GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 203

Weeks Not Months

Last Chance

Israel tells Hamas they have one last chance for a deal as we see in a report from The Times Of Israel:

Reporting on today’s talks between Israel’s hostage deal negotiators and a visiting delegation of Egyptian mediators, Channel 12 news quotes an unnamed Israeli source as saying Israel has made plain to the Egyptians — and by extension to Gaza’s Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — that this is the “last moment” for a deal because, otherwise, the IDF will begin its ground operation in Rafah.

Israel won’t let Hamas drag things out either:

The source further says that Israel is not prepared to let Sinwar drag out the negotiations. It’s a case of “either a deal in the near future, or Rafah.” The architect of the October 7 massacre is widely believed to be hiding in the Hamas tunnel network in the Rafah area, with hostages in close proximity as human shields.

Israel wants more than 20 hostages returned:

The report confirms that Israel is prepared to settle for the release of fewer than the 40 living hostages as earlier proposed, but also that it will not agree to only 20 hostages being freed, as Hamas reportedly suggested in recent indirect contacts. Rather, says the report, Israel believes that Hamas holds 33 living hostages who meet the so-called “humanitarian” designation — that is, women, children, men aged over 50 and the sick — and is insisting that they all be freed.

The report says this could be a major sticking point if the mediation efforts make headway with Hamas, but stresses that, for now, that is not the case.

There is no mention in the report of whether this would be the first phase of a wider deal for all the hostages, of the length of the proposed accompanying truce, or of Hamas’s relentless demand that Israel halt the war altogether as a condition for any further hostage releases.

Ending the war now isn’t an option, but some things are:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out ending the war until Hamas is destroyed as a military and governing force.

The report reiterates that Israel, as part of a deal, is now willing to allow residents to return to northern Gaza, and possibly to do so without any checks to prevent Hamas members from returning with them. It says Israel may also agree to withdraw IDF forces from the corridor it has established across the entire width of the strip, dividing northern and southern Gaza.

The report did mention that the IDF is fully ready for the Rafah offensive but will start again after any pause for hostage releases. It also mentions that securing the border between Rafah and Egypt is more important that destroying the Hamas battalions in Rafah since that is the way arms and supplies get to Hamas. Finally it says that Israel may be holding back going fully into Rafah in part because they are concerned about international views of them.

Pay More Attention To Hezbollah

One US senator thinks the United States needs to keep closer track of what is happening in the north of Israel as we’re told in an article from i24news.tv:

Senator Rubio, who serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the U.S., addressed various aspects of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hezbollah, and the U.S.'s roll in it.

Senator Rubio emphasized the significant threat posed by Hezbollah in the north, stating that the militant group is "multiple times more capable than Hamas." He stressed the importance of awareness in the U.S. regarding the gravity of the conflict in the northern region of Israel.

I’ve been saying this for quite some time so it’s good to hear someone else bang that drum. Rubio also stressed making sure Hamas is completely eradicated and that America continues to fully support Israel:

While advocating for a peaceful resolution, Senator Rubio underscored the necessity of not allowing any remnants of Hamas to persist after the conflict, as they would claim it as a victory.

According to Rubio, while there are Senators in the U.S. who (s)how a less supportive opinion on Israel, the aid package that the U.S. recently passed to help Israel should have been passed much earlier "already on Oct. 8". Senator Rubio highlighted the bipartisan support for Israel in Congress and emphasized the importance of continuing aid to Israel.

The senior senator from Florida also addressed the antisemitic protests on college campuses this way:

Turning to the protests on American campuses, Senator Rubio expressed concern over what he described as a "global left ideology" that portrays the weaker party, such as Hamas, as the victim. He criticized the takeover of higher education campuses by protest mobs and condemned any threats against Jewish students, emphasizing the need to ensure a comfortable environment for all students, especially considering the historical context of anti-Semitism. He said "free speech does not allow you to threaten Jewish students" mentioned that those who support a terrorist organization whose ultimate target is the U.S. and are studying on a visa, must be removed from the country.

He concluded that throwing money at these colleges is not good for Israel but also detrimental to the United States:

Senator Rubio warned against the danger of pouring billions into universities where students propagate anti-Israel sentiments, highlighting that the ultimate target of such sentiments is not just Israel but America itself.

Amen to that.

They’re Close

In a report from The Times Of Israel we hear that Iran’s ability to have the nuclear material needed for a bomb is not far away:

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has said that it would take Iran just weeks to have enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb, and that Tehran’s activity, alongside the limited access it grants to its facilities, “raises eyebrows.”

The man telling us says that in spite of this information, attacking Iran shouldn’t be on the table:

But International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi told Deutsche Welle in a report published Monday that attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities should be a “no-go.”

He explains that reasoning this way:

Grossi said that Iran is “weeks rather than months” away from having enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.

“But that does not mean that Iran has or would have a nuclear weapon in that space of time,” he added. “A functional nuclear warhead requires many other things independently from the production of the fissile material.”

Iran’s nuclear goals, he maintained, are “a matter of speculation,” though he criticized the country for its enrichment activity that “raises eyebrows” and its opaque dealings with UN nuclear inspectors, who are not being given the level of access to facilities that he believes they need.

It’s the things we don’t know that should be concerning:

Grossi said there are still unresolved issues about Iran’s nuclear program, such as traces of enriched uranium found in locations where it was not expected to be.

“When you put all of that together, then, of course, you end up with lots of question marks,” Grossi said, and noted that an IAEA delegation will soon be heading to Iran.

“I will be there to try to put these things back on track if they want to be believed,” he said.

While Iran still says they are only going to use nuclear abilities for civilian reasons, they are doing things that say otherwise:

Grossi said in February that Iran has continued to enrich uranium at rates of up to 60 percent purity, which is far beyond the needs for commercial nuclear use and is a short technical step away from weapons-grade 90%.

Iran claims its nuclear program is only for civilian use, pointing to the fatwa. However, experts say there is no civilian application for uranium enriched to that level, and Iran has been known to ramp up nuclear activity to flex its muscles during times of increased tensions with the West.

Israel isn’t buying it:

Israel and others have accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons despite the ban, lobbying for sanctions and a credible military threat should safeguards be breached.

Trust but verify is a good adage here, but for those of us who are Christians and believe in Bible prophecy we see that Israel will attack Iran (see Jeremiah 49) in the area where they do have nuclear plants and for that reason we pray that God will lead, guide, and protect them when this needs to happen. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we need to add this to how we specifically intercede for Israel.