GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 299

Dead Men Not Walking

A Very Bold Move

Maybe it wasn’t a move anyone saw coming, but it was a move that shocked Hamas and all terrorists in the Middle East as we read in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital of Tehran early Wednesday morning, the Palestinian terror group said, noting the killing could drastically change the outlook of Israel's war on Hamas.

As was the case with the assassination of the second in command of Hezbollah who was only recently confirmed dead, this strike left no room for ambiguity:

Hamas deputy chief in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya, citing witnesses who had been with Haniyeh in Iran, later said that the missile that killed Haniyeh struck him "directly," Reuters reported.

As a result of the missile strike, windows, doors, and walls in his room were destroyed, Al-Hayya told a press conference in Tehran.

Haniyeh, along with one of his guards, was killed at around 2:00 a.m. at his Tehran residence following the launch of projectiles from an adjacent building, according to Al-Arabiya and other Arab outlets.

As could be expected, the various terrorist organizations were more than ready to give their opinions of the strike:

Hamas claimed Israel was responsible for the targeted killing, saying in a statement that their political leader was killed in "a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran."

Once the IDF had actionable intelligence, apparently from one of his bodyguards, they took action. It also didn’t take long to have corroborating evidence of the death:

Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country's new president and said it was investigating.

Israel hasn’t claimed responsibility of the strike, but they rarely do at the time:

As of Wednesday afternoon, Israeli officials have yet to take responsibility for the assassination. The IDF said it was assessing the situation but had not issued any new security guidelines for civilians.

Hamas isn’t happen nor is Iran who both will surely retaliate:

Hamas' armed wing said in a statement Haniyeh's killing would "take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions." Vowing to retaliate, Iran declared three days of national mourning and said the US bears responsibility because of its support for Israel.

Musa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of Hamas's political bureau, warned that the elimination of the Haniyeh "will not pass in silence."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had provided the grounds for "harsh punishment for itself" and it was Tehran's duty to avenge the Hamas leader's death as it had occurred in the Iranian capital. Iranian forces had already made strikes directly on Israel earlier in the Gaza war.

And we’ve just learned that Iran has ordered an attack on Israel, but we don’t know what form it will take.

Not Escalating The War

Those like myself who think that this will indeed escalate the war will have to wait and see when Iran will respond and how they will respond. For now Iran and its proxies are in mourning:

"With condolences to the heroic nation of Palestine and the Islamic nation and the combatants of the Resistance Front and the noble nation of Iran, this morning [Wednesday], the residence of Mr. Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political office of the Islamic Resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and following this incident, he and one of his bodyguards were martyred," an IRGC statement read. "Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his and one of his bodyguards' martyrdom. The cause is under investigation and will be announced soon."

World powers weighed in with countries generally supportive of Hamas condemning Israel:

Qatar, which has been brokering talks aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza along with Egypt, condemned Haniyeh's killing as a dangerous escalation of the conflict. Egypt said it showed a lack of political will on Israel's part to calm tensions. China, Russia, Turkey and Iraq also condemned it.

The peace talks are going to probably be setback as should be expected:

The assassination, which took place less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah commander it said was behind a deadly strike in the Golan Heights, appears to set back chances of any imminent ceasefire agreement in the 10-month-old war Gaza.

As we mentioned earlier, Israel isn’t looking to accelerate the fighting:

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was not trying to escalate the war but was prepared for all scenarios. Visiting an air defense battery, he praised the forces who carried out the attack on the Hezbollah commander in Beirut.'

"Israel is not interested in an all-out war," Foreign Minister Israel Katz also stated in a message he sent to foreign ministers around the world on Wednesday.

From those inside of Israel the feelings were mixed:

In Israel, the mood was buoyant as Israelis welcomed what they saw as a major achievement in the war against Hamas, though residents in besieged Gaza feared Haniyeh's death would prolong the fighting that has devastated the enclave.

Haniyeh’s family has lost members in the recent past:

Three of Haniyeh's sons were killed in an airstrike in April. His sister was also eliminated last month.

When Prime Minister Netanyahu and others said member of Hamas were dead men walking they meant it.

Threats Are Coming

In a short online video, the PM told Israelis that things could get worse before they get better as seen in an article from The Times Of Israel:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns that “challenging days are ahead.”

“Since the strike in Beirut, threats are being sounded from everywhere,” he says.

“We are ready for every scenario,” he promises, “and will stand united and determined against every threat.”

In his message he made sure to tell Israelis that they need to be patient:

Netanyahu reiterates that the war will take time and demands stamina from Israel’s citizens. He says that for some time, he has been under pressure domestically and abroad to end the war.

The Pm also told them that he’s not backing down now:

“I did not give in to those voices then, and I don’t give in to them now,” he stresses.

Had he listened to them, the premier argues, Israel would not have taken out Hamas leaders and fighters, destroyed infrastructure, taken the Gaza-Egypt border area, or “created the conditions that bring us closer to terms that will not only bring our hostages back, but also allow us to achieve all of our war aims.”

Netanyahu stated that such resolve hasn’t been easy but it will be worth it:

“All of the achievements in recent months were attained because we did not give in,” Netanyahu says, “and because we made brave decisions in the face of great pressure at home and abroad. And I tell you it was not easy.”

“Together we will fight, and with God’s help, together we will win,” he concludes.

I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Netanyahu and his supporters to deal with all the pressures this war presents. Terrorists from all sides are threatening to attack them now that they have taken out two terrorists behind the killing of their people and allies are pressuring them to not retaliate at all. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem specifically that they won’t buckle under and let terrorism remain all around them once again. Containment is not going to work now. Pray that they will finish what they started and live in peace and safety just as prophesied.