GNITN – Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 50
More Hostages Released

More Hostages Released

As expected, 13 more hostages were released by Hamas as read in this article from a liveblog in The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-confirms-13-israeli-hostages-are-in-hands-of-red-cross-on-their-way-to-rafah-crossing/):

The IDF spokesperson’s office confirms that 13 Israeli hostages are in the hands of the Red Cross and are on their way to the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

From there they will be met by Israeli officials and brought into Israeli territory.

Hamas announced that 20 hostages were released as learn more form the same liveblog posts:

The Hamas terror group announces that it has handed over 20 hostages — 13 Israelis and 7 foreigners — to the Red Cross.

The hostages are slated to be brought to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing to be handed over to Israeli officials, who will bring them into the country via a side entrance at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

One can only guess how the families of the first batch of hostages feel about getting their loved ones back as we see in another article from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-photos-and-videos-first-freed-hostages-hold-emotional-reunions-with-families/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site&utm_campaign=liveblog_entry):

Hours after 13 Israelis and 11 Thai and Filipino nationals returned to Israel following their release after 49 days in Hamas captivity, their families began to share emotional photos of their long-awaited reunions.

The footage of young children and elderly women embracing their loved ones quickly swept through media and social media platforms, eliciting emotional responses from Israelis.

Conditions Weren’t Good

Again, expectations of good accommodations for hostages is a stretch, and the actual conditions were not decent as we see in this quote, again from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-photos-and-videos-first-freed-hostages-hold-emotional-reunions-with-families/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site&utm_campaign=liveblog_entry):

“They had a television and a transistor radio. They heard news from Israel,” the unnamed family member was quoted as saying. Ruti and Keren were thus aware that Ruti’s son and Keren’s brother Roy had been killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

When Roy was buried on October 22, there was no immediate family member present at the funeral or to sit shiva, the seven-day Jewish mourning period, for him.

The unnamed family member also spoke about hostage conditions in Gaza. “At first they were held with a few [other hostages], and then they added even more. At a certain point they lost electricity. Ohad learned a few words in English and Arabic. The conditions weren’t good — they slept on plastic benches; 80-year-olds without mattresses.”

Also at Schneider Children’s Hospital, Emilia Aloni, 5, who was released with her mother Danielle, 44, reunited with her grandmother after 49 days in captivity at the hands of Hamas.

Images and a video were also released showing Doron Asher and her two young daughters Raz, 4, and Aviv, 2, reunited with husband and father, Yoni.

In the video, Yoni can be seen tightly holding his wife and children. “Did you miss me? Did you think about Daddy?” he asks the girls.

Hezbollah Launched An Attack Anyway

If you recall my suspicions that Hamas of Hezbollah would continue to attack, we read in this report from i24news.tv that an attack did indeed happen even though the terrorist group said they would honor the ceasefire with Hamas as well (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700889438-liveblog-tensions-in-the-north-idf-intercepts-missile-launched-from-lebanon):

Despite the terrorist organization Hezbollah declaring it would adhere to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, a surface-to-air missile was launched early Saturday morning from Lebanon toward an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the missile, and responded by striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure .

And for its part, it appears the Houthis in Yemen, who didn’t agree to stop their war on Israel, are still attacking Israel as detailed in this article from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-shot-down-a-drone-over-red-sea-heading-toward-eilat/):

The Israel Defense Forces says one of its fighter jets shot down a drone that was heading toward Israel, over the Red Sea.

It says the unmanned aerial vehicle did not enter Israeli airspace.

Explosions were heard in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat amid the incident.

Earlier, the IDF fired interceptor missiles at two targets in the area, but later said it was a false alarm.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have fired several ballistic missiles and drones at the city in recent weeks, all of which were intercepted or missed their target.

Not A Normal Hospital/Egypt Holds Hope For Longer Ceasefire

In a report from france24.com we hear about as doctor who worked in Al-Shifa hospital who knew that Hamas was using it for their purposes as well:

"I was told there was a part of the hospital I was not to go near and if I did, I'd be in danger of being shot."

British doctor who worked at al-Shifa hospital says that a lower ward leading to a basement was off limits to medical staff.

And according to sources in Egypt (there are) 'Positive signals' over extension of Israel-Hamas ceasefire by 1-2 days. Here is more on that from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700922858-egypt-positive-signals-over-extension-of-israel-hamas-ceasefire-by-1-2-days):

Egypt said on Saturday it had received positive signals from all parties over a possible extension of the Gaza truce for one or two days.

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that the country was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement over extending the four-day truce, which "means the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails."

Public Execution In West Bank

According to an article in i24news.tv, two men were executed after they were accused of being Israeli spies (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/1700897674-amid-celebrations-for-freed-prisoners-palestinians-publicly-execute-collaborators):

Amid celebrations for freed prisoners, two men accused of collaborating with Israeli forces were executed by Palestinian factions in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, according to Palestinian media reports.

The accusations against the two men were reportedly over involvement in the death of three terrorists, belonging to the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror groups, earlier this month.

The men had reportedly "confessed" in a video recording, saying they helped the Israel Defense Forces, with one of them claiming to have received about $4,500 in return and the other getting about $2,677.

"We would like to inform you that there is no immunity for any informer or any traitor, and that whoever is proven to be involved in any case of assassination of our fighters, we will attack him, pursue him and impose a death sentence on him," an organization calling itself "Resistance Security" commented on the executions.

At the same time, celebrations were also being carried out in the West Bank as Palestinian security prisoners returned from Israeli jails, as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.

Which is why the West Bank in Israel cannot be overlooked as the war in Israel continues. And lest we forget, the prisoners being released are hardly saints as this little quote from the same article attests:

A list of up to 300 prisoners was published by Israel's Justice Ministry, including the women and youth that could be released. The youngest are 14-year-olds held on charges ranging from attempted terror attacks, as well as for throwing explosives and Molotov cocktails.

Pray Specifically For Israel

As I frequently do, I give you prayer keys for Israel at this time of war:

  1. Lord, none of this has taken You by surprise (Isa. 42:9), so we pray for You to use it for Your glory and bring much good out of it (Rom. 8:28), although that seems very unlikely today (Jer. 32:17, 27).
  2. Do not let this pause or the "humanitarian pauses" which the US and other entities pressure Israel to allow to end up birthing a full ceasefire before Hamas is obliterated (Deut. 25:17-19), and all of the hostages, or their remains, are recovered (Num. 23:23; Psa. 33:10-11).
  3. God, we again ask You to surprise both Israel and Hamas and intervene supernaturally to rescue every single one of the hostages – both Israelis and others (Psa. 144:7 Acts 12:5-11).
  4. If not Lord, then help the IDF to free all hostages remaining in captivity (Psa. 57:1-6; Isa. 49:24-26).
  5. Regardless, empower Israel to gain a complete victory over Hamas (2 Sam. 22:40-43; Psa. 89:23).
  6. God, send forth Your angelic hosts to support the IDF in the war (2 Chr. 32:7-8; Psa. 34:7; 91:11).
  7. Guard the soldiers as they fight in Gaza's very precarious urban warfare scenario (Psa. 18:42; 32:8).
  8. Lord destroy Hamas' demonic protection, and use this war to strike a severe blow against the spirit of Islam which rules in the hearts of most Palestinians (Psa. 68:20-21; Isa. 30:30-33).
  9. We thank You for the first use of the Iron Beam, Israel's anti-missile laser weapon, which shot down a rocket from Gaza, and ask that it would quickly be put into full-time service (Job 38:35; Prov. 8:12).
  10. Lord of hosts, oversee an increase in Israel's military industries output of armaments and weapons so that Israel will not need to depend on other nations for their resupply (Psa. 146:3-5; Isa. 31:1).

Amen, and amen to these prayer requests!