GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 338

Prayer Is The Key

Not Even Close

After saying that a deal was 90% done, the US now says the gaps between Hamas and Israel are growing as we see in a report from The Jerusalem Post:

Senior US officials have expressed skepticism about introducing a new proposal for a hostage deal in the coming days. The US is still coordinating with Qatar and Egypt on a draft, but President Joe Biden’s senior advisers are debating whether it is worthwhile to table such a proposal as the gaps between Hamas and Israel continue to grow.

Is a new deal forthcoming still? It doesn’t seem likely:

The White House has been reassessing its approach to the negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza. Some of Biden’s senior advisers are questioning the effectiveness of presenting a new mediation proposal, as the differences between Hamas and Israel seem to be widening, according to senior American officials.

Joe Biden thinks otherwise:

President Biden has been personally involved in the hostage negotiations and wants to push for an agreement. However, there are concerns in the White House that any new proposal presented now could be dismissed immediately.

His staff are split:

While Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA Director William Burns suggested a new proposal might be offered soon, other senior officials indicated this is not likely to happen in the immediate future.

That being said, the current deal looks like it is on life support and it is most likely dues to Hamas murdering 6 hostages:

Senior American officials said that over the past week, Biden’s top advisers have held discussions and have become increasingly skeptical about reaching a deal soon.

The murder of six hostages, including American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Hamas’s new demand for the release of 100 additional Palestinian prisoners, have fueled pessimism within the White House.

A Frustrating Requirement

As we all know, the hang up of the current deal and really, any future one is the Philadelphi Corridor:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated demands that Israel continue to maintain military control along the Philadelphi corridor have led to frustration in Washington.

“This is a tough time. People in the White House are sad, upset, and frustrated. We’re still working, but it doesn’t seem like we’ll present anything in the immediate term. We’re in a complicated spot,” a senior US official said.

It really isn’t that complex, though. The US must already know that if the IDF gives up control of the border, terrorists will flood through bringing weapons to replenish their supply. Do they think that the IDF can just start over in the area after some hostages are returned? Even those who oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu believe that if the IDF leaves a small contingent behind back they will be like sitting ducks. And the amount of hostages may not meet what they are offering. Add to that the hesitance of Hamas leader Sinwar to get a deal as news he will stall comes out from a German news report. Add to that what was mentioned before about the murder of the hostages and you have a recipe for negotiation disaster:

The Biden administration faces a tough dilemma, as it believes Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is uninterested in a deal, according to senior US officials. Even if Sinwar were open to negotiations, Biden is reluctant to offer further concessions to Hamas after the murder of hostages and amid increasing demands.

Still, they are trying to bridge the gap between both sides by putting pressure on the Hamas leader:

The Biden administration is still working closely with Qatar and Egypt on a more detailed proposal, but there has been no significant progress. Senior American officials say the focus has shifted toward finding ways for Egypt and Qatar to pressure Sinwar more effectively.

Israel knows about these talks but don’t see things changing:

Israeli officials acknowledged their awareness of ongoing talks between the US, Egypt, and Qatar but noted that no major developments have occurred in recent days.

Prayer Keys

As things heat up in the war against Hamas, we provide some prayer keys to help Israel:

  • Lord, we thank You for encouraging us to trust in You and not in Israel's government, yet knowing that You have raised up its government for today, we ask You to lead us in prayer over it (Dan. 2:21).
  • We pray that in Your grace, You would draw Israel's leaders to seek You for wisdom and guidance, and to trust You as they read Your Word (Psa. 19:7; 24:6; 70:4; 119:98-100; Jer. 8:9).
  • As Bibi reads the Torah portion, convict him to spend more time in Your Word (Deut. 17:18-20).
  • Use his knowledge of history to make him an insightful and bold leader today (Eccl. 3:14-15).
  • Bring to him sons of Zion and of Issachar to offer him godly counsel (I Chr. 12:32; Prov. 15:22).
  • Guard him from internal groups trying to manipulate him, whether it is some of the hostage families, politicians, or military officers who still plan as if it is October 6th (Num. 23:23; Psa. 35:1; 43:1).
  • Bind up the spirit of insanity that has taken hold of the Bibi-haters (1 Sam., 18:10-11: Eccl. 7:25).
  • Lord God, set Israelis free from Hamas' very successful psychological use of the hostages for emotional blackmail (Num. 23:23; Psa. 140:7).
  • Lord, silence those in the media in and outside of Israel, who resist those areas of Your will which Israel's current coalition are trying to accomplish (1 Sam. 2:9; Psa. 140:3-4; Rom. 3:13).
  • Hedge in social media also, as so much of it is humanistic, anti-Christ propaganda (Rev. 13:1, 6).
  • Lord, minister Your peace and bring closure to those families whose loved ones were hostages and who are now confirmed to be dead (2 Sam. 12:19-23; Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18).
  • God of hosts, thank You for hearing our prayers that the IDF would start to look to Israel's military industries to supply its needs – and looking less to its 'broken reed" allies (Isa. 30:1; 36:6; 41:10-16).
  • Show Israel how to relate to the US no matter who will be their next president, and may You lead Israel to totally wean itself off from depending on America (Job 12:23-25; 28:28a; Isa. 30:1).
  • God, apply Isaiah 51:22-23 in the prophetic portion to Israel's current conflict with Hamas.
  • If Netanyahu should fire Defense Minister Gallant who has resisted what he and Israel's cabinet have decided to do in Gaza, and has publically rebuked Bibi, then show him how to do it (Deut. 19:19).
  • God, Hamas has publically said that the hostages will be murdered if the IDF gets close to rescuing them, so we ask You to rescue the hostages miraculously and battle against Israel's enemies, showing multitudes of Jews and gentiles that You are still "the mighty One of Jacob." (Isa. 49:24-26)
  • Use this Hamas threat to push the IDF to war against Hamas with an all-out effort and at a much greater speed (Gen. 14:14; Psa. 18:37)
  • Expose every undiscovered tunnel in Gaza and on the Egyptian-Gaza border (Obad. 1:6).
  • Support Bibi's demand that Israel must maintain full security control over Gaza, and the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border, for the foreseeable future (Neh. 4:17; Jer. 50:25).
  • Lord God, for Your holy name's sake, direct Israel to repossess Gaza after the war as it is part of the inheritance of Judah (Josh. 15:1, 47; Judg. 1:18; Prov. 16:9).
  • Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6)