GNITN – Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 40
Taking Back Enemy Territory

IDF Enters Hospital

We’ve known for days that as the IDF gets closer and closer to Gaza City and then nears the Al-Shifa hospital they would go inside as part of their goal to eliminate all traces of Hamas from the area. And now, they are inside as we speak. Here is more about that operation as seen in an article from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-special-forces-raid-gazas-main-hospital-find-weapons-and-hamas-assets-inside/)

Israeli special forces backed by additional troops entered Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital overnight Tuesday to carry out a “precise and targeted operation” against Hamas terror infrastructure at the site.

The operation continued into the morning, with the Israel Defense Forces finding weapons and Hamas assets inside. At least five Hamas gunmen were killed by troops during a gun battle outside the hospital. No soldiers were hurt.

Once the entered, the IDF says they found proof that Hamas is using the hospital for their plans:

A senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later said soldiers had found “concrete evidence” of Hamas’s use of the hospital as a military facility. He said the IDF would publicize portions of what had been found inside.

A Tricky Situation

As those outside of Israel baselessly accuse Israel of killing innocent civilians, just the opposite is happening as we see in another quote from the same news article:

The Times of Israel was told there had been no “friction” between troops and patients and medical staff. Incubators for newborns, baby food, and medical supplies were brought by IDF tanks from Israel and delivered to Shifa, the military said.

“Medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need” and that civilians are kept out of harm’s way, it added.

“We call upon all Hamas terrorists present in the hospital to surrender,” the military said.

Helping patients and staff to continue to work while extricating terrorists is not easy, but we see both happening at the same time, although there are contradicting reports coming from news agencies about how things went down, again from The Times Of Israel article:

News agency AFP cited a source inside the hospital as reporting that forces raced through the corridors and fired warning shots as they moved from room to room looking for gunmen. The army did not confirm the report.

By contrast, the BBC, citing a local journalist identified only as Khader at the hospital, reported that there was no shooting and soldiers were going from room to room, questioning people. He said the soldiers were accompanied by medics and Arabic speakers.

He also said that the IDF was in “complete control” and there was no shooting taking place.

The IDF is taking steps to ensure safety of those inside that are truly hospital staff and that anyone not working there is being removed to verify who they as we see in this quote:

Later, he reported that the IDF soldiers asked all men between the ages of 16 and 40 to leave the hospital buildings, except the surgical and emergency departments, and go to the hospital courtyard. Soldiers had to fire in the air to get people to comply, he said.

He also claimed that soldiers installed a scanning and sensing device and asked the men to pass through it.

Hamas Used The Hospital

The IDF released pictures of what they found once inside the hospital. In response to some who wanted limited actions taken, the IDF maintains it is a targeted operation as we see in these quotes from 124news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700033600-idf-s-precise-and-targeted-operation-at-al-shifa-hospital-in-gaza-city) :

The IDF reiterated it was conducting a "precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital," having reportedly discovered weapons located on site.

The findings indicated terrorists' presence at the medical facility, and four Hamas terrorists were eliminated.

A senior IDF officer said that no battle took place inside the hospital wards, and that troops were not engaging with hospital staff or patients.

Arabic-speaking troops and medical teams also provided medicine and supplies to the hospitals.

No hostages were found, though:

No Israeli hostages have been found in the medical facility. However, the IDF believes it may find evidence that help find the abductees.

“We are starting small, and the operation will expand as necessary,” an unnamed Israeli security official told Army Radio. “The entry of troops into Al-Shifa is more of a challenge for media [optics] than operations.”

They added that “the decision was that we enter Al-Shifa only if we know exactly what is there and where it is, as we did at Rantisi Hospital, which was only raided when we knew exactly what was in its basement.”

The IDF's spokesperson Daniel Hagari reiterated: "We have soldiers trained specifically for this situation, and we are only at war with Hamas. We continue to do everything in our power to mitigate the risk to civilians."

Iran Will Not Come Against Israel Over Hamas

In an article from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700071797-report-iran-will-not-wage-a-war-against-israel-in-the-name-of-hamas) we read that Iran has no intention to attack Israel in spite of Hamas wanting them to do so:

Despite Iran's public support for Hamas, Tehran has decided to distance itself from threats of waging a war against Israel "in the name of Hamas."

According to the report, Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei told the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, that his country would not wage a war against Israel on behalf of Hamas, during a meeting between the two men in early November.

According to Iranian officials, Khamenei's position stems from Hamas' failure to inform Tehran of its intention to carry out an attack on Israel.

However, Khamenei assured Haniyeh that Iran would continue to express its political support for the organization but would "not directly interfere in the war." It was also claimed that Khamenei asked Haniyeh to take care to silence voices within Hamas calling on Iran and Hezbollah to forcefully join the campaign against Israel.

These comments underly what former IDF soldier Amir Tsarfati says was the original intention of the nations surrounding Israel before Hamas jumped the proverbial gun on October 7th. And note that Iran says they won’t directly interfere in the war, which is a veiled way of saying we’ll do everything short of attacking themselves.

Taking Back What The Enemy Stole

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matt 11:12, NKJV)

We hear about Israel taking back terrorist strong holds in Gaza, but we need to realize there’s a spiritual battle also going on in the heavenlies and not just for Israel. I was struck by how this hospital was being used for evil and planning death when it’s real purpose is to heal the broken and wounded. Such is the case with us as we traverse a world that is hostile to us. They follow the playbook of their leader who only wants to steal, kill, and destroy, especially Christians. However, just as the Archangel Michael wrestled with Satan over the bones of Moses in Jude, we must not underestimate the power of the accuser of the brethren, but we also must not overestimate him either. He, like everyone will have to bow at the feet of Jesus and right now, his plans and schemes must as well. I don’t know what the Devil has stolen from you, whether it be lost opportunities, all manner of blessings or peace of mind. Jesus can help you take it all back, and not just in kind, but multiplied. Will the fight be hard? Will it be messy? Will it be intense and tiring? Yes, to all of these, but yes, it will be worth it. But more than that, you won’t be fighting alone. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith for help and healing and restoration. He won’t let you down.