GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 148

Finding Sinwar

The Ball Is In Their Court

All sources point to Israel agreeing to a deal as we read in a report from The Times Of Israel:

Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza truce and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior US administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt.

International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins March 10. A deal would allow more aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry are under threat of famine.

Israel, for its part agrees the deal:

The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes a six-week ceasefire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly, and women, said the official.

“Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters.

“The hostages have to be released,” the official told reporters on a conference call. “The deal is basically there. But I don’t want to create expectations one way or the other.”

There is one sticking point, though:

Israeli and Hamas delegations were expected to arrive in Cairo on Sunday, two Egyptian security sources said, though another source briefed on the talks said Israel would not send a delegation until it got a full list of hostages who are still alive.

Israel is right to make that request as I’ve mentioned many times before. My and others suspicion is that Hamas isn’t agreeing because a lot of hostages have already died. I pray we’re not correct, though.

They’re Getting Closer

As hostage negotiations continue, the IDF is hot on the trail of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as reported in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Yahya Sinwar was surprised by the IDF's maneuver deep into Palestinian territory, according to a statement released by senior security officials on Wednesday. The Hamas leader intended to conduct fighting from an underground fortified base called "Room 6," which was equipped for extended stays with military personnel and communications lines, according to IDF intel.

The IDF then let us into what they know about Sinwar’s plans:

"Sinwar plans and acts accordingly to each situation and doesn't necessarily trust those around him," the military source said. "He will make mistakes, and we need to be there or in proximity to recognize it."

Now, he moves from place to place and plans his actions accordingly. "The distance between us and him will be shortened by one mistake too many of his."

More details also emerged:

According to a senior security official, Yahya Sinwar planned to conduct the war as he moved through the underground infrastructure in Gaza City, constantly moving underground according to developments in the situation. Therefore, he built the tunnels while focusing on a prolonged stay in the densely woven tunnels and was surprised when the IDF began to maneuver deep into Palestinian territory.

The source also added that Sinwar was surprised every time. Left with no choice, he decided to move the focus of his activity, command, and control efforts towards the Khan Yunis area, pushing him to move from point to point underground using strategic tunnels.

Room 6

According to the same Post article, the war room Sinwar moved to in Khan Younis is named “Room 6.” The IDF has found that area:

"Room 6" is the name of the fortified center Sinwar arrived at. "Room 6" is an underground hub dug very deep compared to other Hamas tunnels. The center includes living rooms, security guards, communication lines, and a diverse number of openings meant to trick the IDF and intelligence forces.

As soon as Sinwar realized that the IDF was closing in on him quickly, the military source said, he decided to leave several locations, one after the other, hastily. In each case, he left behind money, documents, and other tell-tale signs that he was there.

There are signs of pressure discovered:

According to the analysis of the findings discovered by the IDF's special forces, engineering, and intelligence agencies, it appears that Sinwar feels enormous pressure. "Sinwar conducts himself based on his constantly changing surroundings, and as such, he does not necessarily trust his immediate environment since it is not a natural environment," a senior military source told Walla! "When he moves from place to place, he meets factors he is not used to. It can be estimated that he does not even trust who brings him the food and what he is served to eat. This is a pressure point that cannot be ignored."

Sinwar is most likely in Rafah:

Now, IDF sources estimate that due to the military's progress above and below the ground in the Khan Yunis area and in the background of Israeli statements about the intention to maneuver in Rafah, the pressure on Sinwar and other senior Hamas officials is increasing every day. Now, he is expected to move, or has already moved, to underground infrastructure in Rafah.

Time is not on his side:

"If he rises above the ground, his chances of making more mistakes with the team that secures and surrounds him are increasing, and therefore, the IDF should continue to press all the points in the Gaza Strip regardless of the negotiations for the release of the hostages," said a senior military source. "Sinwar, who is very suspicious by nature, will make mistakes, and when he makes mistakes, we have to be there or in the same space to recognize it."

"Every hour that passes is to his detriment," the source added. "The rate of progress in searching tunnels is indeed slow, but it is progressing, and it prevents another place where he, his family members, and the other senior Hamas terrorists can hide. My assessment is that he is on the verge of moving to Rafah or has already moved. One way or another, we will get him, even if it takes us hours or months. According to what he left behind, the distance between us and him will be shortened by one mistake too many of his."

Parallels to America’s hunt for Osama Bin Laden are easy to make and rightly so. I know in my mind this sounds exactly like this, but in this case the area where the IDF has to search is much, much smaller.

So Many Moving Parts

As we see from various news sites, the war in Israel has many parts involved now, parts that are becoming more complex with each passing day. Adding to the international pressure put on Israel are the charges that the IDF killed or injured a large number of Palestinians in the stampeding of humanitarian aid trucks this week. Despite the reports from the IDF that they never fired on anyone, many say they did. Only time will tell how that pans out, but you can bet that Hamas and other terrorist groups will use it to castigate Israel and even blame them for hostage talks falling apart. Add this situation to how you pray for Israel. With that, here are more prayer keys for you:

  • Speak to the coalition to be strong and courageous and to possess the rest of their land (Josh. 1:3-6).
  • Release Israel from being held hostage by Hamas because of the hostages they hold (Psa. 116:16).
  • Let Israel demand "proof-of-life" in any hostage deal, as no one knows how many are still alive.
  • Turn hostages' families' anger against Hamas and away from Bibi, the government or the majority of Israelis who see defeating Hamas as Israel's number one priority (Psa. 76:10; Eccl. 5:2; Jam. 1:19-20).
  • Lord God, place a huge "No trespassing" sign on Your land in the spirit realm (Lev. 25:23)
  • Reinforce Your angelic hosts who protect Israel today (Josh. 10:11; 2 Chr. 32:7-8), especially as we enter the Islamic holy month of Ramadan which starts either March 10th or 11th (Psa. 34:7; 91:11).
  • Let the war end when You say so, and not when any other entity says so (Psa. 31:15; Eccl. 3:1, 8).
  • King Messiah, cast down every spiritual power over that Gaza-Egyptian border and lead the IDF to totally conquer it and to remain in complete control of that area after the war (Psa. 18:32-34).
  • Destroy all possibilities of financial gain via smuggling through that border (1 Tim. 6:10a).
  • Lord God, please miraculously set free all remaining living hostages (Isa. 49:24-26; Jer. 32:17, 27).
  • Lord, we ask You to guard over Your Temple Mount in Jerusalem during Ramadan (Isa. 31:5).
  • Give wisdom to the IDF and police on who to let go up on the Mount during that time (Eccl. 9:18).
  • Release Your strategy on how Israel should deal with Arab riots on Your holy hill (1 Sam. 2:10).
  • Lead Israel's security forces to respond strongly to violence anywhere during Ramadan (Psa. 11:5).
  • Lord, save many Palestinians, especially during Ramadan, and turn them into Christians (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 11:11).