GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 159

Undermining Netanyahu

Another Terrorist Leader Taken Out

In a report from The Times Of Israel we see that a key person in the terror attacks against Israel was targeted and killed by the IDF:

An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near the Lebanese city of Tyre Wednesday killed two people, including a Hamas operative Israel said had a been a central figure in planning terror attacks on Israelis and Jews worldwide.

The attack on a car outside a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon was the latest Israeli sortie deep inside Lebanon and came a day after the restive border region between the two countries saw massive barrages of Hezbollah rockets fired into Israel.

The broad daylight strike, which also killed a passerby, turned a vehicle near Rashidieh, on the outskirts of Tyre, into a mangled, flaming wreck. An AFP photographer reported seeing rescue workers collecting human remains at the scene.

The terrorist was identified by Hamas in the article:

Hamas identified one of the victims as Hadi Mustafa, who was a member of the terrorist organization.

The Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted Mustafa, describing him as a “central operative” in the terror group and a “leading figure” in a Hamas unit in Lebanon headed by Samir Fandi, who was assassinated in Beirut along with Hamas deputy leader Salah al-Arouri in January.

“Hadi was involved in directing terror squads and in terror activities on the ground, including advancing attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in various countries throughout the world,” the IDF said in a statement.

Hamas added Hadi wasn’t a high-ranking part of the terrorist group.

They Are Going Into Rafah

We see in a report from The Jerusalem Post that there is no place Hamas or any terrorist can go now:

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted that the IDF is getting closer to invading Rafah, speaking during a Wednesday visit to Gaza City.

Gallant entered the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning along with forces from the IDF's 162nd Division. In his visit, Gallant warned that "those who think we are delaying [the invasion of Rafah] will soon see that there is no place we cannot reach.

"Our forces can reach any place, and the conclusion is that there is no safe haven for terrorists in Gaza," the defense minister added.

Gallant added this about the IDF’s resolve:

"We will bring every single person involved in the October 7 massacre to justice - we will either kill them or try them in Israel. There is no safe space, not here, not outside Gaza, not across the entire Middle East.

"We will put everyone in their place," Gallant said.

Nothing we’ve heard so far shows me that Rafah will be left alone even if there is a temporary ceasefire. Hamas isn’t going to survive much longer unless they surrender.

IDF Soldier: We Are Responsible

In a rare speech that was not approved before he spoke, an IDF general went off script as we read in an article from The Times Of Israel:

In rare and harsh remarks directed at Israel’s political leaders, the commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ 98th Division said Wednesday that the military would “not run away from responsibility,” and told them that must push away extremism so as to “not return to October 6.”

“I ask at this opportunity to address our leaders, from both sides, and I hope that they will have the time to listen to the heart of a soldier,” said Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus during a press conference on the Gaza border, in off-script remarks that were not approved by the IDF.

Goldfus said the IDF is determined:

Goldfus said he has been fighting since the morning of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, “and I have not stopped fighting since. Since then, I have not stopped sending soldiers, and gone with them, into the fire. We are fighting. We are not getting tired. We are determined to win, determined to bring home the hostages, directly or indirectly.

“Don’t worry, we, the people of the military, the commanders and troops, have taken, are taking, and will take responsibility for every action. We will not run, just as we don’t run from the fire. We will not run from responsibility,” he said.

He said that the IDF failed Israel:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has notably avoided taking responsibility for the October 7 onslaught, unlike the defense minister and many top IDF officers.

“We bow our heads over our resounding failure on October 7, but at the same time we push forward, carry out operations at the highest level of quality, protect our values, and attain many achievements on the battlefield,” Goldfus said.

Goldfus urged everyone to do their part:

“But you, you need to be worthy of us. You need to be worthy of the soldiers who lost their lives. You need to be worthy of the reservists who don’t care what [political] side they are on, and fought and fight alongside each other,” he continued.

“Make sure that everyone takes part, you must,” he said, apparently referring to the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Israelis from service. “You must make sure we do not return to October 6, that all the effort and sacrifice won’t be in vain. This you must keep well in your minds, every day, every hour.”

“From my heart, I ask of you to be together, united, push away the extreme, and adopt the togetherness. Find what unites. We on the battlefield found it, and we will not give up on it,” he said.

“Make it worth [it],” Goldfus added in English.

US Wants Netanyahu Out

As the rhetoric between the United States and Israel continues to be tense, a report from CBN.com that cites several American news sources says that the Biden administration wants Netanyahu’s coalition to fall apart:

Behind the scenes, many see signs the Biden administration is trying to overthrow the Netanyahu government.

Over the weekend, New York Magazine quoted an Israeli expert who said, "I have been asked by a serious administration figure what it is that will force the Netanyahu coalition to collapse. They were interested in the mechanics, what can we demand which will collapse his coalition.”

Tuesday, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal both reported all U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Netanyahu government has lost the support of the Israeli people and is likely to be overthrown soon.

According to another journalist, this isn’t news to anyone paying attention:

Israeli journalist and JNS commentator Caroline Glick noted concerning the intelligence assessment, “You don't have to be some sort of a political genius to understand that. What they're saying is 'We want to overthrow our closest allied government in the Middle East and do it in the middle of an existential war for its own survival,' which is an amazing thing. 'And we want to do it because we want this war to end, even though we know that ending the war now means that Hamas, a terrorist organization that's a member of the Iranian axis, wins.'"

The usual strawman is used to justify this kind of talk:

In the U.S., eight Democrat senators are calling on Biden to cut off military aid to Israel, claiming the Israelis are blocking U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware), who was not one of the Democrats calling for blocking aid to Israel, told CBN News the U.S. has to balance Israel's security with protecting innocent Gazans.

"I support Israel's right of self-defense, its obligation to defend itself against Hamas, and to go into Rafah, and to clean out the remaining Hamas military elements. But they cannot do that without first allowing innocent civilians a chance to pass through checkpoints and to relocate to the center or north of Gaza," Coons said.

Alleged loss of support isn’t an issue if recent polling is any indication:

A recent poll from The Times of Israel shows that 75 percent of Israelis back an Israeli operation into Rafah, one of the main goals of the Netanyahu government.

In short, those outside of Israel and who haven’t been subjected to the constant threat of rockets and suicide bombers for well over 75 years can blithely suggest Hamas survive or a two-state solution will work since they don’t have to deal with that pressure. Israelis, whether they support Netanyahu or not want to survive, period. This fight is for their very existence as it always has been. When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we now need to pray against these American officials who think they know best. Clearly, they don’t.