response to Israeli incursions into Arab towns in recent months and years. Not mentioned was the thousands of terror attacks Israel has sustained this year at the hands of Palestinian terrorists.

One of CUPE’s Twitter accounts retweeted a tweet reading, “Today, as Palestinians break down colonial barriers, they breathe life into the dream of an open, liberated geography.” This is false. Israelis are not colonizers of their own land. They are indigenous to the Land of Israel.

As Israel’s offensive commences and inevitably, and sadly, people get killed and hurt, the media will quickly forget about Saturday’s brutal Palestinian assault on Israel. It will begin siding with the Palestinians, lying and distorting the truth and giving ample fodder for pro-Palestinian demonstrations on our streets and campuses.

The shame of left-wing hate and antisemitism will be couched in the language of “proportionality” and Israel’s so-called “military edge.” Some military edge. The Palestinian-controlled images will flow onto our screens, attempting to create sympathy and justifying Saturday’s brutal terror attack.

The United Nations will likely pass resolutions calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Israel for defending itself. Throughout history, and during all of Israel’s 75-year existence, Jewish self-defence has consistently been questioned. A Jew? Defending himself? How can this be?

But alas, this time, Israel has awoken. Jews are a peaceful people by nature, but they easily fall asleep at the wheel. Yet when Israel does wake up, when Jews unify, there is no amount of false sympathy that will save the other side. To all the propagandists out there, to the flag-wavers on the highway, to those who falsely accuse us of being colonizers and justify mass murder, shame on you. If you think we are willing to be herded once again like sheep to the slaughter, you are in for a rude awakening.

National Post

It took four hours for the military to mount a concerted response, which was eventually dubbed Operation Iron Sword. By that time, the carnage was devastating. Bodies of Jewish civilians littered the streets. A still unknown number were kidnapped and taken hostage into Gaza. Women, children, the elderly, no one was spared the violence of these Palestinian criminals. Not since the Holocaust have we seen so many Jews rounded up, beaten, and humiliated in public. And never before has it happened within the borders of modern Israel. Eventually, once the tide of battle had turned, the terrorists fled back into Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) followed them in. Hamas members, from the top leaders down to the soldiers, were targeted, as were their headquarters, warehouses, and homes. This is all part of a three-level response by the Israeli military. The first level is to purify Israel of all terrorists. Anyone who crossed the border as part of this attack and is still in Israel needs to either be arrested or killed. The second level is to take from Hamas and other terrorist organizations that threaten Israel all their military capabilities. To accomplish this, Israel’s government has invoked Article 40 of the Basic Laws, which amounts to a declaration of war. Last time Article 40 was used was in 1973 for the Yom Kippur War. This will allow the IDF to use all air, ground, and naval forces to accomplish this feat.

The third level of Israel’s response is to hold accountable the countries that assisted Hamas in this attack. Hamas is neither equipped nor sophisticated enough to have pulled this off alone. Most automatically look to Iran, but U.S. intelligence says the ayatollahs were not involved. The question we have to ask is who has jamming equipment advanced enough to nullify the protection of the Iron Dome? Also, what country has effectively used drones to drop bombs on targets? The answer is Russia. The relationship between Moscow and Jerusalem has been souring due to Israel’s expanding exports of natural gas and Russia’s deepening relationships with Israel’s enemies, like Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.

But the hatred of the Jews has gone on long before last week. If there is one thing that both radical Shiite and Sunni Muslims can agree upon is that the Jews in Israel must be exterminated. This is not about land, it is about religious-based genocide fueled by Iran and a radical jihadist agenda.

Because the origin of this and other terrorist attacks against Israel is based on religion and ethnicity rather than actions, we know that there is nothing that we can do as Jews to stop them from wanting to come at us again. All we can do is take away their ability to do so.

Moving forward, Israel must restore deterrence, whether it’s based on respect for the strength of our military or the personal fear of each potential terrorist as they consider what might happen to them, their family, and their home if they join in with the jihadists. Along with that, Israel must eliminate Hamas. To do so, the IDF must stop caring what the world will say and what the media will say. The gloves must come off.

The IDF late Sunday night struck around 150 targets all within the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza, leveling large portions of the neighborhood associated with Hamas terror infrastructure in a short period of time.

The aerial assault followed a similar earlier assault on Beit Hanoun, with both of these instances showing a large escalation in the speed and volume of airstrikes by the IDF.

Shejaiya was also a central fighting point between the IDF and Hamas during the 2014 Gaza war.

Over 50 Israeli fighter jets operated against Hamas in Gaza’s Beit Hanoun on Sunday, according to the IDF Spokesperson. Dozens of IDF fighter jets have struck near the Gaza border fence in Beit Hanun, according to an IDF statement.

IDF has hit over 800 targets in Gaza Sunday afternoon. They also struck 120 targets in the Beit Hanoun area that were staging invasions into Israel.

IDF Chief Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said, “Hamas carried out the worst massacre of Israeli civilians in Israeli history. Haas was more barbaric than ISIS.”

Hamas claimed that it’s al-Qassam Brigades had sent additional forces into Israeli territory on Sunday, as Israeli forces continued efforts to clear terrorists from a number of Israeli towns and bases on the second day of the war.

Jerusalem POst 

Israel’s security cabinet this weekend voted to officially go to war for the first time since the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already declared that Israel was “at war” on Saturday, but the high-level security cabinet decision unlocks “significant military activities,” Netanyahu’s office announced according to the Times of Israel.

So far, the Hamas attack has killed at least 600 Israelis and wounded 2,000 more. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to the area around Gaza, and military officials say they will “kill every terrorist in Israel.”

FOX NEWS

Hashem Safi al-Din, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, holds a press conference today in which he gives a message to the US and Israel, saying that their violations of Islamic holy places and “crossing of all lines” have led to Hamas’s “Al-Aqsa Deluge” terror operation.

The whole Islamic nation will join the “deluge” if they persist in their “foolishness,” he says.

On Sunday morning, Hezbollah launched mortar shells at Israeli military sites on the Lebanon border, claiming it was in solidarity with the “Palestinian resistance.”

The Israel Defense Forces did not report any injuries, and said it responded with artillery fire toward the area of the launches and a drone strike against “Hezbollah infrastructure” in the area.

Times of israel

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad tells the BBC that Iran gave its support to the Palestinian terror group to launch its surprise multi-front attack on Israel on Saturday, as cited by Hebrew media.

The unprecedented attack saw 300 Israeli civilians and security forces killed, over 1,000 injured, and an unknown number of people — women, children, men, elderly people, and soldiers — abducted from southern Israel and taken into the Gaza Strip.

Tehran is a key backer of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Why did Hamas stage a long-planned, carefully executed and multifaceted attack on Israeli towns, soldiers, and civilians—one designed to instill terror by executing noncombatants, taking hostages, and desecrating the bodies of the dead?

And how were the killers able to enter Israeli proper in enough numbers to kill what could be hundreds and perhaps eventually wound what could be thousands?

a) Ostensibly, radical Palestinians wanted to stop any rumored rapprochement between the Gulf monarchies—the traditional source of much of their cash—and Israel, by forcing the issue of Arab solidarity in times of “war”, especially through waging a gruesome attack aimed at civilians and encompassing executions and hostage taking. Iran likely was the driving force to prompt the war—given its greatest fear is a Sunni Arab-Israeli rapprochement.

b)  Arab forces have had only success against Israel through surprise attacks during Israeli holidays, as in the Yom Kippur War (i.e., was it any accident that the present attack began 50-years almost to the day after the October 6, 1973 beginning of the Yom Kippur War?). And so they struck again this Saturday during Simchat Torah, coming at the end of a weeklong Jewish celebration of Sukkot—in hopes that others will join in as happened in 1973. (So much for the Arab warnings not for Westerners to conduct war during Ramadan).

c) Hamas may have reckoned that recent Israeli turmoil and mass leftist street protests over proposed reforms of the Israeli Supreme Court had led to permanent internal divisions and thus a climate of domestic distraction if not an erosion of deterrence.

But, more importantly, in a larger sense the Biden administration has contributed both to the notion that Hamas was a legitimate Middle East player, and to the perception that the U.S. was backing away from its traditional support for Israel—to the delight of Hamas—based on the following inexplicable policies:

1) In February Secretary of State Blinken had bragged that not only had the Biden administration resumed massive aid to the PLA cancelled by Trump, but cumulatively had transferred $1 billion—even as Palestinian authorities bragged that they would continue to pay bounties to the families of “martyrs” (i.e., those killed while conducting terrorists attacks against Israel).

And millions of American dollars also went into Gaza, run by Hamas—despite the Biden administration’s efforts to keep mostly quiet the resumption of such inexplicable support. In this regard, note the current shameful State-Department (“U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs”) website news release that was posted after today’s attack. It ended with this quite embarrassing, morally equivalent admonition:

“We urged all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”

“All sides?” “Refrain from retaliatory attacks?”

So Israel is the moral equivalent of terrorists executing civilians and brutalizing their corpses? And the IDF then is not supposed to retaliate against these killers?

This Biden State Department insanity cannot stand. So expect some apparatchik to take down this Munich-like posting as soon as possible.

2) The Biden administration had recently released some $6 billion to Iran through a prison swap deal that saw South Korea hand over embargoed Iranian money to Qatar—despite Tehran’s  increased anti-Israeli rhetoric and its loud brag about the escalation. We should assume money for rockets (Hamas claims they have launched 5,000, and have received 100,000 of them via the Damascus airport) and weapons in general for Hamas were supplied by Iran, which again is likely the chief catalyst for this surprise attack.

3) Almost immediately, after his inauguration Biden mobilized to resume the bankrupt Iran deal. And in unhinged fashion he appointed the anti-Israeli bigot, pro-Iranian journalist Robert Malley as America’s chief negotiator. Note that Malley is now under FBI investigation for security breaches, involving disclosing classified U.S. documents and also for allegedly helping pro-Iranian activists and propagandists land influential billets inside the U.S. government.

In short, there was a general Hamas and Iranian perception that the Biden administration had resumed the discredited Obama madness of empowering Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. This discredited agenda was to “balance” the power of Israel and the moderate Arab Gulf governments to achieve “creative tension”, exacerbated by Biden’s loathing of the government of Benjamín Netanyahu (who has been snubbed by Biden and never invited for an official visit).

Note as well that the Biden administration has siphoned off key weapons and munitions from stockpiles inside Israel to transfer them to Ukraine. The so-called “War Reserve Ammunition—Israel” is all but depleted of just the sorts of weapons needed in the present crisis.

What to expect in Israel?

Expect the following: the usual Hamas/terrorist selling and/or execution of Israeli hostages, the use of Israeli hostages as “human shields” in Gaza,  the bargaining/sale of the remains of Israeli dead, occasional killings of Jews inside Israel by Arabs who falsely believe there will be a winning Middle East-wide existential war against Israel. And finally, a devastating Israeli counter-response that will eventually earn a U.S. rebuke.

What should the U.S. instead do?

It should quit talking to Iran and restore full sanctions against it. It should cut off all aid immediately to all the Palestinians. It should undertake a 1973-like massive arms lift of key munitions to Israel and warn Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and others in the Middle East not to intervene or else, given that Israel will need several weeks to deal with Hamas and Gaza. And if it shows any hesitation or weakness, other terrorist groups will opportunistically jump in.

Here we are 78 years after the end of the Holocaust and once agains thuggish killers dressed in black are pulling Jewish elderly, women, and children out of their homes and executing them, and then throwing their bodies into the street. But in 1945 we were fighting the SS murderers, now we are sending millions in subsidies to their modern Hamas killer squad counterparts. We the American people should demand not one more American cent to these Gestapo and SS killers.

Victor Davis Hanson — Twitter

In a statement published earlier today by Tom Cotton, the Senator asserted that the Iran-backed attack was an endeavor to counter the progress of normalization talks between Saudi Arabia and the Jewish State.

“I join Arkansans in condemning the brazen attack on Israel by Iran’s proxy, Hamas. This war is a transparent attempt by Iran to derail the peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The United States should provide Israel the military and diplomatic support it needs to destroy Hamas. And the Biden administration should cease all engagement with Iran.”

“Israel will need reinforcements in this war. President Biden should follow President Nixon’s example from the Yom Kippur War when faced with another surprise attack on Israel fifty years ago this weekend: send everything that shoots on everything that flies,” Cotton added on Twitter. “I never believe in little plays when big issues are at stake.”

In response to the Hamas attack and subsequent retaliation from Israel, Saudi Arabia called for an “immediate halt to the escalation of conflict between Palestinians and Israel.”

As Pastor Mark Hitchcock recently noted, “the main sticking point between Israel and Saudi Arabia is the Palestinian issue. They’ve got to work out some solution to that problem before they’re able to broker this final piece.”

HD STAFF

Sirens warning of incoming rockets are sounding in Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel where Israeli security forces and Palestinian terrorists who infiltrated into the kibbutz from Gaza are engaged in a gun battle.

Hebrew media reports say Israeli forces are still working to clear the kibbutz of terrorists and exchanges of gunfire can be heard.

Earlier, dozens of people were rescued from the kibbutz dining hall where they were held hostage for hours. According to public broadcaster Kan, at least 48 people were rescued in the incident.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

An American woman living near Gaza described in harrowing detail the hours she spent hiding in a “safe room” in her own home, waiting for members of the Israeli Defense Forces to come and assist with a safe evacuation.

Adele Raemer, 68, grew up in the Bronx — but according to a report from The New York Post she moved to Israel in 1975, where she has retired from her job as an English teacher and works as a hospital clown for sick children.

Over the course of several hours, Raemer pivoted from happy social media posts to fearful ones.

“For the past hour, Israel has been majorly under attack. This is just totally unprecedented. We never had anything like this before,” she said. “The sheer number of rockets that are being shot at the same time is overwhelming Iron Dome. So I don’t know where we’re going from here, but this is war. There is no getting around that.”

“I’m in my safe room with my son. We locked the doors and can’t go outside, and I have to say this is very scary. I’ve never been this scared in my life,” she added later. “Terrorists have infiltrated into Israel and that’s in addition to the massive rocket attacks. If you’re the praying type, pray for us.”

In later posts she described being afraid to leave the safe room to use the bathroom and not drinking too much water to prevent such a trip being necessary. She said that she could hear the Hamas terrorists as they went from door to door, looking for Israelis — and said that she had not even turned on the air conditioning for fear that someone would hear it and know there were people inside.

But Raemer was among those who were eventually evacuated, as she shared in a later post.

DAILY WIRE

The death toll from the Hamas terror group’s massive multi-front attack on Israel rises to more than 300, Hebrew-language media reports say, citing medical officials.

The toll is expected to continue to rise.

At least 1,590 have been wounded, many seriously.

Dozens of civilians as well as IDF soldiers are believed to have been abducted and brought into Gaza; Hamas has boasted that the number of hostages is higher than Israel knows.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “embarking on a long and difficult war” that was “forced upon us by a murderous attack by Hamas” throughout the day.

The first phase of the war, he writes on X, involves “destroying most of the enemy forces” that have infiltrated into Israel and have killed civilians and soldiers.

Israel has also begun an offensive into Gaza “and it will continue without hesitation and without respite – until the goals are achieved.”

“We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win,” he writes.

TIMES OF ISRAEL

Direct impacts of rockets fired from Gaza and Hamas terrorists who infiltrated into Israel killed at least 250 Israelis and injured over 1,450, with 285 in serious condition, according to Israeli media reports.

The Hamas terror organization has continuously fired rockets toward Israel since around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, about 3,500 rockets in total.

Hundreds of terrorists infiltrated settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip including the southern cities of Sderot and Ofakim, according to the IDF.

IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari confirmed that Hamas terrorists killed a number of IDF soldiers and took “hostages and prisoners of war.”

The IDF and Israel Police are scanning the area for the terrorists and are engaging them in shootouts. The IDF stated on Saturday evening that it had killed “hundreds” of terrorists.

According to him, hundreds of terrorists breached the border fence at a number of points and landed on Israeli shores with boats.

There was fighting in 22 locations, Hagari confirmed, including hostage situations in the Kibbutz Be’eri and the town of Ofakim. He stressed that army forces had arrived at all of the settlements that were under attack.

At least 30 IDF battalions were concentrated near the border with the Gaza Strip, Hagari said, adding that large reserve forces were called up and were making their way there.

Unconfirmed videos circulating on social media show groups of armed terrorists roaming the streets in Jewish settlements near the Gaza Strip and firing on passersby, including police. Another video shows an armed terrorist paragliding into Israeli territory.

The IDF has closed off the area around the Gaza Strip in a wide perimeter with armed checkpoints. Smoke was seen rising from a number of settlements in the area.

ALL ISREAL NEWS

Pray for the state of Israel, the region, and all those who could be emboldened worldwide to cause further havoc.

And pray for America. It is hard not to connect this attack on Israel to the current chaos in Congress and lack of leadership from the White House.

Israel’s enemies—funded by the billions the Biden admin released to Iran—seized upon a paralyzed Congress.

Tony Perkins — Twitter

JERUSALEM, Israel —The Islamic Republic of Iran—a key military and strategic partner of the Palestinian Hamas terrorist movement in the Gaza Strip—is the driving force in the war launched Saturday against the Jewish state, said Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Middle East experts.

Just this week, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Israel: “The usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.”

The “usurper regime” is Israel for Khamenei, whose jingoistic foreign policy consists of the destruction of the Jewish state and the financing of Palestinians terrorist groups  on Israel’s borders.

Lior Haiat, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, told Fox News Digital on Saturday, “Those terror organizations [Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad] are working as proxies of the Ayatollah regime ” in the Islamic Republic.

Haiat added: “Iran is trying for years, especially in the last few months, to have a terror organization, both the Islamic Jihad that is fully supported and financed by Iran, and Hamas terror organization that is also financed but not fully by Iran. They are calling them to attack Israel and Israelis.”

He stressed that Iran is “without a doubt . . . behind the scenes” of this war against Israel.

The Iranian regime-controlled Tehran Times reported on Saturday that the Islamic Republic backs the Palestinian Hamas and PIJ war against Israel. According to the Tehran Times article, Iran’s Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi declared the war on Israel as  “glorious” that has murdered at least 100 Israelis.

“We declare our support for this operation, and we are confident that the Resistance Front also supports this move,” Safavi told attendees at the 6th International Conference of Solidarity with Palestinian Youth. He added that Iran will stand alongside the Palestinian resistance “until the liberation of Palestine and al-Quds.”

Iran’s reference to Palestine means the Jewish state, and al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

The Iran-backed Hamas invasion of Israel follows President Biden’s decision just last month to release $6 billion dollars to Iran as part of a prisoner swap.

Republicans in the House and Senate blasted the Biden administration for unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets just weeks before the attack occurred.

While the Biden administration said the funds will be supervised by Qatar and not used for terrorism, Iran’s U.S.-sanctioned President Ebrahim Raisi boasted that the money will be used “wherever we need it.”

Fox News 

Just hours ago, the terrorist group, Hamas launched a violent attack on the nation of Israel, shooting whole families, and kidnapping civilians. 250 people are already dead and about 1500 are injured seriously.

The images coming out of the region are heartbreaking. I’ve never seen anything quite like it since 1967. Groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Islamic jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade,the PLO and others, are funded by Iran, and have sworn the destruction of Israel.

Please pray with me for stability in the region, peace in Israel, and the security of borders against these terrorists.

Pastor Skip Heitzig — Twitter

In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to use “all the power” of the IDF to destroy Hamas’s capabilities, and tells Gaza’s residents to “get out now.”

Calling today’s events something “never before seen in Israel,” he vows to ensure “it will never happen again.”

He begins by saying Hamas “invaded Israeli territory this morning,” and started a “cruel and evil war,” targeting innocent civilians young and old.

“We will win this war, but the price will be unbearably heavy,” he says.

“Hamas wants to murder us all,” Netanyahu says, “murdering children and mothers in their homes, in their beds.

“It is an enemy that kidnaps elderly people, children, young girls,” an enemy “that massacres and slaughters our civilians, our children, who simply wanted to enjoy the festival.”

“What happened today has never been seen before in Israel and I will ensure it never happens again. The entire government supports this decision. The IDF will immediately use all its power to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” he says. “We will fight them to the bitter end and avenge this black day they plotted for Israel and its people.”

Israel will target Hamas everywhere — turning the places it “hides and operates” into “cities of ruin.”

He tells the “residents of Gaza” to “get out now because we will operate everywhere and with full force.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:

“This morning, on Shabbat and a holiday, Hamas invaded Israeli territory and murdered innocent citizens including children and the elderly. Hamas has started a brutal and evil war.” pic.twitter.com/ckPXuXNHk0

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 7, 2023

Times of israel

The Hamas terrorist organization has taken Israelis captive in Gaza, the IDF has confirmed hours after a barrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel Saturday. Hamas terrorists infiltrated the country and took over Southern Israeli towns, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is at war. “Since this morning, the State of Israel is at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, shortly after the IDF declared “Operation Swords of Iron.” At least 100 people were announced dead by early evening and more than 900 wounded by Magen David Adom and the Health Ministry. The number of people captured has not yet been confirmed. Among them, Ofir Liebstein, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, was killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists. Liebstein was killed as he defended his settlement during an attack. Deputy head of the council, Yossi Keren, is currently filling his place.

Jerusalem post 

Sirens sounded Saturday morning in Israeli cities and towns throughout the Jerusalem area, central Israel, and southern Israel, prompting the IDF to declare “Operation Swords of Iron.”

Multiple civilians reported hearing loud explosions in their immediate vicinity; as of 7:30p.m. on Saturday, at least 3,000 rockets had been fired towards Israeli civilians.

Just after 8:00p.m., air raid sirens were activated in Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Herzliya, and various other communities. Less than ten minutes later, a second barrage was fired towards Ramat Gan, Kfar Chabad, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Tel Aviv, and other areas. Magen David Adom reported hits and injuries in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.

Two people were seriously injured by one of the barrages on central Israel. At the same time, a building in Bat Yam was reported hit by the barrage; no one was injured, but damage was caused.

Following this, the IDF reported that it is striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

The barrages were fired as Jews around Israel celebrated the Simchat Torah holiday, and in many cases disrupted the holiday prayer services.

Parallel to the rocket attacks, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of terrorists infiltrated multiple Israeli communities, overtaking Israeli towns on the Gaza border and murdering Jews in nearby cities as well. Initial reports were that these attacks left at least 100 Israelis dead; an 8:50p.m. update raised the number of dead to 200.

Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 1,104 injured Israelis have been evacuated to hospitals. Of these, 17 are in critical condition, 200 are in serious condition, 226 are in moderate condition, 451 suffered only light injuries, 11 suffered shock, and 142 are being evaluated.

Israel National News