GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 268

Looming War In The North

Israel And Hamas Not Changing

The more days into this war, the more the two sides aren’t showing signs of changing as we see in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on the importance of defeating Hamas, as American officials reportedly sought to amend some of the language in the proposal in an attempt to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas.

The PM spoke very strongly about what they see as their goals:

“We are committed to fighting until we achieve all of our objectives,” Netanyahu said during the weekly government meeting on Sunday.

These objectives are, “Eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages, ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel, and returning our residents securely to their homes in the south and the north,” he stated.

“There is no change in Israel’s position” on the proposal for a hostage deal that US President Joe Biden unveiled on May 31, Netanyahu stressed.

Netanyahu told anyone who will listen that one barrier remains to getting a deal done:

“Today, everyone knows a simple truth: Hamas is the only obstacle to the release of our hostages.

He still believes that pressure from the IDF is a tool to getting a release deal done:

“With the combination of diplomatic and military pressure, the latter first and foremost, we will return them all – all 120 hostages, the living and the deceased,” he said.

Hamas, though is also sticking to their goals as well:

He spoke amid reports by the Axios news outlet that the US has amended some parts of the deal in an attempt to bridge the gap between Hamas and Israel.

Hamas has insisted that Israel must commit to a permanent ceasefire and withdraw the IDF from Gaza prior to the start of the deal. It has refused to accept any deal, including this latest one, that does not include those principled points.

Israel has committed to a three phase deal with any talk about a permanent ceasefire only occurring after the first phase, but Hamas is rejecting that offer:

Israel has accepted the proposal that Biden unveiled, which is essential to its plan, that would allow for a three-phase deal to move forward, and would leave the question of a permanent ceasefire to the second phase.

Hamas has rejected that deal. The mediating countries Qatar and Egypt have continued to press for an agreement as has the United States.

As I stated, I don’t see a deal getting done as long as both sides aren’t budging on their stated goals. Anyone, including the United States that can’t figure that out is blinded by politics of some sort.

War Fronts Growing

In a report from i24news.tv Israel are concerned that a new war front is forming:

Israeli intelligence agencies are increasingly apprehensive about a potential new front emerging against the country, this time in the Mediterranean, according to exclusive details authorized for release by Israeli security services.

Reports reveal that Yemen's Houthi rebels are expanding their influence across North Africa, Sudan, Egypt, and Morocco with intentions to target Israel from these regions.

An international coalition has been suppressing the Houthi rebels, but the containment strategy appears to not be helping:

The Houthis are reportedly planning to deploy fighters from Yemen to bolster their presence in these countries, posing a direct threat to Israeli interests in the Mediterranean region. Intelligence sources indicate ongoing efforts to transfer weapons to these newly targeted areas.

One possible outcome is particularly concerning:

"The horror scenario is that of a missile falling into the Mediterranean Sea, which would be a catastrophe," a source familiar with the situation told i24NEWS. "The threat is not confined to Eilat and the Red Sea; it is right here, off the Israeli coast."

Proxies are working together more and more:

Recent developments have also seen Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah engaging with Houthis and Shiite militias in Iraq, suggesting a coordinated effort to expand influence. According to Lebanese daily Al Akhbar, the Houthis aim to establish a significant presence that could potentially threaten strategic points like the Strait of Gibraltar from Moroccan territory.

Of course we all know who is really pulling the strings now:

"Iran is actively extending its influence through proxies in Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, and now focusing on the Horn of Africa," the report further highlighted, underlining Iran's broader regional strategy.

World Leaders Warn Hezbollah

Countries are sending a strong message to Hezbollah that getting involved in a war with Israel may not go as planned for them as see in an article from The Times Of Israel:

American, European and Arab mediators are pressing to keep stepped-up cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group from spiraling into a wider Middle East war that the world has feared for months.

No ceasefire with Hamas could mean the IDF will turn to Hezbollah next:

Hopes are lagging for a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza that would calm attacks by Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias. With the stalled talks in mind, American and European officials are delivering warnings to Hezbollah — which is far stronger than Hamas but seen as overconfident — about taking on the military might of Israel, current and former diplomats say.

The United States is sending a message to Hezbollah as it deploys more firepower to the area. However, the terrorist group might be thinking that they are better prepared than they are:

It’s not clear whether Israel or Hezbollah have decided to ratchet down attacks to avoid triggering an Israeli invasion into Lebanon, said Gerald Feierstein, a former senior US diplomat in the Middle East. Despite this past week’s plateauing of hostilities, “it certainly seems the Israelis are still… arranging themselves in the expectation that there will be some kind of conflict… an entirely different magnitude of conflict,” he said.

The message being delivered to Hezbollah is “don’t think that you’re as capable as you think you are,” he said.

In another article, this one from i24news.tv we learn that the IDF can do more harm that Hezbollah thinks:

During his visit to Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized Israel's capacity to inflict severe damage on Lebanon in any potential conflict with Hezbollah, warning that Israel could take Lebanon "back to the Stone Age."

Gallant said that a diplomatic ending would be preferred:

However, he stressed that his government prioritizes a diplomatic solution, a path currently being pursued with the support of the United States, according to a Reuters report.

Gallant highlighted the urgency of addressing the "security situation in the north" during his discussions with US officials. He made it clear that Israel cannot tolerate Hezbollah's military presence along the Lebanese border.

"We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario," Gallant stated to reporters.

As Hamas looks to be a defeated foe with Israel occupying a large majority of Gaza and Rafah, Hezbollah might want to attack now as opposed to later, but that might not turn out like they think. And as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem it’s a good idea to add Hezbollah to the list of places to intercede for as they may be acting out of pride and not common sense.