GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 302

All-Out War

Tensions Are Running High

With both Iran and Hezbollah drawing up plans for an attack on Israel for the recent assassinations of the Hamas spokesperson and the number two in command in Hezbollah, Israel is readying for attacks from all sides. We are told that the IDF is fully ready in a report from CBN.com:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike on Israel after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The counter attack could come from all sides and be much bigger than before:

In Israel and throughout the Middle East, citizens, foreign nationals, businesses, and military personnel are preparing for the possibility of a regional war on multiple fronts, all at once.

Some analysts believe Iran, along with its regional proxies, is preparing an even larger attack than when it launched more than 350 missiles, rockets, and UAVs at Israel on April 13th.

As mentioned, the IDF says they are completely prepared:

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced Thursday that the military is on high alert.

"Both in defense and in attack, IDF forces are deployed in the air, at sea, and on land and are prepared for any scenario, and especially for the attack plans in the immediate time frame," Hagari stated.

The PM stated much the same thing:

With the prospect of an all-out war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with the Home Front Command.

"Israel is at a very high level of readiness for any scenario – both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu declared. "We will exact a very heavy price for any act of aggression against us from any arena."

And a previous Israeli ambassador echoed the same sentiments:

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, now in uniform, reaffirmed to CBN News that Israel is prepared.

“We are prepared for every possible contingency, every possible scenario, and anybody who strikes us will pay a very, very high price.”

When asked about the state of the military's readiness, Oren responded, "Very high. Very high. I'm talking to you from the north, from the northern border. And the level of alert here is very high."

Another Line Could Be Crossed

We read in an article from The Jerusalem Post the Iran is giving Hezbollah permission to target civilians in retaliation for Israel taking out their 2nd in command:

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations told CBS News in an exclusive on Friday that the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah would begin deliberately targeting Israeli civilians - claiming that it had not done so until now.

The line, which Israel already feels the terrorist agency already crossed when it killed 12 children and teens in a missile attack on late last month, is apparently part of the terrorists agenda now:

Hezbollah has reportedly decided to increase its targets in attacks in response to the assassination of its commander, Fuad Shukr.

"Until now, Hezbollah and the regime have, in an unwritten understanding, practically adhered to certain limits in their military operations, meaning that confining their actions to border areas and shallow zones, targeting primarily military objectives," a spokesperson from the delegation told CBS News. "However, the regime's attack on Dahieh in Beirut and the targeting of a residential building marked a deviation from these boundaries. We anticipate that, in its response, Hezbollah will choose both broader and deeper targets, and will not restrict itself solely to military targets and means."

Israelis are told to be on alert as warning signs are coming from other sources:

While Greek media reported on Friday that it had been warned by foreign intelligence to prepare for attacks on Israeli interests in the country, Iran's mission told CBS News that Hezbollah would attack Israeli civilians only within Israeli territory.

We are getting into the third round of retaliations now and eventually the military actions will lead to completely taking out the other or at least trying to do that:

Earlier this week, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was eliminated in an Iranian guest house. While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, Iran has threatened to retaliate. This retaliation is predicted to come alongside attacks from Iran-backed terror groups in the region.

Iran, who is planning an attack mainly because the assassination occurred on their soil, may decide to unleash an attack that won’t be confined to just Israel proper:

An Israeli official confirmed to CBS News that while Iran's April 13 attack was thwarted, Israel was anticipating a "more aggressive" retaliation this time around - a retaliation which could extend to Israeli interests abroad.

Israel Takes Advantage

In a report from The Times Of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked with his counterpart Joe Biden and it got a little heated:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is feeling more emboldened to act against Iran after US President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, according to a report in the Telegraph that cites a senior Israeli official.

In the past, when Biden was still running for president he was stronger in keeping the PM in check, and Iran took advantage if it:

The official tells the British newspaper that Biden was seeking to “restrain” Netanyahu while he was still in the race, and had “told him not to respond too harshly to Iran’s attacks.”

“And Iran knew this, which is why they exploited the situation to attack Israel,” adds the official, who says the US president will now do what he “believes is right.”

The US source seems to point the finger at Netanyahu for knowing he has room to work since Biden is committed to him and Israel:

The official continues: “His true agenda is to support Israel fully. And he has done so for decades. Netanyahu knows this, which is why he’s being more bold and feels confident that he can attack Israel’s enemies and still have the full support of the US,” he added.

But with Biden out of the race that dynamic may change as he wants to seal his legacy by bringing peace to the Middle East, a goal many leaders in the past have tried to pull off and didn’t succeed:

The official also says Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid is a “big game changer” in the region because Iran planned to exploit his campaign.

A different senior Israeli official quoted in the report says Biden wants a ceasefire.

“That is how he wants to leave his term. The conversation they (Biden and Netanyahu) held two days ago was tense,” the official adds, echoing other recent reporting on the phone call.

Politics always seem to rear its ugly head in world conflicts and this one is no different. Netanyahu needs some room to work now since he is playing with what many see as a losing hand. No matter what he decides will be fraught with downsides and risks. However as I read Bible prophecy, Israel will lose a lot of support and will have to eliminate the terrorist threats on their own this time. Fortunately for them God is on their side and in the Psalm 83 war prophecies, they come out of this regraded as God’s mighty army. But pray for the peace of Jerusalem because such a war will not be without a heavy price.