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Israel At War: Week Two Coverage
ISRAEL WAR — TIMELINE
US Shoots Down 15 Drones And 4 Cruise Missiles During 9-Hour Time Span In Northern Red Sea
The USS Carney shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles on Thursday in the span of 9 hours, a U.S. defense official tells Fox News.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said yesterday during a press briefing that several drones and three cruise missiles were shot down. Officials told Fox News that this was true at the time since the briefing took place while the drones and missiles were being shot down.
The cruise missiles and drones were shot down with M-2 surface-to-air missiles with U.S. officials saying the rockets were headed for Israel.
The USS Carney was heading south through the Suez Canal on Wednesday and was in the Northern Red Sea on Thursday when the drones and missiles were shot down, the official said.
After It Lied About Israel, New York Times’ Gold Verification Badge Removed By X
In the wake of The New York Times’ false reporting , claiming the Israel Defense Forces bombed a hospital in Gaza, a report which was later totally debunked, X, formerly known as Twitter, removed the Times’ [gold] verification badge.
The Times ran an article on October 17 that trumpeted, “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.” The New York Times and CNN were also caught using images from different incidents that showed buildings that had been completely destroyed.
Three days after the murderous Hamas attack, the Times, which has a history of anti-Israel reporting, changed a story, initially calling the murderers of Hamas “terrorists,” then changing that to “gunmen.”
In the mid-twentieth century, the Times buried the Holocaust so it didn’t make the front pages, as described in “Buried by the Times: The Holocaust and America’s Most Important Newspaper.” In April 2019, the paper published a cartoon depicting former President Trump as a blind man wearing a skullcap while being led by Netanyahu, who was depicted as a dog on a leash with a Star of David collar.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs researched 107 editorials on Israel and Jews published in the Times since 2016; David Bernstein, president and CEO of the organization, accused the Times of “a decided institutional bias” against Israel. Roughly a decade ago, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) published a pamphlet titled “Indicting Israel: New York Times Coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,” that delineated the Times’ consistent bias against Israel.
HD Editor’s Note: X’s gold badge is given to “verified organizations” which pay at least $1,000 to the platform per month. The New York Times initially lost their account’s check mark altogether, but has since been downgraded to a blue verification check mark, which can be attainable to any individual which pays the platform’s $8 per month.
Analysis — Regardless Of What Comes Against Israel, God Will Keep His Solemn Promise To Preserve Them
In the past couple of weeks, the Lord has impressed these verses upon my mind as they speak of a time when Jerusalem’s “warfare” will cease. The situation looks bleak for the city at the moment, but God will keep His solemn promise to preserve Israel and establish His covenant of peace with the nation (Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 37:26).
Satan hates all the Jewish people as well as all those saved by the blood of Jesus. The Lord’s description of our enemy in John 8:44 is something of which we must be constantly aware in this day. He described our enemy as “a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan’s stirring up of murderous hatred toward Jews among the militant Muslims is all about stopping Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy. His objective is to prevent the Lord’s rule over a restored Israel, but just as he failed to stop God’s redemptive plan at Jesus’ First Coming, so our enemy will fall far short again.
Hostages Released By Hamas Identified As Israeli-American Citizens Judith And Natalie Raanan
Judith and Natalie Raanan have crossed back into Israel after being released by Hamas terrorists, who have held them hostage since the October 7 onslaught, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a statement.
Netanyahu’s hostage envoy Gal Hirsch along with officials from the IDF and other security organizations met the pair at the Gaza border and are currently taking them to a nearby military base where they will be reunited with their relatives who are waiting for them there, the premier’s office says.
“The government of Israel, the IDF and the entire security establishment will continue to operate with the best of their abilities and efforts in order to locate all of the hostages and return them home,” the statement adds.
The pair, who both have American citizenship, have been transferred to the International Red Cross ahead of their arrival in Israel, the official says.
The two are residents of Evanston, Illinois outside of Chicago and came to Israel this month to celebrate a relative’s 85th birthday and the Jewish holiday season, according to their rabbi.
The Raanan family had been celebrating Simchat Torah in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in Israel about a mile from the Gaza border when the Hamas onslaught began.
Israel Defense Minister Lays Out Plan For 'New Security Regime' In Gaza After War
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday outlined three planned phases for the war against Hamas, detailing what will happen in Gaza if Hamas is destroyed.
The long-term plan is not for Israel to control “life in the Gaza Strip,” Galland told lawmakers in a meeting in Tel Aviv.
“We are in the first phase, in which a military campaign is taking place with [airstrikes] and later with a [ground] maneuver with the purpose of destroying operatives and damaging infrastructure in order to defeat and destroy Hamas,” Gallant said, according to the Times of Israel.
The second phase of the war will be to “eliminate pockets of resistance” after Hamas is defeated.
“The third step will be the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel’s responsibility for day-to-day life in the Gaza Strip, and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel and the residents of the [area surrounding Gaza],” Gallant said, according to the report.
Local Authorities Attempt To Prevent Mobs From Storming Israeli Embassies Across Region
Angry masses across the Middle East continue to protest violently in the streets against the Israeli military response to the Hamas invasion and massacre of 1,400 civilians – Israeli and foreign citizens – and soldiers.
Local authorities have worked to prevent mobs from attacking Israeli embassies and consulates in Arab and Muslim nations worldwide.
On Tuesday evening, police in Istanbul, Turkey prevented a mob from storming the Israeli consulate in the city. Violent rioters used fireworks, sticks and rocks during the incident, leaving more than 60 people injured, predominantly police officers. In addition, authorities detained five rioters after they climbed over the police barricades.
Anger erupted across the Middle East and among the worldwide Muslim population over the explosion at the Al-Ma’amadani Hospital in Gaza. While Hamas was quick to blame Israel, the Israeli military released evidence showing that the hospital blast was caused by a misfired rocket that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group had launched toward Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden, who visited Israel on Wednesday, stressed that Israel was not behind the lethal blast.
“It appears that it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden said.
While the American president defended Israel, he admitted that “there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure,” an implicit reference to the growing trend across much of the Middle East to accuse Israel of perpetrating war crimes.
Some 5,000 Jordanian demonstrators protested on Wednesday against Israel outside of its embassy in the capital Amman.
Jordanian security forces struggled to prevent the large and angry masses from attacking the Israeli diplomatic institution by using tear gas to disperse the violent rioters.
The Jordanian government insisted that the Jewish state was to blame for the explosion and “bears responsibility for this grave incident,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem revealed on Wednesday it would evacuate Israeli diplomatic staff from Jordan, Egypt and Morocco for security purposes.
Protesters in Morocco blasted the United States, claiming “US complicity in the Israeli war on Gaza.”
Many of the protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and expressed their opposition to the signing of the Abraham Accords normalization agreement between Morocco and Israel in 2020.
The United Arab Emirates, another Arab state that normalized its ties with Israel in 2020, also condemned Israel for the Gaza hospital explosion.
Amir Tsarfati: Short-Lived Support? — The Time Will Come When World Opinion Will Once Again Turn Against Israel
Thus far, Israel has been overwhelmed at the level of support from around the world. Offers of tangible help have come in from Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. The United Kingdom and Germany have been particularly strong in their encouragement. But the greatest friend by far to Israel over these past days has been the United States.
Without the deterrence power of the U.S. military, it is very likely that we would already have a full-blown war raging in the north with Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is also probable that the Iranian-backed militias based in Iraq and Syria would have come across the Syrian border into Israel. But as soon as the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group sailed into the eastern Mediterranean, those terrorist plans were stalled. Weapons have been supplied to Israel from the U.S. Our Iron Dome anti-missile system has been replenished. And for the first time in history, a U.S. President came to Israel during wartime to consult with our Prime Minister and to give assurances of America’s steadfast friendship. I disagree with most of the policies of the current U.S. administration, and I strongly oppose the President’s support of a two-state solution. There is no possibility of that happening, especially not now. Still, there is much positive that America has done over this past week-and-a-half. We have seen throughout history God using unexpected sources to bless Israel. This is one of those times.
While we have appreciated the support and encouragement of so many countries around the world, we recognize that it is destined to be short-lived. Even as governments and media are forced to say kind words to Israel because of the incredibly heinous nature of Hamas’s crimes, they will readily jump at the opportunity to turn the situation around so that Israel is once again in the default position of “evil perpetrator”.
This was evident Tuesday when reports rapidly circulated that Israel had purposely bombed the Al-Maamadani hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health cried out that well over 1000 people were dead with hundreds more wounded as a result of this barbarous acted carried out by the IDF. Soon, the report had spread around the world. Protests were incited in city after city in Europe. The Israeli embassies in Ankara, Turkey, and Amman, Jordan, were attacked by mobs.
From the beginning, the IDF said, “We didn’t do this!” But no one believed them, because so many nations in the world default to “Jews are evil”, although they would never admit it. By the way, if you doubt me, look up how many resolutions the United Nations has passed against Israel, then compare that number to any other country – Russia, Iran, North Korea. Actually, let me save you the trouble. Since 2015, the UN has passed 140 resolutions against Israel compared to 68 for the rest of the world combined. Are your eyes now open to the blatant anti-Israel bias of the UN, and of the rest of the world?
We were frustrated but not surprised when the media and so many countries immediately condemned Israel without checking on facts. We fully expected them to take the word of the terrorist organization that had just brutally slaughtered more than 1300 people over the word of the victims of that butchery. But, even after incontrovertible proof was given that it was a failed Islamic Jihad rocket that caused the explosion and that the number of victims had been hugely exaggerated, media outlets continued to spread the false narrative. Am I right, New York Times?
Finally, governments began to accept the truth. The US, Germany, and other western nations said the tragedy at the hospital was not Israel’s doing. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE agreed. Even Vladimir Putin, by no means our friend, kept silent on whom he thought was to blame when he spoke of the event.
But we know that the time will come when the world opinion will once again turn against us. Whether it is due to another false flag from Hamas or Hezbollah, or a military mistake like what inevitably happens during wartime, Israel will once again be vilified. It is then we will see who our true friends are, and which nations are coming alongside us simply because it would be seen as heartless not to do so due to the heinous nature of the October 7 attack.
US Navy Intercepts Missile Fired Near Yemen Coast Heading 'Potentially Towards Targets In Israel'
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, though it is unclear what the missiles were targeting, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Thursday that the crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer operating in the Northern Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region,” Ryder said, adding there were no casualties to U.S. forces, nor any on the ground that he knows of. “Information on these engagements is still being processed, and we cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting.”
The missiles were launched from Yemen and were heading north along the Red Sea, “potentially” toward targets in Israel, Ryder said.
According to Ryder, the response was one the U.S. military would have taken for any similar threat in the region.
“This attack may be ongoing,” he said. “As [Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] has made clear, we have the capability to defend our broader interests in the region.”
“The crew of the Carney did just that, and across the force we will remain vigilant to any other potential threat,” Ryder added.
The Department of Defense is in the process of bolstering forces in the Middle East to deter a wider conflict, but also bolster stability and defend national security interests.
Defense Minister Says IDF Ground Offensive In Gaza Will Be Coming ‘Soon’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells troops on the border with the Gaza Strip that the order to enter the Hamas-run territory will come soon.
“You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside,” Gallant tells troops of the Givati Brigade.
“The order will come,” he adds.
The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, says the expected ground offensive in the Gaza Strip will be “long and intense.”
“This war was forced on us, with a cruel enemy that harmed us greatly. But we stopped them… we are striking them heavily,” Finkelman says to troops near the Gaza border today.
“Now, the maneuver is going to move the fighting to their territory. We are going to beat them in their territory,” he says.
“It’s going to be difficult, long and intense.”
Multiple Nations Urge Citizens To Evacuate Lebanon As Iranian Terrorists Escalate Attacks On Israel
Multiple countries have alerted their citizens inside Lebanon that they should immediately evacuate as an Iranian-backed terrorist organization in the country ramps up its attacks on Israel’s northern border amid concerns that a second front could soon be opened in Israel’s war against Islamic terrorists in the region.
Israeli officials are concerned that Hezbollah — which is estimated to have approximately 20,000 soldiers — is preparing to launch a full-scale attack on Israel’s northern border. The terrorist group has approximately 150,000 rockets in its arsenal that could easily dwarf the recent rocket attacks launched by Hamas.
Reuters reported that Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine gave a speech to thousands of supporters on Wednesday, claiming that the terrorist group was “thousands of times stronger” than it was in the past, and threatening Israel and the West, warning that attacks on Hezbollah would be a “resounding” mistake.
Countries that have told their citizens to quickly leave Lebanon include the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, Kuwait, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Australia.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that residents of 28 towns along the Israel-Lebanon border needed to evacuate the area, including the following communities: Ghajar, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dovev, Ma’ayan Baruch, Bara’m, Manara, Yiftach, Malkia, Misgav Am, Yir’on, Dafna, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Netu’a, Ya’ara, Shtula, Matat, Zari’t, Shomera, Betzet, Adamit, Rosh HaNikram, Hanita and Kfar Giladi.
Hezbollah is an Islamic terrorist group that has carried out attacks worldwide and controls “much of Lebanon’s Shiite-majority areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley region,” according to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations.
The terrorist group’s primary goal is the elimination of Israel and the targeting of the United States all over the world as it has operations in Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Iran sends the group of hundreds of millions of dollars every year and provides them with training and weapons.
The Congressional Research Service reports:
Hezbollah operates a global criminal-financial network, with reported hubs in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. A 2022 Europol report stated, “The network of collaborators built by Hezbollah in the EU is suspected of managing the transportation and distribution of illegal drugs into the EU, dealing with firearms trafficking and running professional money laundering operations.” Other 2022 reports highlight Hezbollah’s role in the trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants, marketed as “captagon,” along the Syria- Lebanon border.
Former President Barack Obama sabotaged a massive multi-national investigation into Hezbollah when he was in office — allowing the terrorist group to grow rapidly and letting them smuggle multiple-ton quantities of drugs in the Americas — all because he wanted to appease Iran in the hopes of getting a nuclear deal.
Israel’s Mossad gave information to British law enforcement officials in 2015 that helped them foil terrorist attacks after they caught Hezbollah terrorists stockpiling thousands of pounds of ammonium nitrate from disposable ice packs in a secret British bomb factory. Investigators recovered more ammonium nitrate at that factory than was used during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 that killed 168 people and damaged nearly 300 buildings.
Pro-Palestinian Insurrectionists Occupy Federal House Office Building in Washington DC
About one hundred pro-Palestinian insurrectionists occupied a federal House office building in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, chanting “ceasefire now” and “let Gaza live.”
The insurrectionists, many who wore face masks and dressed in black and flew a banner demanding that Israel stop defending itself from rocket attacks against civilians, occupied the ground floor of the Cannon Office Building, one of three main buildings where congressional staff and lawmakers work.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib was leading the protest:
Hamas Caucus Leader @RepRashida is leading the current insurrection on Capitol Hill. https://t.co/AejUJrLbix
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 18, 2023
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was on the scene and noted a double standard between the pro-Palestinian insurrectionists and the protestors on January 6. “There’s an insurrection happening now on Capitol Hill,” her video caption read of the event. “They are claiming they want peace but they want money to go to terrorists.”
Greene said she did not know why Capitol Police allowed the insurrectionists inside the building. “I don’t know,” she replied to an individual in the video:
There’s an insurrection happening now on Capitol Hill https://t.co/hBMIcv3pqW
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 18, 2023
“If it wasn’t obvious yet, Insurrection — when conservatives demonstrate … Protest — when liberals demonstrate,” said conservative commentator Luca Cacciatore.
Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram posted a photo of Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) “standing silently with an Israeli flag” as the pro-Palestinian insurrection played out below:
Rep Brandon Williams standing above the anti-Israel protest, standing silently with an Israeli flag above the demonstration in the Cannon House Office Building pic.twitter.com/BjZqODmWHs
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 18, 2023
The protest came after a hospital in Gaza was blown up on Tuesday. After the blast, multiple pieces of evidence emerged from the Israel Defense Forces and the media that suggested the blast was an errant rocket fired by Hamas, not an Israeli airstrike.
Several leaders also rushed to blame Israel for the hospital blast, even though multiple pieces of evidence suggested the contrary as authorities gathered information. Among them was Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and radical Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Double Standard? Calls for Israeli Ceasefire Could Conceal Antisemitism
Protesters around the world are demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, less than two weeks after Hamas, the terrorist group and Gaza’s governing entity, killed more than 1,000 Israelis in an unprovoked military strike.
Though Hamas initiated the violence and bloodshed, the global community — including America, at times — is urging Israel to end the “collective punishment” of Palestinian citizens by allowing all water and fuel back into the city and ceasing military strikes.
I believe many asking for a ceasefire want to save Israeli and Palestinian lives, but I’m concerned we are expecting Israel to be more benevolent and charitable than we would reasonably expect any other democratic nation to act in our fallen world.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IRHA), of which the organization is a member, warns this could be antisemitic. For seven years, its held that:
“Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace and the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to: Applying double standards by requiring of [the State of Israel] a behavior not demanded of any other democratic nation.”
Let’s take a look at the facts, and how they were reported:
Hamas brutally murdered 1,400 of Israel’s citizens out of the blue. Israel retaliated with air strikes targeting Hamas leadership, who are known for hiding in heavily trafficked areas. The New York Times described the situation this way,
Hundreds of Palestinians who heeded the Israeli military’s order to evacuate portions of the Gaza Strip are confronting deadly airstrikes from Israeli warplanes even after they’ve moved. And a grim question hung over the enclave on Tuesday: Was there anywhere safe to go?
The Times is referring to Israel’s initial 24-hour warning telling Palestinians to evacuate Northern Gaza ahead of an Israeli ground strike. The United Nations suggested the warning could violate international law. The Times reported on the plight of Palestinians evacuees, writing:
“Israel said it was preparing ‘a significant ground operation’ but did not say when it would start.”
Israel stopped funneling fuel and some water into Gaza last week, prompting criticism from Congressional leaders calling the siege an unfair “collective punishment.” Israel has further stopped humanitarian aid from entering the country until Hamas releases the estimated 150 Israeli and American hostages it’s held for over a week-and-a-half. The United States and Egypt are among several entities working to convince Israel to abandon their demands.
In sum, countries and organizations are expecting Israel:
- To stop targeting Hamas through air strikes and cease planning any ground invasion.
- To continue supplying Gaza and its government — Hamas — with resources.
- To allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, which will almost certainly reach Hamas members as well as civilians, without requiring the terror group to make any concessions.
As much as I wish we lived in a world that prioritized life to this extent, I am realistic enough to know they are not reasonable standards to expect of such a brutally injured nation.
I do not believe America would have acquiesced to ending the War on Terror after two weeks of airstrikes — less than a month after 9/11. I do not believe Ukraine would be expected to allow humanitarian aid to reach battered Russian soldiers in contested areas. I know for a fact no nation typically expects their enemy to announce a military offensive, as the Times seemed to suggest Israel should do above.
I also believe that, until Jesus takes his throne on Earth, democratic governments have a responsibility to their own citizens before the citizens of others. That’s why I sympathize with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who told reporters last week,
I agree there are many, many Palestinians who don’t agree to this. But unfortunately, in their homes there are missiles shooting at us, [at my children], on the entire nation of Israel. We have to defend ourselves.
While some calling a ceasefire or a humanitarian corridor into Gaza are likely only concerned with saving lives, I believe others desire Israel’s destruction rather than the war’s peaceful resolution.
‘Totally Inappropriate’: Republicans Blast Biden For Giving Palestinians Fresh U.S. Tax Dollars
Wednesday morning, President Joe Biden announced a fresh $100 million dollars for “humanitarian aid” in Gaza, as well as Judea and Samaria. Of course, critics were quick to point out that there is a strong likelihood that that funding will wind up in the hands of the very Islamic extremists at war with Israel.
Among those who took ire with Biden’s decision was former President Donald Trump. From a lower Manhattan courthouse, where the GOP frontrunner is facing a civil fraud legal battle, Trump blasted the current commander-in-chief.
“I think right now it’s totally inappropriate. It’s so inappropriate — to be doing that right now? He’s over in Israel, and he’s giving money to the Palestinians,” Trump said in disbelief.
“I think it’s pretty inappropriate,” he added again for good measure.
On Twitter, Biden seemed aware that Hamas would attempt to steal some of this money.
“This money will support over 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians,” Biden tweeted. “And we will have mechanisms in place so this aid reaches those in need – not Hamas or terrorist groups.”
In reaction, Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was as stunned as Trump by the move.
“Aid to the Gaza Strip is what Biden is prioritizing today?” DeSantis said. “This aid will of course be commandeered by Hamas. No taxpayer dollars should be sent to Gaza. Stop funding jihad!”
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, added, “Under present circumstances, ‘humanitarian assistance’ = resupply for Hamas terrorists. President Biden continues to embolden Iran and its terror proxies.”
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) vowed to propose legislation to stop Biden’s funding.
“Not a single dollar of U.S. aid should go to Hamas-controlled Gaza until all hostages, including AMERICANS, are safely released. I’ll be on the Senate floor later to pass my Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act to guarantee that. Surely no Democrat could disagree with this…”
As president, Trump ended all aid to Gaza and Judea and Samaria as part of his strong anti-terror foreign policy. The Biden administration restored that aid in April 2021. Just weeks later, Hamas launched 4,000 rockets at Israel.
At the time, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) presciently said, “The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more you’re going to see terrorist attacks escalating.”
Indeed, the most recent Hamas terrorist attack came after the Biden administration announced it would be unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian money.
For his part, Trump also slammed the tragedy in Israel as the latest evidence of “the deadly consequences” of Biden’s “three years of breathtaking weakness and appeasement,” in an opinion column for Newsweek.
Jan Markell: An Appeal To Pastors — Don’t Keep Silent On Israel
It is true—the headlines, photos, and videos coming out of the current Mideast conflict are not seeker-sensitive. They won’t make church attendees feel good. Talking about the sensitive situation won’t fit into any church-growth strategy. It won’t encourage anyone to become purpose-driven. It could even create divisiveness.
So, I should not have been so thrown when I began to get e-mails from across the country stating variations of the following:
Jan, I was very dismayed that the church we attended did not even make mention of what was going on in Israel on Sunday, October 8. Nor did the topic arise on Wednesday night—though there were several mentions of the Houston Astros game . . . . .
No One Can Say They Didn’t Know
Has there not been wall-to-wall coverage on all media outlets, day and night, for days? Can anybody claim they didn’t know? There were demonstrations demanding that we should “gas the Jews.” The scenario could expand to a Mideast war. Some are saying World War III is at hand. We have evil at a new level on display.
And yet the silence of some shepherds is deafening!
Evangelical Foolishness
I checked the website of the largest evangelical organization—the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Wouldn’t they have a banner headline calling on us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Actually, their banner was all about racial justice.
Scrolling down, they have a blurb in an article written that Israel should not act out of revenge and that they should support the dignity of all people affected. Note to the NAE: Terrorists have no dignity. They are evil. They are demonized.
Know What You Believe!
Are pastors, churches, and denominations silent because of their theology? Perhaps it doesn’t fit with the current scenario? Perhaps they believe the church is the new Israel (Replacement Theology). Perhaps they are Amillennial, and Israel is a bit inconvenient. This belief encompasses many Protestants and all Catholics.
Outfits like Bethel Church in Redding, CA, believe in Dominionism—that is, that the church will save the world and then they establish the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The literal restoration of Jerusalem is not important. The church supersedes the calling of Israel to be a light to the nations!
Silence in the Face of Evil is Evil!
But there is still human disaster and suffering at play here! Bonhoeffer said, “silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” How can you be silent?
World Leaders Incite Riots Against U.S., Israel by Spreading Hamas Lies on Hospital
World leaders, journalists, and activists helped fuel anti-American riots around the Middle East Tuesday evening by spreading the false claim by the Palestinian terror group Hamas that an Israeli airstrike killed 500 Palestinian civilians at a hospital in Gaza.
As Breitbart News’ Frances Martel reported, mobs attacked U.S., United Nations, and Israeli embassies throughout the region:
In Jordan, a mob flooded the streets of the capital, Amman, and attempted to force their way into the Israeli embassy compound. Police responded with tear gas and reportedly managed to subdue the crowd…
In Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, protesters surrounded the embassies of the United States and France, attempting but failing to storm them. Protesters also targeted the headquarters of a United Nations Mideast program in the capital; video published by local outlets showed the area outside the United Nations building on fire…
In Turkey, mobs of angry Muslim men convened in both the capital, Ankara, and the largest city, Istanbul, as well as several other mid-sized communities in the country. The secularist newspaper Cumhuriyet reported that a mob formed outside of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, blocking traffic and threatening the building. Major squares in the city were flooded with mostly male protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.
Mobs also took to the streets in Tunisia, Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, and — of course — Iran, whose government supports Hamas.
The facts, which emerged overnight, showed that it was likely a rocked launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group had misfired and landed in the hospital parking lot, causing fewer casualties and doing little damage to the hospital itself.
But leaders like Canada’s Justin Trudeau did not hesitate, declaring that “it’s not acceptable to hit a hospital,” as if Israel had actually done so. As Breitbart News’ Simon Kent noted, many other leaders, and news agencies, also repeated Hamas’s claims.
Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel and pulled out of a meeting with President Joe Biden, in which they were supposed to discuss ways to help Palestinian civilians. Other Arab governments also suggested Israel had been at fault.
In the U.S., Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) claimed that “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that.” Her accusation helped fuel outrage — and gave it undue credibility, coming from a U.S. leader.
One former British member of Parliament said that Israel had “forfeited any right to exist” following the hospital explosion — calling, in effect, for the genocide of Israelis, who would presumably be exposed to Hamas-style violence without a state.
The violence was not confined to the Middle East and Africa: a synagogue was firebombed in Berlin, Germany, early Wednesday, just hours after Chancellor Olaf Scholz had made a solidarity visit to Israel, on the same day as the Gaza hospital explosion.
Hamas Terrorists Still Roaming Southern Israel, IDF Assesses
There are still Hamas terror cells roaming the Negev region and waiting to come out of their hiding spots and attack civilians, according to an assessment made by the IDF on Wednesday morning.
There is also fear of attacks on the Egyptian border, according to the same report.
The Israeli military is getting ready for the next phase of its campaign against the Gaza Strip but plans may not conform to widespread expectations of an imminent ground offensive, the IDF’s International spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“We are preparing for the next stages of war. We haven’t said what they will be. Everybody’s talking about the ground offensive. It might be something different,” Lt.-Col. Richard Hecht told a regular briefing with reporters.
Hecht’s comments came as Israeli forces continued to prepare to expand the offensive against Hamas after its deadly assault on southern Israel last week.
Obsessed With Destroying The Jews: The Ultimate Enemy Of Israel Is Satan
As much as the Palestinian narrative has wanted us to believe it was, this was never about the land. This has always been about the complete annihilation of the Jewish people and the complete eradication of the State of Israel from the world map. If it ever was about land, why is self-ruling 100% Palestinian Gaza complaining about occupation? If it was truly about land, shouldn’t the inhabitants of Gaza be grateful for their area, as little as it may be? If it was about land, shouldn’t the Gaza residents show an example and grow their region with the funds sent by the global community? Finally, if it was about land, why did Yasir Arafat turn down Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000, when he was offered 100% of Gaza and 95% of Judea and Samaria?
That is because the land grab is an excuse for complete genocide. We just saw what Hamas is capable of. They committed a modern-day pogrom against Jewish people, and they would do it again if given a chance. They must not be given that chance. To be clear, the definition of a pogrom is: “an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group.” This was exactly what took place on October 7, 2023.
The ultimate enemy of Israel is Satan who is obsessed with destroying the Jews. We must understand that this is a spiritual battle before anything else. The Bible promises that when God resumes His program which hinges around the Jewish people, Israel and Jerusalem, there will be casualties, but He also promises to never, ever forsake Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37). Be it Satan, Hamas or any other antisemitic entity, Israel’s enemies will be defeated. Although this is 2023 and the Holocaust is only 80 years in our rearview mirror, there are those who would have it all happen again. The motto of “never again” seems forgotten and has been replaced by “gas the Jews!” This had nothing to do with the land, it was a pogrom. The goal is the murder of all Jewish people, not just in Gaza but the whole world. Let’s face our new reality. It is open season on the Jewish people again!
Israeli President: 'Shame On The Media Who Swallow The Lies Of Hamas And Islamic Jihad'
President Isaac Herzog commented on Tuesday evening on the explosion at a hospital in Gaza which was blamed on Israel, even though it was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket which was misfired.
“An Islamic Jihad missile has killed many Palestinians at a Gazan hospital – a place where lives should be saved,” said Herzog.
“Shame on the media who swallow the lies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad – broadcasting a 21st century blood libel around the globe,” he added.
“Shame on the vile terrorists in Gaza who willfully spill the blood of the innocent.”
“Never before has the choice been clearer. Israel is standing against an enemy made of pure evil. If you stand for humanity – for the value of all human life – you stand with Israel,” concluded Herzog.
The IDF announced earlier that “an analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit.”
“Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza,” the statement added.
Stackelbeck: National Security Council Urges Israelis To Leave Turkey — Here's Why
Israel’s National Security Council just released a warning to every Israeli in Turkey to leave the country.
“In light of the continued rise of terrorist threats against Israelis abroad – the travel warning for Turkey is being raised to the highest level – level 4 – all Israelis staying in Turkey must leave as soon as possible.”
This isn’t a shock. We have vicious anti-Israel and anti-semitic rhetoric emanating from the highest echelons of the Turkish government, leading right to the office of President Erdogan. That is perhaps one piece of this.
Another piece of this is the Iranian regime, which has consistently threatened to strike Israeli targets inside Turkey.
Many Israelis have traveled to Turkey on vacation over the years. I don’t think you are going to see that as much after what we see unfolding now, needless to say. There are also some Israelis doing business in Turkey and on the Island of Cyprus, not far off the coast of Turkey. These, unfortunately, have been hotspots for Iran to potentially murder Israelis.
Many times, the Iranian regime, as it looks to lash out against Israel, will go after Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, not inside Israel proper. These Israeli and Jewish targets around the world are seen as softer targets for the Iranian regime.
IDF: Palestinian Islamic Jihad Rocket Misfire Caused Hospital Explosion
The Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organization was responsible for an explosion at the Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, due to a misfired rocket intended to kill Israeli civilians, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The explosion, which reportedly killed hundreds of people, sparked outrage, with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas pulling out of a meeting Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden over the issue. Biden has backed Israel’s war of self-defense against the Hamas terror group, which rules Gaza and which killed over 1,400 Israelis in a massive terror attack on October 7.
Hamas and critics of Israel rushed to blame an Israeli airstrike. News wires, like the Getty photo service, published unproven claims Israel had “attack[ed]” the hospital, citing the “Gaza Health Ministry,” which is run by Hamas.
But Israel, noting that it does not target hospitals, said an errant Palestinian rocket was a likely cause, later confirming that analysis.
The IDF reported (translation follows):
From the analysis of the IDF’s operational systems, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, at the time of the hit. According to intelligence information, from a number of sources we have, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.
As Breitbart News has noted, a significant portion of Palestinian casualties in previous conflicts in Gaza have been caused by misfired rockets launched by Palestinian terror groups — up to one-third of Palestinian casualties in a conflict last year.
HD Editor’s Note: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement on deadly explosion, wrote: “So the whole world knows: The barbaric terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF. Those who cruelly murdered our children, murder their children as well.”
Israel Strikes Hezbollah Infrastructure Targets In Lebanon
Israeli forces struck infrastructure targets across the border in Lebanon on Tuesday as Hezbollah terrorists continue to threaten to join the war on the side of Hamas.
Hezbollah has fired rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli targets throughout the week, and Israel responded in kind on Tuesday. Four people in Lebanon were reportedly killed in the Israeli counterattack.
The exchange of fire comes as both Iran and Hezbollah threaten to join Hamas in the war against Israel. The U.S. and Israel’s other Western allies have warned both parties to stay out of the conflict.
IDF: Hamas Using ‘Psychological Terror’ Against Israel With Hostage Video Of Woman Held In Gaza
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is continuing to strike the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, hitting thousands of targets since the war began on October 7.
“I want to stress, there is no ceasefire. We continue to fight,” Hagari says.
He says the IDF is continuing to “prepare for the next stages of war.”
On the Hamas hostage video published last night showing 21-year-old Mia Schem, Hagari says the military expects further such clips, as the terror group is believed to hold more than 200 captives.
“This is psychological terror by Hamas against the citizens of Israel. We understand that there will be more videos like this. In this video, Hamas tries to present itself as a humanitarian organization while it is in fact a murderous terror group,” Hagari says.
He says one must ask, “How did a 21-year-old girl who went to a party to dance, end up being kidnapped by a murderous terror group in the heart of Gaza?”
Terrorists Could Recieve Nearly $3 Million From PA For Massacre Of Israelis
The Palestinian Authority (PA) could pay the equivalent of almost $3 million out to the families of terrorists who were killed or captured during the Hamas massacre on October 7th, according to a watchdog organization.
Under the PA’s “pay-for-slay” program, terrorists “martyred” or imprisoned in the act of attacking or killing Israelis receive an initial financial reward and monthly payments to family members.
“In total, the PA will pay at least 11,170,000 shekels ($2,807,021) in payments under the PA’s ‘Pay-for-Slay’ program to the Hamas terrorists this month,” the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) report detailed. “This is a low estimate since as the war continues, there will be additional Hamas terrorist ‘martyrs’ and prisoners. This figure is added to the more than 100,000,000 shekels/month the PA already pays in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of terrorist’ martyrs.’”
The watchdog organization warned that aid from abroad is largely to blame for supplying the PA with the finances needed to continue its “pay-for-slay” program.
“These donor countries like to pretend that it’s not their money rewarding terrorists, but everyone knows that the PA could not reward terrorists without this generous foreign funding,” they underscored.
Biden Admin Continues To Ignore Warnings Against PA Funding
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2022 criticized the Biden Administration for restoring “hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority.”
In words that are chilling today, Pompeo forewarned the administration last year that “funding to the PA will not only likely be directed toward acts of terror; it may also one day go to Hamas to fuel its destruction of Israel.”
Despite the risk of further funding terrorism against Israel in the wake of the brutal Hamas attack, on Saturday, following a conversation with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, President Biden pledged his “full support” to aid the PA with its “humanitarian assistance to Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.”
Ground Offensive In Gaza Delayed Over Possible Plot From The North, Israeli Military Sources Say
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly delayed its ground operation into Gaza for a variety of reasons including the belief that an Iranian-backed terrorist group might be planning a surprise attack the moment Israel deploys its forces.
The news comes after more than 1,400 Israelis were murdered in one of the largest terrorist attacks in history last weekend that was carried out by Palestinian terrorists in Hamas.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Military sources told the newspaper that there is growing fear that the Lebanese-based terrorist group Hezbollah was waiting for the IDF to get fully immersed in fighting inside Gaza before launching a full-scale war against Israel from the north.
Hezbollah has launched small-scale attacks against Israel in recent days which have been easily defeated by Israeli forces. However, the military sources cautioned this could be part of “an elaborate fake-out to lure the IDF into a false sense of security, similar to what Hamas pulled off in the south,” the report said.
Israeli officials are wanting to make sure they beef up their military capabilities in the north and make sure that they are not missing any signals from their intelligence counterparts.
We Are Living In Prophetic Times, Make Sure You’re On The Right Side Of Historical And Biblical Truth
The recent, unprecedented attacks by Hamas against Israel October 7 were the deadliest since Israel became a nation, and the global conflict has now become a powder keg. Some speculate WW III is here.
Israel has always been under attack. According to Bible prophecy, many events in the last days including the return of Jesus Christ, the judgment of God, and end times wars would revolve around Jerusalem.
The Bible warns about wars and rumors of wars, and since a coalition of Muslim nations surrounding Israel forged an alliance many decades ago, the Middle East meltdown was set in motion. How this will impact America remains to be seen.
According to the Washington Examiner, Iran wants “all Arab and Islamic countries” to unite against Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack that ignited a war in Gaza.
We are living in prophetic times, but this is not about Jews and Palestinians; this is about enemies of God, Jesus, and the biblical worldview. Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist organizations have publicly vowed for years they will “wipe Israel off the map.” They will never stop trying.
No matter what happens, no matter what man does, no matter the wars or catastrophic events, and no matter what this temporary world can throw at us, God is sovereign over all things. As we know from Scripture, this includes all nations, and especially Israel.
Russian-Backed Security Council Resolution Calling For Gaza Ceasefire Fails To Pass
A Russian-backed UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been voted down.
Five countries voted in favor, four voted against, and six countries abstained.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blast[ed] Russia for failing to even mention Hamas in the UN Security Council resolution.
“By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, it is hypocritical, and it is indefensible,” Thomas-Greenfield says in her speech to the Security Council explaining the US decision to vote against the resolution.
“As I have said, Hamas set the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in motion. And we cannot allow this council to unfairly shift the blame to Israel and excuse Hamas for its decades of cruelty. Period,” Thomas-Greenfield states.
Amir Tsarfati: The Wishes Of Hamas, Hezbollah, And Iran Will Not Come To Pass—Israel Will Not Cease Being A Nation
The wishes of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran will not come to pass. The Jews will not be driven into the sea. Israel will not cease being a nation, says the Lord.
Ezekiel 36:20-24 KJV – “And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and those supporting their efforts to destroy the Jews and the nation of Israel, are fighting against the plan of God, but they will not prevail. For the Jews to be outside of their national homeland profaned the name of the Lord, so He brought them back for His name’s sake, He will not allow them to be destroyed, for His name’s sake. They will not be uprooted from their national homeland, for His name’s sake. As glorious as this truth is and as important as it is to remember, we cannot forget that people are dying at the hands of those intent on evil against God’s people and land.
Zechariah 12:3 KJV – “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.”
Ignorant and hateful people are blaming the actions of Hamas on Israel. Muslims around the world are violently protesting Israel’s defensive actions in Gaza. Jerusalem is becoming a burdensome stone to the world, and eventually all the nations of the earth will turn against her. Yet the Holy One of Israel says that He will be Israel’s defense.
It has been said that the current developments in Israel are a second holocaust and more Jews died in one day, on October 7th, than any day since the reign of terror of the Nazi’s came to an end. Does this mean that we could be close to the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel and the fulfillment of the words of Zechariah? It seems quite possible.
The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ precedes the 70th week of Daniel! So as we pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem, let’s do so soberly and righteously with our heads lifted up as our redemption draws nigh.
Psalms 121:4 KJV – “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
US Department Of Defense Issues 'Be Ready To Deploy' Orders In Response To Israel-Hamas War
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put a significant number of U.S. troops on stand-by to “be ready to deploy,” over the weekend, though officials say the U.S. role would not be for combat.
A U.S. official confirmed with Fox News that Austin issued orders to troops that they should be ready to be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean within 24-hours of receiving an order.
Specifically, top officials say troops would be sent to advise and provide medical support to Israeli forces.
The order is less of a deterrence posture like what has been seen with the mobilization of the USS Ford and USS Eisenhower strike groups in the Mediterranean, but instead appears to be a more direct support role for defense of Israel, if needed.
'We Cannot Do Half A Job This Time': Danon Says Israel Should Strive For Nothing Less Than The Complete Eradication Of Hamas
Likud MK Danny Danon talked with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News about his recent visit to the Gaza Strip region with a contingent of foreign diplomats – a visit that was interrupted by a Hamas rocket barrage.
“We are in a war,” he said. “It is important that they understand what people in these communities had to experience on a Saturday morning, on a Jewish holiday, and take that feeling back to their capitals. This time we must go all the way and finish off Hamas, and for that we need the support of the international community.”
Danon believes that the international community already backs Israel to a large degree. “The things we saw on the Gaza border are not things you can forget. They burned babies, they raped women, these are not things that I will forget, that the visitors will forget, that the people of Israel will forget. Once they have seen these things, they will understand why we cannot have a partial operation that stops in a week or two. We need to strive for the complete eradication of Hamas – nothing less.”
International support, however, is far from the only consideration: “Even if international support subsides, we are fighting for our survival. I would rather they condemn us than that we be victims like we were last Saturday.”
Opening Of Knesset Interrupted By Barrage Of Rockets Toward Jerusalem, Forcing Evacuation
The Israeli Knesset opened for its winter session on Monday, beginning with a moment of silence for the over 1,300 murdered Israelis who lost their lives during Hamas’ rampage on Oct. 7th.
According to the Jerusalem Post, “The session, which was set to be another dramatic few months of legislation, will be muted until the end of the war with legislation only of laws related to the war.”
Mid-session, a large rocket barrage struck Jerusalem and other areas of central Israel, forcing Israeli leaders in the Knesset to evacuate. The parliamentary session resumed approximately 40 minutes later.
WATCH: Rocket alert sirens sound in Jerusalem as lawmakers attend the opening of the winter session of the Knesset
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana: “Siren?”
MK Merav Ben-Ari: “I think there's a siren”
Ohana: “Ok, everyone evacuate to the hallway” pic.twitter.com/Bpt4IAjTk2— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 16, 2023
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Iran Ordered Hezbollah To Carry Out Attacks On Israel's North - IDF
Hamas has proven its brutality toward the people of Israel and is now doing the same to Gazans, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a plea to Palestinians to evacuate to southern Gaza.
Speaking on Monday morning, Hagari said that Hezbollah carried out shooting attacks on northern Israel with Iranian backing in order to distract the IDF from the southern front.
He noted that if Hezbollah “tries to test us, the response will be deadly…we are working in full coordination with the United States, this will be reflected in our actions.”
Hagari also commented on the reported ceasefire in southern Gaza, stating that “there is no ceasefire.”
IDF Has Notified Families Of 199 People Being Held Hostage In Gaza
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 199 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip.
Among the hostages that Hamas terrorists took to Gaza after the devastating assault last week are many elderly, children and women.
Hagari says the military has some information on the whereabouts of hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We are making valiant efforts to try to understand where the hostages are in Gaza, and we have such information,” Hagari says in response to a question at a press conference.
“We will not carry out an attack that would endanger our people,” he adds.
Did Hamas Kill 70 Evacuating Gazans To Sway International Opinion?
The strike on a convoy of evacuating Gazans, which was initially blamed on Israel, was likely carried out by Hamas as a means of turning public opinion against the Jewish State, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Sunday.
At least seventy people, consisting largely of children, were killed in the explosion on Friday, and another two hundred were injured.
“Think who would benefit from those very horrible images of children and civilians that were evacuating south, and then they are apparently clearly dead. Who stands to gain from that?” Conricus described. “Only one organization: Hamas.”
It is not beneath Hamas, who massacred over 1,300 Israelis, “even to kill Palestinian civilians if they think it will help them in the international arena, or to create support or to try to blame Israel,” he described.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned over the weekend of an “active effort” by the terrorist organization Hamas to prevent Gaza residents from evacuating.
“Hamas wants to show the world that it has casualties and dead,” he said.
To the residents of Gaza, Hagari urged evacuation, stressing that Hamas’ motivation is to use them as “human shields.”
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Hal Lindsey: Hatred Against Israel Is Not About Land, Rights, Or Money—It Is A Religious Tenet
Much of the world’s media sees this as simply another step in the Israeli-Palestinian “cycle of violence.”
Hamas grew out of Arab and Persian hatred for Israel. Hatred of Israel began as hatred for Jews. Hatred against Jews is a tenet of faith and an outgrowth of religious zeal. That makes it unappeasable.
The real cycle of violence between Israel and Hamas works like this. Hamas attacks, and Israel reciprocates by stopping Hamas’s immediate ability to attack. Under pressure from allies, Israel does only enough to temporarily declaw Hamas. Each conflict intensifies Gazan poverty, and after each one, the world’s nations send aid. But because Hamas controls Gaza, Hamas controls the aid. Hamas gives away enough to make regular Gazans see them as a source of help. But mostly, Hamas leaders make themselves rich and rebuild their war machine. Other nations, such as Iran, hate Israel as much as Hamas does, and they give direct military aid.
When strong enough, Hamas attacks again. And again, Israel stops them — still doing only enough to stop their immediate ability to make war. Nations again help. Hamas again rebuilds. And when it is strong enough, Hamas attacks again. That is the cycle of violence Israel faces.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that it will be different this time. He believes the atrocities and war crimes of recent attacks will give his military an opportunity to bring a complete end to Hamas rule in Gaza. But even if he can depose Hamas, the nature of this conflict means that a similar group will arise. Hatred against Israel is not about land, rights, or money. It is a tenet of faith.
Israel’s struggle for survival will not end until Israel’s Messiah returns.
Netanyahu Says Military Stands Ready To Act At 'Any Moment' To 'Exterminate The Bloody Monsters' Of Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces are ready to “exterminate the bloody monsters” of Hamas in a ground invasion of Gaza that now appears imminent.
Netanyahu made the comments during a meeting of his war cabinet on Sunday, saying the military stands ready to act at “any moment.” Israel spent the weekend warning civilians in Gaza to move south as quickly as possible, as Israeli forces plan to invade northern Gaza by land, sea and air in the coming days.
“[We] are ready to act at any moment, to exterminate the bloody monsters that rose up against us,” Netanyahu said. “Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas.”
Among Israel’s top targets is Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar, who is being held responsible for carrying out the unprecedented October 7 attack that left at least 1,400 people dead in Israel, including at least 29 Americans.
“He is the mastermind behind this, like bin Laden was. He built his career on murdering Palestinians when he understood they were collaborators. That’s how he became known as the butcher of Khan Younis [in southern Gaza],” IDF spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht said Sunday. “That man and his whole team are in our sights. We will get to that man,”
Head Of National Security Council Says Israel 'Will Not Hold Negotiations' With Hamas
The Head of Israel’s National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, stated on Saturday that the country will not be negotiating with the terrorist organization Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
“Israel will not hold negotiations with an enemy that we have vowed to wipe from the face of the earth,” Hanegbi asserted at a briefing in Tel Aviv.
The IDF has notified one hundred twenty families that their loved ones are being held hostage in Gaza.
Prior to a forthcoming large-scale ground operation, the IDF conducted localized raids in Gaza, during which they worked to track down the whereabouts of hostages.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of those held hostage by the terrorist organization, emphasizing Israel’s determined mission to bring the captives home.
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Herzog Tells Media That Terrorists Had Manuals On How To Torture And Kidnap People
President Isaac Herzog tells CNN that marauding Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel last week in an unprecedented onslaught were carrying manuals with instructions on how to torture and kidnap those they found.
“This was found on the body of one of the terrorists, this is a booklet, okay, this booklet is an instruction guide, how to go into civilian areas, into a kibbutz, a city, a moshav, how to break in,” Herzog tells Wolf Blitzer.
“And first thing what do you do when you find the citizens, you torture them. This is the booklet, it says exactly how to torture them, how to abduct them, how to
kidnap them,” Herzog says holding up a copy of the pamphlet.
During the onslaught on Israeli border communities, the terrorists killed some 1,300 people, most of them civilians, and took at least 155 hostages.
Herzog notes that many of the hostages are elderly or children.
“Who are these hostages? Babies, pregnant women, elderly people with dementia, even with caretakers, families, innocent civilians, from 36 nations — people were killed or abducted from 36 nations,” he says.
He also recounts some of the horrors he saw while touring Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit places, this morning.
“I saw the most horrific scenes. I saw, I saw the scalp of the woman in a house I visited, a house totally destroyed, totally destroyed. And they just cut her head off,” he said.
House GOP Members Introduce Bill To Block Palestinian Refugees From Entering US
Republicans in the House of Representatives will soon introduce legislation that would block the U.S. from accepting refugees from Gaza displaced by Israel’s war against Hamas.
Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., and Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., will introduce the Guaranteeing Aggressors Zero Admission Act, or the GAZA Act, which aims to prevent the Biden administration from granting visas to holders of Palestinian passports, according to a report from the New York Post Saturday.
“We can’t let President Biden abuse our parole and visa rules to bring unvetted Palestinians into American communities the way he did with thousands of unvetted Afghans,” Tiffany said of the legislation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The bill would also prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from allowing Palestinians into the country through its parole program.According to the report, experts believe that there could be more than a million Palestinian refugees from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The move comes a day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the U.S. should not accept any Palestinian refugees. He argued that while not all Gazans are members of Hamas, they are “all anti-Semtic.”
“None of them believe in Israel’s right to exist,” he added.
Russia Urges UN Security Council To Vote On Resolution Calling For Ceasefire In Israel
Russia urged the United Nations Security Council to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel.
Israel National News reported that the draft resolution “calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and condemns violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism.”
The resolution, which was introduced on Friday, does not directly mention the Hamas terrorist organization, referring to the conflict as being between Israel and Arab Palestinians.
The call for ceasefire comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement on Friday, where he compared Israel’s forthcoming ground operation in Gaza to Nazi Germany’s siege on Leningrad. According to Jerusalem Post, “Putin said Israel had been subjected to ‘an attack unprecedented in its cruelty’ by Hamas militants, but was responding with cruel methods of its own.”
Last week, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo underscored that “no one should be telling Israel how to conduct its foreign policy.” Pompeo added that “Prime Minister Netanyahu should have a free hand to do what he needs to do” to defend Israeli citizens.
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Iran Warns Israel It Will Intervene If Gaza Operation Continues — Report
Iran has told Israel through the UN that it will intervene if the country’s operations against Hamas in Gaza continue, a report has claimed.
Israel has warned 1.1 million people living in the north of the enclave to evacuate ahead of an expected ground operation in Gaza with the IDF planning to strike the territory from land, sea and air.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that Israel’s operations could cause fighting to expand to other areas of the Middle East which would cause Israel to suffer “a huge earthquake”, reported the Associated Press.
Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles capable of hitting anywhere in Israel, according to the outlet.
“I know about the scenarios that Hezbollah has put in place,” Mr Amirabdollahian said from Beirut on Saturday. “Any step the resistance (Hezbollah) will take will cause a huge earthquake in the Zionist entity.”
On Saturday Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in southern Israel that “The next stage is coming”
IDF: ‘Active Effort’ by Hamas to Block Gazans from Evacuating South
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims the Palestinian terror group Hamas is engaged in an “active effort” to prevent Gaza’s population from evacuating to the southern area of the strip.
“We see an active effort by Hamas to block and prevent the population from going south. Hamas wants to show the world that it has casualties and dead,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, the Times of Israel reported.
“We continue to urge the residents of Gaza City, go south… Hamas wants you as human shields… This is for your personal safety,” the spokesperson added, according to the outlet. “We are going to attack very widely in Gaza City in the near future.”
Alleged Israeli Airstrikes Target Aleppo Airport Again As Tensions Rise In North
Alleged Israeli airstrikes targeted the Aleppo International Airport on Saturday night, according to Syrian reports, just hours after two rockets were fired from Syria toward Israel and as tensions continued to rise along Israel’s northern front.
The airstrikes reportedly targeted the runway at the airport in Aleppo which was repaired recently after being damaged in earlier alleged Israeli airstrikes on Thursday. The international airport in Damascus was also targeted and put out of service on Thursday.
Two rockets were fired from Syria toward the Golan Heights on Saturday evening, hours after Hezbollah and the IDF exchanged fire along the Lebanese border as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continued to escalate.
The rockets fell in open areas. No interceptors were launched. Shortly after the rocket fire, the IDF launched artillery strikes on the source of the fire, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Simultaneously, sirens sounded in Alma in the Galilee, with the IDF saying an interceptor was launched at a “suspicious object” which crossed from Lebanon into Israel. The incident is being looked into.
On Saturday morning, the IDF thwarted an attempt by a Palestinian terrorist cell directed by Hezbollah to infiltrate into Israeli territory.
Deadline Expires To Flee Gaza As Israeli Troops Amass At Border, Prepare For 'Significant Ground Operations'
The Israeli military said on Saturday its forces were preparing a “wide range of operational offensive plans” to attack Hamas in Gaza.
The military offensive will include “combined and coordinated strikes from the air, sea and land,” Israel Defense Forces said.
“IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed across the country and are increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war, with an emphasis on significant ground operations,” the military said.
Israel has called up some 360,000 troops and amassed forces on the border with Gaza ahead of an anticipated ground assault to annihilate Hamas’ capabilities.
The terror group launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, rampaging through communities in southern Israel and killing as many as 1,300 Israelis in the worst attack in the country’s history.
Israel had given the entire 1.1 million population of the northern half of the Gaza Strip, which includes the enclave’s biggest settlement, Gaza City, until Saturday morning to move south.
That deadline expired at 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Stanford Lecturer Tells Jewish Students To Stand In A Corner After Hamas Attack
A lecturer at Stanford University has been suspended after reportedly singling out Jewish students in his class, downplaying the Holocaust, and defending Hamas after the terrorist attack on Israel.
The lecturer’s identity has been kept anonymous by Stanford, but according to Campus Reform and The Daily Mail, students identified him as 46-year-old Ameer Hasan Loggins. Loggins was close to former NFL quarterback and social justice activist Colin Kaepernick and helped radicalize Kaepernick. Earlier this week, students said Loggins singled out Jewish students in his class and told them to grab their belongings and stand in a corner, saying, “This is what Israel does to the Palestinians,” The Forward reported.
“He asked how many Jews died in the Holocaust,” and when students said 6 million, “he said, ‘Yes. Only 6 million,’” Nourya Cohen, who spoke with Jewish students in the class, told The San Francisco Chronicle. Loggins reportedly proceeded to downplay the Holocaust by comparing it to European colonization, which he said killed more people than the Holocaust.
Cohen, a senior at Stanford and the co-president of Stanford’s Israeli Student Association, said Loggins’ reported comments and actions in the classroom directed toward Jewish students make her concerned for Jewish students following the attack on Israel last weekend.
“I feel absolutely dehumanized that someone in charge of students and developing minds could possibly try and justify the massacre of my people,” said Cohen. “It’s like I’m reliving the justification of Nazis 80 years ago on today’s college campus.”
IDF Says Head Of Hamas’ Aerial Forces Killed In Overnight Gaza Strike
The Israel Defense Forces says it has killed a senior member of the Hamas terror group in an overnight airstrike in the Gaza Strip.
The strike, targeting a headquarters from which the terror group managed its aerial activity, kills Murad Abu Murad, the head of Hamas’s aerial array, according to the IDF.
The IDF says Abu Murad “took a big part in directing terrorists during the massacre” last weekend, which included attackers who entered Israel from the air on hang gliders.
In separate “widespread” strikes overnight, the IDF says it hit dozens of sites belonging to Hamas’s commando forces, who led the infiltration into Israel on October 7.
IDF says that in an overnight airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the head of Hamas's aerial array, Murad Abu Murad, was killed. The strike targeted a headquarters from which the terror group managed its aerial activity, according to the IDF. pic.twitter.com/KqYjDCqrTX
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 14, 2023
ISRAEL WAR — TIMELINE
US Shoots Down 15 Drones And 4 Cruise Missiles During 9-Hour Time Span In Northern Red Sea
The USS Carney shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles on Thursday in the span of 9 hours, a U.S. defense official tells Fox News.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said yesterday during a press briefing that several drones and three cruise missiles were shot down. Officials told Fox News that this was true at the time since the briefing took place while the drones and missiles were being shot down.
The cruise missiles and drones were shot down with M-2 surface-to-air missiles with U.S. officials saying the rockets were headed for Israel.
The USS Carney was heading south through the Suez Canal on Wednesday and was in the Northern Red Sea on Thursday when the drones and missiles were shot down, the official said.
After It Lied About Israel, New York Times’ Gold Verification Badge Removed By X
In the wake of The New York Times’ false reporting , claiming the Israel Defense Forces bombed a hospital in Gaza, a report which was later totally debunked, X, formerly known as Twitter, removed the Times’ [gold] verification badge.
The Times ran an article on October 17 that trumpeted, “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.” The New York Times and CNN were also caught using images from different incidents that showed buildings that had been completely destroyed.
Three days after the murderous Hamas attack, the Times, which has a history of anti-Israel reporting, changed a story, initially calling the murderers of Hamas “terrorists,” then changing that to “gunmen.”
In the mid-twentieth century, the Times buried the Holocaust so it didn’t make the front pages, as described in “Buried by the Times: The Holocaust and America’s Most Important Newspaper.” In April 2019, the paper published a cartoon depicting former President Trump as a blind man wearing a skullcap while being led by Netanyahu, who was depicted as a dog on a leash with a Star of David collar.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs researched 107 editorials on Israel and Jews published in the Times since 2016; David Bernstein, president and CEO of the organization, accused the Times of “a decided institutional bias” against Israel. Roughly a decade ago, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) published a pamphlet titled “Indicting Israel: New York Times Coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,” that delineated the Times’ consistent bias against Israel.
HD Editor’s Note: X’s gold badge is given to “verified organizations” which pay at least $1,000 to the platform per month. The New York Times initially lost their account’s check mark altogether, but has since been downgraded to a blue verification check mark, which can be attainable to any individual which pays the platform’s $8 per month.
Analysis — Regardless Of What Comes Against Israel, God Will Keep His Solemn Promise To Preserve Them
In the past couple of weeks, the Lord has impressed these verses upon my mind as they speak of a time when Jerusalem’s “warfare” will cease. The situation looks bleak for the city at the moment, but God will keep His solemn promise to preserve Israel and establish His covenant of peace with the nation (Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 37:26).
Satan hates all the Jewish people as well as all those saved by the blood of Jesus. The Lord’s description of our enemy in John 8:44 is something of which we must be constantly aware in this day. He described our enemy as “a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan’s stirring up of murderous hatred toward Jews among the militant Muslims is all about stopping Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy. His objective is to prevent the Lord’s rule over a restored Israel, but just as he failed to stop God’s redemptive plan at Jesus’ First Coming, so our enemy will fall far short again.
Hostages Released By Hamas Identified As Israeli-American Citizens Judith And Natalie Raanan
Judith and Natalie Raanan have crossed back into Israel after being released by Hamas terrorists, who have held them hostage since the October 7 onslaught, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a statement.
Netanyahu’s hostage envoy Gal Hirsch along with officials from the IDF and other security organizations met the pair at the Gaza border and are currently taking them to a nearby military base where they will be reunited with their relatives who are waiting for them there, the premier’s office says.
“The government of Israel, the IDF and the entire security establishment will continue to operate with the best of their abilities and efforts in order to locate all of the hostages and return them home,” the statement adds.
The pair, who both have American citizenship, have been transferred to the International Red Cross ahead of their arrival in Israel, the official says.
The two are residents of Evanston, Illinois outside of Chicago and came to Israel this month to celebrate a relative’s 85th birthday and the Jewish holiday season, according to their rabbi.
The Raanan family had been celebrating Simchat Torah in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in Israel about a mile from the Gaza border when the Hamas onslaught began.
Israel Defense Minister Lays Out Plan For 'New Security Regime' In Gaza After War
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday outlined three planned phases for the war against Hamas, detailing what will happen in Gaza if Hamas is destroyed.
The long-term plan is not for Israel to control “life in the Gaza Strip,” Galland told lawmakers in a meeting in Tel Aviv.
“We are in the first phase, in which a military campaign is taking place with [airstrikes] and later with a [ground] maneuver with the purpose of destroying operatives and damaging infrastructure in order to defeat and destroy Hamas,” Gallant said, according to the Times of Israel.
The second phase of the war will be to “eliminate pockets of resistance” after Hamas is defeated.
“The third step will be the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel’s responsibility for day-to-day life in the Gaza Strip, and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel and the residents of the [area surrounding Gaza],” Gallant said, according to the report.
Local Authorities Attempt To Prevent Mobs From Storming Israeli Embassies Across Region
Angry masses across the Middle East continue to protest violently in the streets against the Israeli military response to the Hamas invasion and massacre of 1,400 civilians – Israeli and foreign citizens – and soldiers.
Local authorities have worked to prevent mobs from attacking Israeli embassies and consulates in Arab and Muslim nations worldwide.
On Tuesday evening, police in Istanbul, Turkey prevented a mob from storming the Israeli consulate in the city. Violent rioters used fireworks, sticks and rocks during the incident, leaving more than 60 people injured, predominantly police officers. In addition, authorities detained five rioters after they climbed over the police barricades.
Anger erupted across the Middle East and among the worldwide Muslim population over the explosion at the Al-Ma’amadani Hospital in Gaza. While Hamas was quick to blame Israel, the Israeli military released evidence showing that the hospital blast was caused by a misfired rocket that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group had launched toward Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden, who visited Israel on Wednesday, stressed that Israel was not behind the lethal blast.
“It appears that it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden said.
While the American president defended Israel, he admitted that “there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure,” an implicit reference to the growing trend across much of the Middle East to accuse Israel of perpetrating war crimes.
Some 5,000 Jordanian demonstrators protested on Wednesday against Israel outside of its embassy in the capital Amman.
Jordanian security forces struggled to prevent the large and angry masses from attacking the Israeli diplomatic institution by using tear gas to disperse the violent rioters.
The Jordanian government insisted that the Jewish state was to blame for the explosion and “bears responsibility for this grave incident,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem revealed on Wednesday it would evacuate Israeli diplomatic staff from Jordan, Egypt and Morocco for security purposes.
Protesters in Morocco blasted the United States, claiming “US complicity in the Israeli war on Gaza.”
Many of the protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and expressed their opposition to the signing of the Abraham Accords normalization agreement between Morocco and Israel in 2020.
The United Arab Emirates, another Arab state that normalized its ties with Israel in 2020, also condemned Israel for the Gaza hospital explosion.
Amir Tsarfati: Short-Lived Support? — The Time Will Come When World Opinion Will Once Again Turn Against Israel
Thus far, Israel has been overwhelmed at the level of support from around the world. Offers of tangible help have come in from Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. The United Kingdom and Germany have been particularly strong in their encouragement. But the greatest friend by far to Israel over these past days has been the United States.
Without the deterrence power of the U.S. military, it is very likely that we would already have a full-blown war raging in the north with Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is also probable that the Iranian-backed militias based in Iraq and Syria would have come across the Syrian border into Israel. But as soon as the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group sailed into the eastern Mediterranean, those terrorist plans were stalled. Weapons have been supplied to Israel from the U.S. Our Iron Dome anti-missile system has been replenished. And for the first time in history, a U.S. President came to Israel during wartime to consult with our Prime Minister and to give assurances of America’s steadfast friendship. I disagree with most of the policies of the current U.S. administration, and I strongly oppose the President’s support of a two-state solution. There is no possibility of that happening, especially not now. Still, there is much positive that America has done over this past week-and-a-half. We have seen throughout history God using unexpected sources to bless Israel. This is one of those times.
While we have appreciated the support and encouragement of so many countries around the world, we recognize that it is destined to be short-lived. Even as governments and media are forced to say kind words to Israel because of the incredibly heinous nature of Hamas’s crimes, they will readily jump at the opportunity to turn the situation around so that Israel is once again in the default position of “evil perpetrator”.
This was evident Tuesday when reports rapidly circulated that Israel had purposely bombed the Al-Maamadani hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health cried out that well over 1000 people were dead with hundreds more wounded as a result of this barbarous acted carried out by the IDF. Soon, the report had spread around the world. Protests were incited in city after city in Europe. The Israeli embassies in Ankara, Turkey, and Amman, Jordan, were attacked by mobs.
From the beginning, the IDF said, “We didn’t do this!” But no one believed them, because so many nations in the world default to “Jews are evil”, although they would never admit it. By the way, if you doubt me, look up how many resolutions the United Nations has passed against Israel, then compare that number to any other country – Russia, Iran, North Korea. Actually, let me save you the trouble. Since 2015, the UN has passed 140 resolutions against Israel compared to 68 for the rest of the world combined. Are your eyes now open to the blatant anti-Israel bias of the UN, and of the rest of the world?
We were frustrated but not surprised when the media and so many countries immediately condemned Israel without checking on facts. We fully expected them to take the word of the terrorist organization that had just brutally slaughtered more than 1300 people over the word of the victims of that butchery. But, even after incontrovertible proof was given that it was a failed Islamic Jihad rocket that caused the explosion and that the number of victims had been hugely exaggerated, media outlets continued to spread the false narrative. Am I right, New York Times?
Finally, governments began to accept the truth. The US, Germany, and other western nations said the tragedy at the hospital was not Israel’s doing. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE agreed. Even Vladimir Putin, by no means our friend, kept silent on whom he thought was to blame when he spoke of the event.
But we know that the time will come when the world opinion will once again turn against us. Whether it is due to another false flag from Hamas or Hezbollah, or a military mistake like what inevitably happens during wartime, Israel will once again be vilified. It is then we will see who our true friends are, and which nations are coming alongside us simply because it would be seen as heartless not to do so due to the heinous nature of the October 7 attack.
US Navy Intercepts Missile Fired Near Yemen Coast Heading 'Potentially Towards Targets In Israel'
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, though it is unclear what the missiles were targeting, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Thursday that the crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer operating in the Northern Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region,” Ryder said, adding there were no casualties to U.S. forces, nor any on the ground that he knows of. “Information on these engagements is still being processed, and we cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting.”
The missiles were launched from Yemen and were heading north along the Red Sea, “potentially” toward targets in Israel, Ryder said.
According to Ryder, the response was one the U.S. military would have taken for any similar threat in the region.
“This attack may be ongoing,” he said. “As [Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] has made clear, we have the capability to defend our broader interests in the region.”
“The crew of the Carney did just that, and across the force we will remain vigilant to any other potential threat,” Ryder added.
The Department of Defense is in the process of bolstering forces in the Middle East to deter a wider conflict, but also bolster stability and defend national security interests.
Defense Minister Says IDF Ground Offensive In Gaza Will Be Coming ‘Soon’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells troops on the border with the Gaza Strip that the order to enter the Hamas-run territory will come soon.
“You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside,” Gallant tells troops of the Givati Brigade.
“The order will come,” he adds.
The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, says the expected ground offensive in the Gaza Strip will be “long and intense.”
“This war was forced on us, with a cruel enemy that harmed us greatly. But we stopped them… we are striking them heavily,” Finkelman says to troops near the Gaza border today.
“Now, the maneuver is going to move the fighting to their territory. We are going to beat them in their territory,” he says.
“It’s going to be difficult, long and intense.”
Multiple Nations Urge Citizens To Evacuate Lebanon As Iranian Terrorists Escalate Attacks On Israel
Multiple countries have alerted their citizens inside Lebanon that they should immediately evacuate as an Iranian-backed terrorist organization in the country ramps up its attacks on Israel’s northern border amid concerns that a second front could soon be opened in Israel’s war against Islamic terrorists in the region.
Israeli officials are concerned that Hezbollah — which is estimated to have approximately 20,000 soldiers — is preparing to launch a full-scale attack on Israel’s northern border. The terrorist group has approximately 150,000 rockets in its arsenal that could easily dwarf the recent rocket attacks launched by Hamas.
Reuters reported that Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine gave a speech to thousands of supporters on Wednesday, claiming that the terrorist group was “thousands of times stronger” than it was in the past, and threatening Israel and the West, warning that attacks on Hezbollah would be a “resounding” mistake.
Countries that have told their citizens to quickly leave Lebanon include the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, Kuwait, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Australia.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that residents of 28 towns along the Israel-Lebanon border needed to evacuate the area, including the following communities: Ghajar, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dovev, Ma’ayan Baruch, Bara’m, Manara, Yiftach, Malkia, Misgav Am, Yir’on, Dafna, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Netu’a, Ya’ara, Shtula, Matat, Zari’t, Shomera, Betzet, Adamit, Rosh HaNikram, Hanita and Kfar Giladi.
Hezbollah is an Islamic terrorist group that has carried out attacks worldwide and controls “much of Lebanon’s Shiite-majority areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley region,” according to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations.
The terrorist group’s primary goal is the elimination of Israel and the targeting of the United States all over the world as it has operations in Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Iran sends the group of hundreds of millions of dollars every year and provides them with training and weapons.
The Congressional Research Service reports:
Hezbollah operates a global criminal-financial network, with reported hubs in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. A 2022 Europol report stated, “The network of collaborators built by Hezbollah in the EU is suspected of managing the transportation and distribution of illegal drugs into the EU, dealing with firearms trafficking and running professional money laundering operations.” Other 2022 reports highlight Hezbollah’s role in the trafficking of amphetamine-type stimulants, marketed as “captagon,” along the Syria- Lebanon border.
Former President Barack Obama sabotaged a massive multi-national investigation into Hezbollah when he was in office — allowing the terrorist group to grow rapidly and letting them smuggle multiple-ton quantities of drugs in the Americas — all because he wanted to appease Iran in the hopes of getting a nuclear deal.
Israel’s Mossad gave information to British law enforcement officials in 2015 that helped them foil terrorist attacks after they caught Hezbollah terrorists stockpiling thousands of pounds of ammonium nitrate from disposable ice packs in a secret British bomb factory. Investigators recovered more ammonium nitrate at that factory than was used during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 that killed 168 people and damaged nearly 300 buildings.
Pro-Palestinian Insurrectionists Occupy Federal House Office Building in Washington DC
About one hundred pro-Palestinian insurrectionists occupied a federal House office building in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, chanting “ceasefire now” and “let Gaza live.”
The insurrectionists, many who wore face masks and dressed in black and flew a banner demanding that Israel stop defending itself from rocket attacks against civilians, occupied the ground floor of the Cannon Office Building, one of three main buildings where congressional staff and lawmakers work.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib was leading the protest:
Hamas Caucus Leader @RepRashida is leading the current insurrection on Capitol Hill. https://t.co/AejUJrLbix
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 18, 2023
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was on the scene and noted a double standard between the pro-Palestinian insurrectionists and the protestors on January 6. “There’s an insurrection happening now on Capitol Hill,” her video caption read of the event. “They are claiming they want peace but they want money to go to terrorists.”
Greene said she did not know why Capitol Police allowed the insurrectionists inside the building. “I don’t know,” she replied to an individual in the video:
There’s an insurrection happening now on Capitol Hill https://t.co/hBMIcv3pqW
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 18, 2023
“If it wasn’t obvious yet, Insurrection — when conservatives demonstrate … Protest — when liberals demonstrate,” said conservative commentator Luca Cacciatore.
Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram posted a photo of Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) “standing silently with an Israeli flag” as the pro-Palestinian insurrection played out below:
Rep Brandon Williams standing above the anti-Israel protest, standing silently with an Israeli flag above the demonstration in the Cannon House Office Building pic.twitter.com/BjZqODmWHs
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 18, 2023
The protest came after a hospital in Gaza was blown up on Tuesday. After the blast, multiple pieces of evidence emerged from the Israel Defense Forces and the media that suggested the blast was an errant rocket fired by Hamas, not an Israeli airstrike.
Several leaders also rushed to blame Israel for the hospital blast, even though multiple pieces of evidence suggested the contrary as authorities gathered information. Among them was Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and radical Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Double Standard? Calls for Israeli Ceasefire Could Conceal Antisemitism
Protesters around the world are demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, less than two weeks after Hamas, the terrorist group and Gaza’s governing entity, killed more than 1,000 Israelis in an unprovoked military strike.
Though Hamas initiated the violence and bloodshed, the global community — including America, at times — is urging Israel to end the “collective punishment” of Palestinian citizens by allowing all water and fuel back into the city and ceasing military strikes.
I believe many asking for a ceasefire want to save Israeli and Palestinian lives, but I’m concerned we are expecting Israel to be more benevolent and charitable than we would reasonably expect any other democratic nation to act in our fallen world.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IRHA), of which the organization is a member, warns this could be antisemitic. For seven years, its held that:
“Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace and the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to: Applying double standards by requiring of [the State of Israel] a behavior not demanded of any other democratic nation.”
Let’s take a look at the facts, and how they were reported:
Hamas brutally murdered 1,400 of Israel’s citizens out of the blue. Israel retaliated with air strikes targeting Hamas leadership, who are known for hiding in heavily trafficked areas. The New York Times described the situation this way,
Hundreds of Palestinians who heeded the Israeli military’s order to evacuate portions of the Gaza Strip are confronting deadly airstrikes from Israeli warplanes even after they’ve moved. And a grim question hung over the enclave on Tuesday: Was there anywhere safe to go?
The Times is referring to Israel’s initial 24-hour warning telling Palestinians to evacuate Northern Gaza ahead of an Israeli ground strike. The United Nations suggested the warning could violate international law. The Times reported on the plight of Palestinians evacuees, writing:
“Israel said it was preparing ‘a significant ground operation’ but did not say when it would start.”
Israel stopped funneling fuel and some water into Gaza last week, prompting criticism from Congressional leaders calling the siege an unfair “collective punishment.” Israel has further stopped humanitarian aid from entering the country until Hamas releases the estimated 150 Israeli and American hostages it’s held for over a week-and-a-half. The United States and Egypt are among several entities working to convince Israel to abandon their demands.
In sum, countries and organizations are expecting Israel:
- To stop targeting Hamas through air strikes and cease planning any ground invasion.
- To continue supplying Gaza and its government — Hamas — with resources.
- To allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, which will almost certainly reach Hamas members as well as civilians, without requiring the terror group to make any concessions.
As much as I wish we lived in a world that prioritized life to this extent, I am realistic enough to know they are not reasonable standards to expect of such a brutally injured nation.
I do not believe America would have acquiesced to ending the War on Terror after two weeks of airstrikes — less than a month after 9/11. I do not believe Ukraine would be expected to allow humanitarian aid to reach battered Russian soldiers in contested areas. I know for a fact no nation typically expects their enemy to announce a military offensive, as the Times seemed to suggest Israel should do above.
I also believe that, until Jesus takes his throne on Earth, democratic governments have a responsibility to their own citizens before the citizens of others. That’s why I sympathize with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who told reporters last week,
I agree there are many, many Palestinians who don’t agree to this. But unfortunately, in their homes there are missiles shooting at us, [at my children], on the entire nation of Israel. We have to defend ourselves.
While some calling a ceasefire or a humanitarian corridor into Gaza are likely only concerned with saving lives, I believe others desire Israel’s destruction rather than the war’s peaceful resolution.
‘Totally Inappropriate’: Republicans Blast Biden For Giving Palestinians Fresh U.S. Tax Dollars
Wednesday morning, President Joe Biden announced a fresh $100 million dollars for “humanitarian aid” in Gaza, as well as Judea and Samaria. Of course, critics were quick to point out that there is a strong likelihood that that funding will wind up in the hands of the very Islamic extremists at war with Israel.
Among those who took ire with Biden’s decision was former President Donald Trump. From a lower Manhattan courthouse, where the GOP frontrunner is facing a civil fraud legal battle, Trump blasted the current commander-in-chief.
“I think right now it’s totally inappropriate. It’s so inappropriate — to be doing that right now? He’s over in Israel, and he’s giving money to the Palestinians,” Trump said in disbelief.
“I think it’s pretty inappropriate,” he added again for good measure.
On Twitter, Biden seemed aware that Hamas would attempt to steal some of this money.
“This money will support over 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians,” Biden tweeted. “And we will have mechanisms in place so this aid reaches those in need – not Hamas or terrorist groups.”
In reaction, Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was as stunned as Trump by the move.
“Aid to the Gaza Strip is what Biden is prioritizing today?” DeSantis said. “This aid will of course be commandeered by Hamas. No taxpayer dollars should be sent to Gaza. Stop funding jihad!”
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, added, “Under present circumstances, ‘humanitarian assistance’ = resupply for Hamas terrorists. President Biden continues to embolden Iran and its terror proxies.”
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) vowed to propose legislation to stop Biden’s funding.
“Not a single dollar of U.S. aid should go to Hamas-controlled Gaza until all hostages, including AMERICANS, are safely released. I’ll be on the Senate floor later to pass my Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act to guarantee that. Surely no Democrat could disagree with this…”
As president, Trump ended all aid to Gaza and Judea and Samaria as part of his strong anti-terror foreign policy. The Biden administration restored that aid in April 2021. Just weeks later, Hamas launched 4,000 rockets at Israel.
At the time, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) presciently said, “The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more you’re going to see terrorist attacks escalating.”
Indeed, the most recent Hamas terrorist attack came after the Biden administration announced it would be unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian money.
For his part, Trump also slammed the tragedy in Israel as the latest evidence of “the deadly consequences” of Biden’s “three years of breathtaking weakness and appeasement,” in an opinion column for Newsweek.
Jan Markell: An Appeal To Pastors — Don’t Keep Silent On Israel
It is true—the headlines, photos, and videos coming out of the current Mideast conflict are not seeker-sensitive. They won’t make church attendees feel good. Talking about the sensitive situation won’t fit into any church-growth strategy. It won’t encourage anyone to become purpose-driven. It could even create divisiveness.
So, I should not have been so thrown when I began to get e-mails from across the country stating variations of the following:
Jan, I was very dismayed that the church we attended did not even make mention of what was going on in Israel on Sunday, October 8. Nor did the topic arise on Wednesday night—though there were several mentions of the Houston Astros game . . . . .
No One Can Say They Didn’t Know
Has there not been wall-to-wall coverage on all media outlets, day and night, for days? Can anybody claim they didn’t know? There were demonstrations demanding that we should “gas the Jews.” The scenario could expand to a Mideast war. Some are saying World War III is at hand. We have evil at a new level on display.
And yet the silence of some shepherds is deafening!
Evangelical Foolishness
I checked the website of the largest evangelical organization—the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Wouldn’t they have a banner headline calling on us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Actually, their banner was all about racial justice.
Scrolling down, they have a blurb in an article written that Israel should not act out of revenge and that they should support the dignity of all people affected. Note to the NAE: Terrorists have no dignity. They are evil. They are demonized.
Know What You Believe!
Are pastors, churches, and denominations silent because of their theology? Perhaps it doesn’t fit with the current scenario? Perhaps they believe the church is the new Israel (Replacement Theology). Perhaps they are Amillennial, and Israel is a bit inconvenient. This belief encompasses many Protestants and all Catholics.
Outfits like Bethel Church in Redding, CA, believe in Dominionism—that is, that the church will save the world and then they establish the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. The literal restoration of Jerusalem is not important. The church supersedes the calling of Israel to be a light to the nations!
Silence in the Face of Evil is Evil!
But there is still human disaster and suffering at play here! Bonhoeffer said, “silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” How can you be silent?
World Leaders Incite Riots Against U.S., Israel by Spreading Hamas Lies on Hospital
World leaders, journalists, and activists helped fuel anti-American riots around the Middle East Tuesday evening by spreading the false claim by the Palestinian terror group Hamas that an Israeli airstrike killed 500 Palestinian civilians at a hospital in Gaza.
As Breitbart News’ Frances Martel reported, mobs attacked U.S., United Nations, and Israeli embassies throughout the region:
In Jordan, a mob flooded the streets of the capital, Amman, and attempted to force their way into the Israeli embassy compound. Police responded with tear gas and reportedly managed to subdue the crowd…
In Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, protesters surrounded the embassies of the United States and France, attempting but failing to storm them. Protesters also targeted the headquarters of a United Nations Mideast program in the capital; video published by local outlets showed the area outside the United Nations building on fire…
In Turkey, mobs of angry Muslim men convened in both the capital, Ankara, and the largest city, Istanbul, as well as several other mid-sized communities in the country. The secularist newspaper Cumhuriyet reported that a mob formed outside of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, blocking traffic and threatening the building. Major squares in the city were flooded with mostly male protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.
Mobs also took to the streets in Tunisia, Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, and — of course — Iran, whose government supports Hamas.
The facts, which emerged overnight, showed that it was likely a rocked launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group had misfired and landed in the hospital parking lot, causing fewer casualties and doing little damage to the hospital itself.
But leaders like Canada’s Justin Trudeau did not hesitate, declaring that “it’s not acceptable to hit a hospital,” as if Israel had actually done so. As Breitbart News’ Simon Kent noted, many other leaders, and news agencies, also repeated Hamas’s claims.
Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel and pulled out of a meeting with President Joe Biden, in which they were supposed to discuss ways to help Palestinian civilians. Other Arab governments also suggested Israel had been at fault.
In the U.S., Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) claimed that “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that.” Her accusation helped fuel outrage — and gave it undue credibility, coming from a U.S. leader.
One former British member of Parliament said that Israel had “forfeited any right to exist” following the hospital explosion — calling, in effect, for the genocide of Israelis, who would presumably be exposed to Hamas-style violence without a state.
The violence was not confined to the Middle East and Africa: a synagogue was firebombed in Berlin, Germany, early Wednesday, just hours after Chancellor Olaf Scholz had made a solidarity visit to Israel, on the same day as the Gaza hospital explosion.
Hamas Terrorists Still Roaming Southern Israel, IDF Assesses
There are still Hamas terror cells roaming the Negev region and waiting to come out of their hiding spots and attack civilians, according to an assessment made by the IDF on Wednesday morning.
There is also fear of attacks on the Egyptian border, according to the same report.
The Israeli military is getting ready for the next phase of its campaign against the Gaza Strip but plans may not conform to widespread expectations of an imminent ground offensive, the IDF’s International spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“We are preparing for the next stages of war. We haven’t said what they will be. Everybody’s talking about the ground offensive. It might be something different,” Lt.-Col. Richard Hecht told a regular briefing with reporters.
Hecht’s comments came as Israeli forces continued to prepare to expand the offensive against Hamas after its deadly assault on southern Israel last week.
Obsessed With Destroying The Jews: The Ultimate Enemy Of Israel Is Satan
As much as the Palestinian narrative has wanted us to believe it was, this was never about the land. This has always been about the complete annihilation of the Jewish people and the complete eradication of the State of Israel from the world map. If it ever was about land, why is self-ruling 100% Palestinian Gaza complaining about occupation? If it was truly about land, shouldn’t the inhabitants of Gaza be grateful for their area, as little as it may be? If it was about land, shouldn’t the Gaza residents show an example and grow their region with the funds sent by the global community? Finally, if it was about land, why did Yasir Arafat turn down Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000, when he was offered 100% of Gaza and 95% of Judea and Samaria?
That is because the land grab is an excuse for complete genocide. We just saw what Hamas is capable of. They committed a modern-day pogrom against Jewish people, and they would do it again if given a chance. They must not be given that chance. To be clear, the definition of a pogrom is: “an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group.” This was exactly what took place on October 7, 2023.
The ultimate enemy of Israel is Satan who is obsessed with destroying the Jews. We must understand that this is a spiritual battle before anything else. The Bible promises that when God resumes His program which hinges around the Jewish people, Israel and Jerusalem, there will be casualties, but He also promises to never, ever forsake Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37). Be it Satan, Hamas or any other antisemitic entity, Israel’s enemies will be defeated. Although this is 2023 and the Holocaust is only 80 years in our rearview mirror, there are those who would have it all happen again. The motto of “never again” seems forgotten and has been replaced by “gas the Jews!” This had nothing to do with the land, it was a pogrom. The goal is the murder of all Jewish people, not just in Gaza but the whole world. Let’s face our new reality. It is open season on the Jewish people again!
Israeli President: 'Shame On The Media Who Swallow The Lies Of Hamas And Islamic Jihad'
President Isaac Herzog commented on Tuesday evening on the explosion at a hospital in Gaza which was blamed on Israel, even though it was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket which was misfired.
“An Islamic Jihad missile has killed many Palestinians at a Gazan hospital – a place where lives should be saved,” said Herzog.
“Shame on the media who swallow the lies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad – broadcasting a 21st century blood libel around the globe,” he added.
“Shame on the vile terrorists in Gaza who willfully spill the blood of the innocent.”
“Never before has the choice been clearer. Israel is standing against an enemy made of pure evil. If you stand for humanity – for the value of all human life – you stand with Israel,” concluded Herzog.
The IDF announced earlier that “an analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit.”
“Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza,” the statement added.
Stackelbeck: National Security Council Urges Israelis To Leave Turkey — Here's Why
Israel’s National Security Council just released a warning to every Israeli in Turkey to leave the country.
“In light of the continued rise of terrorist threats against Israelis abroad – the travel warning for Turkey is being raised to the highest level – level 4 – all Israelis staying in Turkey must leave as soon as possible.”
This isn’t a shock. We have vicious anti-Israel and anti-semitic rhetoric emanating from the highest echelons of the Turkish government, leading right to the office of President Erdogan. That is perhaps one piece of this.
Another piece of this is the Iranian regime, which has consistently threatened to strike Israeli targets inside Turkey.
Many Israelis have traveled to Turkey on vacation over the years. I don’t think you are going to see that as much after what we see unfolding now, needless to say. There are also some Israelis doing business in Turkey and on the Island of Cyprus, not far off the coast of Turkey. These, unfortunately, have been hotspots for Iran to potentially murder Israelis.
Many times, the Iranian regime, as it looks to lash out against Israel, will go after Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, not inside Israel proper. These Israeli and Jewish targets around the world are seen as softer targets for the Iranian regime.
IDF: Palestinian Islamic Jihad Rocket Misfire Caused Hospital Explosion
The Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organization was responsible for an explosion at the Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, due to a misfired rocket intended to kill Israeli civilians, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The explosion, which reportedly killed hundreds of people, sparked outrage, with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas pulling out of a meeting Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden over the issue. Biden has backed Israel’s war of self-defense against the Hamas terror group, which rules Gaza and which killed over 1,400 Israelis in a massive terror attack on October 7.
Hamas and critics of Israel rushed to blame an Israeli airstrike. News wires, like the Getty photo service, published unproven claims Israel had “attack[ed]” the hospital, citing the “Gaza Health Ministry,” which is run by Hamas.
But Israel, noting that it does not target hospitals, said an errant Palestinian rocket was a likely cause, later confirming that analysis.
The IDF reported (translation follows):
From the analysis of the IDF’s operational systems, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, at the time of the hit. According to intelligence information, from a number of sources we have, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.
As Breitbart News has noted, a significant portion of Palestinian casualties in previous conflicts in Gaza have been caused by misfired rockets launched by Palestinian terror groups — up to one-third of Palestinian casualties in a conflict last year.
HD Editor’s Note: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement on deadly explosion, wrote: “So the whole world knows: The barbaric terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF. Those who cruelly murdered our children, murder their children as well.”
Israel Strikes Hezbollah Infrastructure Targets In Lebanon
Israeli forces struck infrastructure targets across the border in Lebanon on Tuesday as Hezbollah terrorists continue to threaten to join the war on the side of Hamas.
Hezbollah has fired rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli targets throughout the week, and Israel responded in kind on Tuesday. Four people in Lebanon were reportedly killed in the Israeli counterattack.
The exchange of fire comes as both Iran and Hezbollah threaten to join Hamas in the war against Israel. The U.S. and Israel’s other Western allies have warned both parties to stay out of the conflict.
IDF: Hamas Using ‘Psychological Terror’ Against Israel With Hostage Video Of Woman Held In Gaza
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is continuing to strike the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, hitting thousands of targets since the war began on October 7.
“I want to stress, there is no ceasefire. We continue to fight,” Hagari says.
He says the IDF is continuing to “prepare for the next stages of war.”
On the Hamas hostage video published last night showing 21-year-old Mia Schem, Hagari says the military expects further such clips, as the terror group is believed to hold more than 200 captives.
“This is psychological terror by Hamas against the citizens of Israel. We understand that there will be more videos like this. In this video, Hamas tries to present itself as a humanitarian organization while it is in fact a murderous terror group,” Hagari says.
He says one must ask, “How did a 21-year-old girl who went to a party to dance, end up being kidnapped by a murderous terror group in the heart of Gaza?”
Terrorists Could Recieve Nearly $3 Million From PA For Massacre Of Israelis
The Palestinian Authority (PA) could pay the equivalent of almost $3 million out to the families of terrorists who were killed or captured during the Hamas massacre on October 7th, according to a watchdog organization.
Under the PA’s “pay-for-slay” program, terrorists “martyred” or imprisoned in the act of attacking or killing Israelis receive an initial financial reward and monthly payments to family members.
“In total, the PA will pay at least 11,170,000 shekels ($2,807,021) in payments under the PA’s ‘Pay-for-Slay’ program to the Hamas terrorists this month,” the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) report detailed. “This is a low estimate since as the war continues, there will be additional Hamas terrorist ‘martyrs’ and prisoners. This figure is added to the more than 100,000,000 shekels/month the PA already pays in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of terrorist’ martyrs.’”
The watchdog organization warned that aid from abroad is largely to blame for supplying the PA with the finances needed to continue its “pay-for-slay” program.
“These donor countries like to pretend that it’s not their money rewarding terrorists, but everyone knows that the PA could not reward terrorists without this generous foreign funding,” they underscored.
Biden Admin Continues To Ignore Warnings Against PA Funding
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2022 criticized the Biden Administration for restoring “hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority.”
In words that are chilling today, Pompeo forewarned the administration last year that “funding to the PA will not only likely be directed toward acts of terror; it may also one day go to Hamas to fuel its destruction of Israel.”
Despite the risk of further funding terrorism against Israel in the wake of the brutal Hamas attack, on Saturday, following a conversation with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, President Biden pledged his “full support” to aid the PA with its “humanitarian assistance to Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.”
Ground Offensive In Gaza Delayed Over Possible Plot From The North, Israeli Military Sources Say
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly delayed its ground operation into Gaza for a variety of reasons including the belief that an Iranian-backed terrorist group might be planning a surprise attack the moment Israel deploys its forces.
The news comes after more than 1,400 Israelis were murdered in one of the largest terrorist attacks in history last weekend that was carried out by Palestinian terrorists in Hamas.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Military sources told the newspaper that there is growing fear that the Lebanese-based terrorist group Hezbollah was waiting for the IDF to get fully immersed in fighting inside Gaza before launching a full-scale war against Israel from the north.
Hezbollah has launched small-scale attacks against Israel in recent days which have been easily defeated by Israeli forces. However, the military sources cautioned this could be part of “an elaborate fake-out to lure the IDF into a false sense of security, similar to what Hamas pulled off in the south,” the report said.
Israeli officials are wanting to make sure they beef up their military capabilities in the north and make sure that they are not missing any signals from their intelligence counterparts.
We Are Living In Prophetic Times, Make Sure You’re On The Right Side Of Historical And Biblical Truth
The recent, unprecedented attacks by Hamas against Israel October 7 were the deadliest since Israel became a nation, and the global conflict has now become a powder keg. Some speculate WW III is here.
Israel has always been under attack. According to Bible prophecy, many events in the last days including the return of Jesus Christ, the judgment of God, and end times wars would revolve around Jerusalem.
The Bible warns about wars and rumors of wars, and since a coalition of Muslim nations surrounding Israel forged an alliance many decades ago, the Middle East meltdown was set in motion. How this will impact America remains to be seen.
According to the Washington Examiner, Iran wants “all Arab and Islamic countries” to unite against Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack that ignited a war in Gaza.
We are living in prophetic times, but this is not about Jews and Palestinians; this is about enemies of God, Jesus, and the biblical worldview. Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist organizations have publicly vowed for years they will “wipe Israel off the map.” They will never stop trying.
No matter what happens, no matter what man does, no matter the wars or catastrophic events, and no matter what this temporary world can throw at us, God is sovereign over all things. As we know from Scripture, this includes all nations, and especially Israel.
Russian-Backed Security Council Resolution Calling For Gaza Ceasefire Fails To Pass
A Russian-backed UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been voted down.
Five countries voted in favor, four voted against, and six countries abstained.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blast[ed] Russia for failing to even mention Hamas in the UN Security Council resolution.
“By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, it is hypocritical, and it is indefensible,” Thomas-Greenfield says in her speech to the Security Council explaining the US decision to vote against the resolution.
“As I have said, Hamas set the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in motion. And we cannot allow this council to unfairly shift the blame to Israel and excuse Hamas for its decades of cruelty. Period,” Thomas-Greenfield states.
Amir Tsarfati: The Wishes Of Hamas, Hezbollah, And Iran Will Not Come To Pass—Israel Will Not Cease Being A Nation
The wishes of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran will not come to pass. The Jews will not be driven into the sea. Israel will not cease being a nation, says the Lord.
Ezekiel 36:20-24 KJV – “And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and those supporting their efforts to destroy the Jews and the nation of Israel, are fighting against the plan of God, but they will not prevail. For the Jews to be outside of their national homeland profaned the name of the Lord, so He brought them back for His name’s sake, He will not allow them to be destroyed, for His name’s sake. They will not be uprooted from their national homeland, for His name’s sake. As glorious as this truth is and as important as it is to remember, we cannot forget that people are dying at the hands of those intent on evil against God’s people and land.
Zechariah 12:3 KJV – “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.”
Ignorant and hateful people are blaming the actions of Hamas on Israel. Muslims around the world are violently protesting Israel’s defensive actions in Gaza. Jerusalem is becoming a burdensome stone to the world, and eventually all the nations of the earth will turn against her. Yet the Holy One of Israel says that He will be Israel’s defense.
It has been said that the current developments in Israel are a second holocaust and more Jews died in one day, on October 7th, than any day since the reign of terror of the Nazi’s came to an end. Does this mean that we could be close to the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel and the fulfillment of the words of Zechariah? It seems quite possible.
The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ precedes the 70th week of Daniel! So as we pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem, let’s do so soberly and righteously with our heads lifted up as our redemption draws nigh.
Psalms 121:4 KJV – “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
US Department Of Defense Issues 'Be Ready To Deploy' Orders In Response To Israel-Hamas War
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put a significant number of U.S. troops on stand-by to “be ready to deploy,” over the weekend, though officials say the U.S. role would not be for combat.
A U.S. official confirmed with Fox News that Austin issued orders to troops that they should be ready to be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean within 24-hours of receiving an order.
Specifically, top officials say troops would be sent to advise and provide medical support to Israeli forces.
The order is less of a deterrence posture like what has been seen with the mobilization of the USS Ford and USS Eisenhower strike groups in the Mediterranean, but instead appears to be a more direct support role for defense of Israel, if needed.
'We Cannot Do Half A Job This Time': Danon Says Israel Should Strive For Nothing Less Than The Complete Eradication Of Hamas
Likud MK Danny Danon talked with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News about his recent visit to the Gaza Strip region with a contingent of foreign diplomats – a visit that was interrupted by a Hamas rocket barrage.
“We are in a war,” he said. “It is important that they understand what people in these communities had to experience on a Saturday morning, on a Jewish holiday, and take that feeling back to their capitals. This time we must go all the way and finish off Hamas, and for that we need the support of the international community.”
Danon believes that the international community already backs Israel to a large degree. “The things we saw on the Gaza border are not things you can forget. They burned babies, they raped women, these are not things that I will forget, that the visitors will forget, that the people of Israel will forget. Once they have seen these things, they will understand why we cannot have a partial operation that stops in a week or two. We need to strive for the complete eradication of Hamas – nothing less.”
International support, however, is far from the only consideration: “Even if international support subsides, we are fighting for our survival. I would rather they condemn us than that we be victims like we were last Saturday.”
Opening Of Knesset Interrupted By Barrage Of Rockets Toward Jerusalem, Forcing Evacuation
The Israeli Knesset opened for its winter session on Monday, beginning with a moment of silence for the over 1,300 murdered Israelis who lost their lives during Hamas’ rampage on Oct. 7th.
According to the Jerusalem Post, “The session, which was set to be another dramatic few months of legislation, will be muted until the end of the war with legislation only of laws related to the war.”
Mid-session, a large rocket barrage struck Jerusalem and other areas of central Israel, forcing Israeli leaders in the Knesset to evacuate. The parliamentary session resumed approximately 40 minutes later.
WATCH: Rocket alert sirens sound in Jerusalem as lawmakers attend the opening of the winter session of the Knesset
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana: "Siren?"
MK Merav Ben-Ari: "I think there's a siren"
Ohana: "Ok, everyone evacuate to the hallway" pic.twitter.com/Bpt4IAjTk2— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 16, 2023
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Iran Ordered Hezbollah To Carry Out Attacks On Israel's North - IDF
Hamas has proven its brutality toward the people of Israel and is now doing the same to Gazans, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a plea to Palestinians to evacuate to southern Gaza.
Speaking on Monday morning, Hagari said that Hezbollah carried out shooting attacks on northern Israel with Iranian backing in order to distract the IDF from the southern front.
He noted that if Hezbollah “tries to test us, the response will be deadly…we are working in full coordination with the United States, this will be reflected in our actions.”
Hagari also commented on the reported ceasefire in southern Gaza, stating that “there is no ceasefire.”
IDF Has Notified Families Of 199 People Being Held Hostage In Gaza
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 199 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip.
Among the hostages that Hamas terrorists took to Gaza after the devastating assault last week are many elderly, children and women.
Hagari says the military has some information on the whereabouts of hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We are making valiant efforts to try to understand where the hostages are in Gaza, and we have such information,” Hagari says in response to a question at a press conference.
“We will not carry out an attack that would endanger our people,” he adds.
Did Hamas Kill 70 Evacuating Gazans To Sway International Opinion?
The strike on a convoy of evacuating Gazans, which was initially blamed on Israel, was likely carried out by Hamas as a means of turning public opinion against the Jewish State, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Sunday.
At least seventy people, consisting largely of children, were killed in the explosion on Friday, and another two hundred were injured.
“Think who would benefit from those very horrible images of children and civilians that were evacuating south, and then they are apparently clearly dead. Who stands to gain from that?” Conricus described. “Only one organization: Hamas.”
It is not beneath Hamas, who massacred over 1,300 Israelis, “even to kill Palestinian civilians if they think it will help them in the international arena, or to create support or to try to blame Israel,” he described.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned over the weekend of an “active effort” by the terrorist organization Hamas to prevent Gaza residents from evacuating.
“Hamas wants to show the world that it has casualties and dead,” he said.
To the residents of Gaza, Hagari urged evacuation, stressing that Hamas’ motivation is to use them as “human shields.”
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Hal Lindsey: Hatred Against Israel Is Not About Land, Rights, Or Money—It Is A Religious Tenet
Much of the world’s media sees this as simply another step in the Israeli-Palestinian “cycle of violence.”
Hamas grew out of Arab and Persian hatred for Israel. Hatred of Israel began as hatred for Jews. Hatred against Jews is a tenet of faith and an outgrowth of religious zeal. That makes it unappeasable.
The real cycle of violence between Israel and Hamas works like this. Hamas attacks, and Israel reciprocates by stopping Hamas’s immediate ability to attack. Under pressure from allies, Israel does only enough to temporarily declaw Hamas. Each conflict intensifies Gazan poverty, and after each one, the world’s nations send aid. But because Hamas controls Gaza, Hamas controls the aid. Hamas gives away enough to make regular Gazans see them as a source of help. But mostly, Hamas leaders make themselves rich and rebuild their war machine. Other nations, such as Iran, hate Israel as much as Hamas does, and they give direct military aid.
When strong enough, Hamas attacks again. And again, Israel stops them — still doing only enough to stop their immediate ability to make war. Nations again help. Hamas again rebuilds. And when it is strong enough, Hamas attacks again. That is the cycle of violence Israel faces.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that it will be different this time. He believes the atrocities and war crimes of recent attacks will give his military an opportunity to bring a complete end to Hamas rule in Gaza. But even if he can depose Hamas, the nature of this conflict means that a similar group will arise. Hatred against Israel is not about land, rights, or money. It is a tenet of faith.
Israel’s struggle for survival will not end until Israel’s Messiah returns.
Netanyahu Says Military Stands Ready To Act At 'Any Moment' To 'Exterminate The Bloody Monsters' Of Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces are ready to “exterminate the bloody monsters” of Hamas in a ground invasion of Gaza that now appears imminent.
Netanyahu made the comments during a meeting of his war cabinet on Sunday, saying the military stands ready to act at “any moment.” Israel spent the weekend warning civilians in Gaza to move south as quickly as possible, as Israeli forces plan to invade northern Gaza by land, sea and air in the coming days.
“[We] are ready to act at any moment, to exterminate the bloody monsters that rose up against us,” Netanyahu said. “Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas.”
Among Israel’s top targets is Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar, who is being held responsible for carrying out the unprecedented October 7 attack that left at least 1,400 people dead in Israel, including at least 29 Americans.
“He is the mastermind behind this, like bin Laden was. He built his career on murdering Palestinians when he understood they were collaborators. That’s how he became known as the butcher of Khan Younis [in southern Gaza],” IDF spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht said Sunday. “That man and his whole team are in our sights. We will get to that man,”
Head Of National Security Council Says Israel 'Will Not Hold Negotiations' With Hamas
The Head of Israel’s National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, stated on Saturday that the country will not be negotiating with the terrorist organization Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
“Israel will not hold negotiations with an enemy that we have vowed to wipe from the face of the earth,” Hanegbi asserted at a briefing in Tel Aviv.
The IDF has notified one hundred twenty families that their loved ones are being held hostage in Gaza.
Prior to a forthcoming large-scale ground operation, the IDF conducted localized raids in Gaza, during which they worked to track down the whereabouts of hostages.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of those held hostage by the terrorist organization, emphasizing Israel’s determined mission to bring the captives home.
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Herzog Tells Media That Terrorists Had Manuals On How To Torture And Kidnap People
President Isaac Herzog tells CNN that marauding Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel last week in an unprecedented onslaught were carrying manuals with instructions on how to torture and kidnap those they found.
“This was found on the body of one of the terrorists, this is a booklet, okay, this booklet is an instruction guide, how to go into civilian areas, into a kibbutz, a city, a moshav, how to break in,” Herzog tells Wolf Blitzer.
“And first thing what do you do when you find the citizens, you torture them. This is the booklet, it says exactly how to torture them, how to abduct them, how to
kidnap them,” Herzog says holding up a copy of the pamphlet.
During the onslaught on Israeli border communities, the terrorists killed some 1,300 people, most of them civilians, and took at least 155 hostages.
Herzog notes that many of the hostages are elderly or children.
“Who are these hostages? Babies, pregnant women, elderly people with dementia, even with caretakers, families, innocent civilians, from 36 nations — people were killed or abducted from 36 nations,” he says.
He also recounts some of the horrors he saw while touring Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit places, this morning.
“I saw the most horrific scenes. I saw, I saw the scalp of the woman in a house I visited, a house totally destroyed, totally destroyed. And they just cut her head off,” he said.
House Gop Members Introduce Bill To Block Palestinian Refugees From Entering US
Republicans in the House of Representatives will soon introduce legislation that would block the U.S. from accepting refugees from Gaza displaced by Israel’s war against Hamas.
Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., and Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., will introduce the Guaranteeing Aggressors Zero Admission Act, or the GAZA Act, which aims to prevent the Biden administration from granting visas to holders of Palestinian passports, according to a report from the New York Post Saturday.
“We can’t let President Biden abuse our parole and visa rules to bring unvetted Palestinians into American communities the way he did with thousands of unvetted Afghans,” Tiffany said of the legislation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The bill would also prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from allowing Palestinians into the country through its parole program.According to the report, experts believe that there could be more than a million Palestinian refugees from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The move comes a day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that the U.S. should not accept any Palestinian refugees. He argued that while not all Gazans are members of Hamas, they are “all anti-Semtic.”
“None of them believe in Israel’s right to exist,” he added.
Russia Urges UN Security Council To Vote On Resolution Calling For Ceasefire In Israel
Russia urged the United Nations Security Council to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel.
Israel National News reported that the draft resolution “calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and condemns violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism.”
The resolution, which was introduced on Friday, does not directly mention the Hamas terrorist organization, referring to the conflict as being between Israel and Arab Palestinians.
The call for ceasefire comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement on Friday, where he compared Israel’s forthcoming ground operation in Gaza to Nazi Germany’s siege on Leningrad. According to Jerusalem Post, “Putin said Israel had been subjected to ‘an attack unprecedented in its cruelty’ by Hamas militants, but was responding with cruel methods of its own.”
Last week, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo underscored that “no one should be telling Israel how to conduct its foreign policy.” Pompeo added that “Prime Minister Netanyahu should have a free hand to do what he needs to do” to defend Israeli citizens.
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Iran Warns Israel It Will Intervene If Gaza Operation Continues — Report
Iran has told Israel through the UN that it will intervene if the country’s operations against Hamas in Gaza continue, a report has claimed.
Israel has warned 1.1 million people living in the north of the enclave to evacuate ahead of an expected ground operation in Gaza with the IDF planning to strike the territory from land, sea and air.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that Israel’s operations could cause fighting to expand to other areas of the Middle East which would cause Israel to suffer “a huge earthquake”, reported the Associated Press.
Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles capable of hitting anywhere in Israel, according to the outlet.
“I know about the scenarios that Hezbollah has put in place,” Mr Amirabdollahian said from Beirut on Saturday. “Any step the resistance (Hezbollah) will take will cause a huge earthquake in the Zionist entity.”
On Saturday Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in southern Israel that “The next stage is coming”
IDF: ‘Active Effort’ by Hamas to Block Gazans from Evacuating South
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims the Palestinian terror group Hamas is engaged in an “active effort” to prevent Gaza’s population from evacuating to the southern area of the strip.
“We see an active effort by Hamas to block and prevent the population from going south. Hamas wants to show the world that it has casualties and dead,” IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, the Times of Israel reported.
“We continue to urge the residents of Gaza City, go south… Hamas wants you as human shields… This is for your personal safety,” the spokesperson added, according to the outlet. “We are going to attack very widely in Gaza City in the near future.”
Alleged Israeli Airstrikes Target Aleppo Airport Again As Tensions Rise In North
Alleged Israeli airstrikes targeted the Aleppo International Airport on Saturday night, according to Syrian reports, just hours after two rockets were fired from Syria toward Israel and as tensions continued to rise along Israel’s northern front.
The airstrikes reportedly targeted the runway at the airport in Aleppo which was repaired recently after being damaged in earlier alleged Israeli airstrikes on Thursday. The international airport in Damascus was also targeted and put out of service on Thursday.
Two rockets were fired from Syria toward the Golan Heights on Saturday evening, hours after Hezbollah and the IDF exchanged fire along the Lebanese border as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continued to escalate.
The rockets fell in open areas. No interceptors were launched. Shortly after the rocket fire, the IDF launched artillery strikes on the source of the fire, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Simultaneously, sirens sounded in Alma in the Galilee, with the IDF saying an interceptor was launched at a “suspicious object” which crossed from Lebanon into Israel. The incident is being looked into.
On Saturday morning, the IDF thwarted an attempt by a Palestinian terrorist cell directed by Hezbollah to infiltrate into Israeli territory.
Deadline Expires To Flee Gaza As Israeli Troops Amass At Border, Prepare For 'Significant Ground Operations'
The Israeli military said on Saturday its forces were preparing a “wide range of operational offensive plans” to attack Hamas in Gaza.
The military offensive will include “combined and coordinated strikes from the air, sea and land,” Israel Defense Forces said.
“IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed across the country and are increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war, with an emphasis on significant ground operations,” the military said.
Israel has called up some 360,000 troops and amassed forces on the border with Gaza ahead of an anticipated ground assault to annihilate Hamas’ capabilities.
The terror group launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, rampaging through communities in southern Israel and killing as many as 1,300 Israelis in the worst attack in the country’s history.
Israel had given the entire 1.1 million population of the northern half of the Gaza Strip, which includes the enclave’s biggest settlement, Gaza City, until Saturday morning to move south.
That deadline expired at 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Stanford Lecturer Tells Jewish Students To Stand In A Corner After Hamas Attack
A lecturer at Stanford University has been suspended after reportedly singling out Jewish students in his class, downplaying the Holocaust, and defending Hamas after the terrorist attack on Israel.
The lecturer’s identity has been kept anonymous by Stanford, but according to Campus Reform and The Daily Mail, students identified him as 46-year-old Ameer Hasan Loggins. Loggins was close to former NFL quarterback and social justice activist Colin Kaepernick and helped radicalize Kaepernick. Earlier this week, students said Loggins singled out Jewish students in his class and told them to grab their belongings and stand in a corner, saying, “This is what Israel does to the Palestinians,” The Forward reported.
“He asked how many Jews died in the Holocaust,” and when students said 6 million, “he said, ‘Yes. Only 6 million,’” Nourya Cohen, who spoke with Jewish students in the class, told The San Francisco Chronicle. Loggins reportedly proceeded to downplay the Holocaust by comparing it to European colonization, which he said killed more people than the Holocaust.
Cohen, a senior at Stanford and the co-president of Stanford’s Israeli Student Association, said Loggins’ reported comments and actions in the classroom directed toward Jewish students make her concerned for Jewish students following the attack on Israel last weekend.
“I feel absolutely dehumanized that someone in charge of students and developing minds could possibly try and justify the massacre of my people,” said Cohen. “It’s like I’m reliving the justification of Nazis 80 years ago on today’s college campus.”
IDF Says Head Of Hamas’ Aerial Forces Killed In Overnight Gaza Strike
The Israel Defense Forces says it has killed a senior member of the Hamas terror group in an overnight airstrike in the Gaza Strip.
The strike, targeting a headquarters from which the terror group managed its aerial activity, kills Murad Abu Murad, the head of Hamas’s aerial array, according to the IDF.
The IDF says Abu Murad “took a big part in directing terrorists during the massacre” last weekend, which included attackers who entered Israel from the air on hang gliders.
In separate “widespread” strikes overnight, the IDF says it hit dozens of sites belonging to Hamas’s commando forces, who led the infiltration into Israel on October 7.
IDF says that in an overnight airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the head of Hamas's aerial array, Murad Abu Murad, was killed. The strike targeted a headquarters from which the terror group managed its aerial activity, according to the IDF. pic.twitter.com/KqYjDCqrTX
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 14, 2023
