GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 158

Another Coming to Meet Jesus Moment?

Hamas Not Going Away Anytime Soon

In a US intelligence assessment released today we read that they believe that Hamas will be a thorn in Israel’s side for years to come. We read more on that in a report from The Times Of Israel:

An annual threat assessment compiling US intelligence warned that Israel will be challenged by Hamas for years to come, as the country continues its military campaign aimed at destroying the Gaza-ruling terror group in response to its devastating October 7 attack on southern Israel.

“Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength and surprise Israeli forces,” the assessment reads, noting the Israeli public “broadly supports” the terror group’s destruction.

The report addresses many factors to reach the conclusion that all the Iranian proxies will prove to heighten pressure around Israel and raise the collective tensions inside Israel as well:

The report was finalized last month but declassified as intelligence chiefs testified in the Senate on Monday. It noted the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught and the war it triggered in Gaza have “increased tensions throughout the region as Iranian proxies and partners conduct anti-US and anti-Israel attacks, both in support of Hamas and to pressure the United States.”

“Media coverage of the destruction and loss of life are being amplified by active social media campaigns on all sides, roiling public reactions among neighboring countries and around the world,” it said.

Anxiety will also rise:

The report further warned that Israel will face growing international pressure over “the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and Iranian-backed attacks will jeopardize stability in Lebanon, Iraq, the Gulf, and the Red Sea.”

“The risk of escalation into direct interstate conflict, intended or otherwise, remains high.”

They speculate on is Netanyahu and his government will last:

The assessment highlighted domestic pressures faced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, predicting that his government’s viability “may be in jeopardy.”

“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections. A different, more moderate government is a possibility,” the assessment read.

Netanyahu “Fuming”

As one could expect, the US report intimating that Prime Minister Netanyahu could be voted out was not received well by his office as we read in an article from The Times Of Israel:

A senior Israeli official hits back at a US intelligence report overnight that warned Israel will be challenged by Hamas for years to come, and that the viability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “may be in jeopardy” amid criticism over the management of the war.

“Those who elect the prime minister of Israel are the citizens of Israel and no one else,” says the official in a statement issued to the media, interpreting the intelligence report as an effort to unseat Netanyahu.

“Israel is not a protectorate of the US but rather an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who elect the government. We expect our friends to work to bring down the terror regime of Hamas and not the elected government in Israel,” the official says.

The source is not a low-ranking one:

Opening its main nightly news broadcast, Israel’s Channel 12 says the statement came from “the most senior Israeli political source you can imagine.”

It says the new US intel report suggesting Netanyahu may lose power has the prime minister “fuming” and he has “decided to embark upon on strong, public and dramatic confrontation with the president of the United States.”

So now Netanyahu is talking about Biden having a “coming to meet Jesus” moment even if he doesn’t know what it means exactly as we read in an article from CBN.com where he also said the end to the war is at hand:

Netanyahu told Fox News, "Victory is close. I mean, as I've said, three-quarters of those (Hamas) fighting battalions (are gone). The best thing we can do for the future of the Middle East, for the future of peace, for the future of those hostages is to get a speedy victory."

Netanyahu also responded to President Joe Biden's "Come to Jesus" comment regarding civilian casualties in Gaza.

"I'm not familiar with the term, even though Jesus wasn't born that far from here. I can tell you if it means having a heart-to-heart conversation, we've had that many times over the forty years that I've known Joe Biden."

Is A Hostage Deal Near?

Reports are swirling around that Hamas has accepted a hostage deal put forth by the United States as seen in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Hamas has accepted a 'modified version' of a ceasefire deal proposed by the United States, a source in the Gazan terror group told Al-Arabiya on Tuesday.

The source added that representatives of the terror group are set to visit Cairo soon to discuss the details of the proposal.

According to the source, the modified proposal includes the release of hostages and Palestinian terrorists, along with the gradual return of Gazans to their homes.

As I read the report I think is was a tad misleading since Hamas is only coming to the talks:

The White House on Tuesday urged Hamas terrorists in Gaza to release women, elderly and wounded hostages and accept a temporary ceasefire in the fighting with Israel in order to secure a more lasting one.

"A ceasefire is on the table today, for six weeks to be built on into something more enduring if Hamas would simply release women, wounded and elderly," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

So it’s only on the table? More specific details reveals that there is one thing Hamas and Israel will not bend on:

Hamas says it will only accept a deal based on a permanent ceasefire that ends the war and includes an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, rather than another temporary truce.

So who’s telling the truth here? The article ends with a piece of information it should have lead with in my opinion:

Palestinian media later reported that the Al-Arabiya report was false. They cited an X account claiming to be Hamas official Muhammad Mardawi, saying, "What Al-Arabiya reported is completely false."

The Jerusalem Post could not independently verify that this account belongs to Mardawi.

However, Hamas has repeatedly stated that they won’t accept any deal unless Israel agrees to end the war. Why is that so hard to understand? Sullivan at least walked back some of his optimism:

"We're determined to try to generate a ceasefire where at least six weeks with the hostages coming out and then try to build on that into something more enduring, but I can't make any predictions about where this will lie," Sullivan said.

War Against Hezbollah Getting Closer

Both sides are amping up their attacks with each passing day as we read in a report from i24news.tv:

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted over 4,500 strikes on Hezbollah targets since the beginning of the conflict on October 7, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 operatives, including five senior commanders, the IDF said on Tuesday.

Amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which commenced on October 7, the IDF has primarily targeted Hezbollah locations in Lebanon but has also conducted strikes in Syria. According to IDF estimates, approximately 750 Hezbollah members have been wounded in these operations.

The report notes that the sites being targeted are mostly taking Hezbollah military supplies:

The IDF's strikes have focused on various Hezbollah assets, including weapons depots, buildings utilized for terrorist activities, observation posts along the border, command centers housing terror operatives, rocket launching positions, and squads executing anti-tank missile attacks.

Furthermore, the IDF has targeted over 450 sites affiliated with Hezbollah's elite Radwan force, which is suspected of planning potential infiltrations into Israel. Some of these strikes have taken place in Syria.

The goal then is to slow down the terrorist group:

The IDF emphasizes that its continuous strikes are significantly impairing Hezbollah's capabilities both in the air and on the ground, as well as disrupting its top command structures.

In its efforts to diminish Hezbollah's presence in southern Lebanon, the IDF has conducted substantial attacks in the region. Moreover, recent intensified operations have targeted Baalbek, a Hezbollah stronghold in northeastern Lebanon.

I know there are those that don’t see prophetic implications here, but there are, especially with Damascus which will be destroyed and never rebuilt as we read in Isaiah 17:

The special word about Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city. It will be destroyed and laid waste. (Isa 17:1, NLV)

Damascus and its airport is the hub of weapons coming into the Middle East and then going to Hezbollah in Lebanon. I don’t see how the Israel Defense Force (IDF) can stop Hezbollah without also taking out their supply chain. Again and again I admonish us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and this prophecy can be added to your list.