SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 213

 

Jerusalem, Israel

DECEMBER 6, 2023  PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

 

ISRAEL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.:

In recent weeks there have been several opinions expressed by military experts and analysts about how cohesive the relationship is between Israel and the United States. Some have spoken of both countries seeing “eye to eye,” but others have said that Americans are very supportive until there is a clash of its strategic interests with Israel in its expanding war in the Middle East.

This has been further explored by Israeli military officials in conversations with U.S. opinion makers to get a clearer and more truthful picture of what the U.S.-Israel alliance really looks like moving forward.

American radio host and commentator, Gadi Taub, gave his assessment on current American foreign policy in the Middle East, during a Webinar hosted by the Israel Defense Security Forum (IDSF).

In his opinion, Israelis seem to have a sentimental view of the U.S., and do not ask what is the strategic position of the Biden Administration, including Biden’s regional policy. Is it a continuation of the Obama Administration’s policy?

According to Taub, there has been a realignment of American policy. A pro-western alliance has backed Iran into a corner. At the same time, America is wavering sanctions, which is allowing the mullahs to expand their interests, and putting them in a position to take their place on the word stage.

The general assessment of Taub is that U.S. policy in the Middle East is not working. Except for the four years that former U.S. President Donald Trump was in the White House, for two decades the U.S. has helped Iran to try and obtain regional hegemony, in Taub’s opinion. The JCPOA nuclear negotiations with Iran have been part of that American strategy. Iran has been able to expand its proxies and surround Israel with enemies including Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as opposition forces in Syria, Iraq, and the Houthi’s in Yemen.  

According to Taub, when the war broke out in Israel on October 7, 2023, the first thing that the Americans thought about was how to prevent this war, which they saw as collapsing their system of alliances, and challenging the Biden Administration’s policy of appeasement towards Iran. The White House has looked at how to save its policy from the political damage of this war, Taub states.

Furthermore, he thinks that Americans have tried to localize this war. However, what happened is that it revealed a U.S. policy that has emboldened Iran’s proxies.

The first thing that Biden officials did, after this war started on October 7, 2023, Taub believes was good for Israel. Israel’s interests and America’s interests converged in the beginning of the war.

Yet, Israel’s concern was the threat of a two-front war, in the south and in the north… both happening at the same time. Taub shared that the American aircraft carriers that arrived in the region, prevented the spread of the war, but it also saved America’s appeasement policy towards Iran.

In the future, if the war does spread to the northern border, it will reveal that America’s appeasement policy failed, according to Taub.  

U.S. President Joe Biden has continued to unfreeze Iranian assets, from October 7, 2023, until now. The appeasement policy towards Iran has been in place for years.

At the start of this current war, the convergence policy between Israel and the U.S. began to change when Israel addressed its plans to not only destroy Hamas, but to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah in the north of Israel.

Taub confirmed what others have said… that the Biden Administration will never let Israel initiate a war with Hezbollah. This limits Israel’s ability to attempt a pre-emptive strike, which has its advantages over its enemy.

Israel was already forced to evacuate northern border communities and displace 60,000 citizens once the current war began, because of Hezbollah’s aggression in the north.  How can Israel re-populate northern towns and villages without taking out Hezbollah? There is no security zone; no demilitarized zone as a buffer between Israel and Radwan Hezbollah forces. Israel must destroy Hezbollah at some point, which has been the position of several Israel governments.

Israel has recently woken up from its pre-conceptions and pre-disposition that its leaders walked in, ever since the 1970’s. Israeli officials developed a defensive position, different from Ben Gurion’s original position which was offensive. Instead, Israeli governments began to build Iron Domes and other defense mechanisms to be used in military conflicts.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued to have an enemy which has been offensive and has taken advantage of the Jewish State.

When U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinkin was here, recently, he sat in on Israel’s cabinet meeting which was not the usual protocol of a Foreign Minister. The right protocol, Taub said, was to meet with Israel’s Foreign Minister. Taub claims that Blinkin dictated limits in the way Israel could conduct the war with Hamas. Blinken told Israel to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, and to not bomb UN facilities. Israel knew that Hamas was hiding their weapons in UNWRA schools, and other places such as hospitals and homes.

Blinken also expected Israel not to move populations around in Gaza. Furthermore, Blinkin told Israel it did not have months to finish the war in Gaza, but just weeks. This would result in Israel not being able to complete its goals of dismantling the Hamas presence in Gaza.

Taub has assessed that the U.S. seems eager to end this war before Israel can obtain a victory. Taub said, this would leave “blood in the water for other sharks to smell.”

There were many phases of wars with Egypt through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, when its leadership wanted to destroy Israel, until there was a peace agreement in 1979 between Israel and Egypt. This broke the ring around Israel of Egypt’s attempt to try and destroy the Jewish State.

This current war against Hamas is the first phase in Israel being released from the noose that Iran is trying to put around it.  Biden is thinking that Israel has weeks to finish this war. But, Israel is thinking decades.

Taub explains that Israel needs to strategically plan to release the noose, while taking out Iran’s nuclear program. This cannot happen in just weeks, Taub said.

“We should not go for hostage deals,” according to Taub. He added: “It is not true that there were 240 hostages and now 140. We are 7 million hostages of Hamas now. We can’t run national policy based on the fate of 140 people, when the fate of 7 million people is standing in the balance.”

Taub challenged those Israelis who have thought about the fate of their loved ones only, and have been consumed by this alone. He has been concerned about these individual Israelis who are not restrained by moral responsibility for the state, itself, or by the collective moral fiber of the people. He explained that the majority of Israelis consider the top priority in their lives the survival of the state of Israel.

He stated that it is not an option to attend to everyone’s inner needs which are triggered by the trauma of the situation in the land right now. He talked about what the Maccabees did that considered the fate of the nation as hanging in the balance. “We need the spirit of the Maccabees, that were fanatics, when you have to face Hezbollah… with no scruples.”

Meanwhile, before October 7, 2023, the Americans were trying to create a Sunni alliance to counter the Iranian-Russian-Chinese front. And, Taub wondered, what will be the American pressure for the day after Hamas is conquered?

Taub’s assessment is that American policy has internal contradictions. “Biden keeps raising funds for the Iranians as we speak. The concern of the Biden Administration is a total collapse of their policy in a war.”

Furthermore, Taub claims that the Biden Administration wants to prevent an Iranian-Israel war, that the United States would be dragged into. This is a major reason for Biden’s appeasement policy towards Iran. Taub says there have been more than 50 attacks on American forces in the Middle East, and the Biden Administration has not responded. Instead, the White House keeps unfreezing Iranian funds.

From Taub’s viewpoint, Blinken’s recent visit to Israel was to lay out limits that would not allow Israel to win this current war. If Israel abides by Blinken’s restrictions, the IDF will not be able to take out Hamas. Blinken put a lot of pressure on Israel in talking about humanitarian issues.

This coming year is an election year in America. So, there is a lot at stake for Biden when it comes to Palestinian society and Gaza.

How strongly can the Israeli cabinet stand in the face of American pressure? This is an existential war, and Taub declared that Israel must stand strong. He pointed out the Iranian threat in the region in terms of world trade, and Iran’s ambition for regional hegemony.

Taub spoke of two clocks running here: (1) The Iranian clock of existential danger. And, (2) the American clock. He pondered, when will the Americans wake up to the failure of U.S regional policy?  When will the west, in general, wake up to radical Islam? Taub proclaimed that Israel is doing its best to help the U.S. wake up!

The American public is decidedly with Israel over being with Iran, according to Taub, and Americans are partial towards Israel, in this current Middle East war.  Taub said it has been stated that the Biden Administration is going to save Hamas from destruction, despite Israel having different goals. Taub wonders if there is a way that Israel can destroy Hamas without a full break from the Democratic American Administration.

In conclusion, as far as the IDF and the Israeli government is concerned, they are resolute to achieve the goals of this current war and destroy Hamas. But contrary to what Biden wants, it will take many months, and possibly years, to stabilize Gaza, as well as the terror infrastructure in the Middle East, that is on a massive scale. It requires a lot of time to deal with this… much more than can meet America’s current demands towards Israel.

PRAYER POINTS:

*Ask the Lord to give officials in the Biden Administration wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and revelation that will change American policy in the Middle East to line up with the word of God.

PROVERBS 21:1: “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; He guides it wherever He pleases.”

*Pray that the Lord guides the heart of American President Joe Biden, and directs him to line-up with His covenant and biblical plan concerning the nation of Israel.

PROVERBS 21:2: “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].”

*Pray that the intentions of Biden become exposed and dealt with by the Lord, Himself.

*The U.S. government is being tested, while the majority of the American people support Israel. Thank the Lord for this!

PROVERBS 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

*Pray that the policies of decades old State Department officials, which have not been favorable towards Israel, be completely uprooted, in Yeshua’s name! May the Lord also shed His light on whether the current American Administration is a friend or foe; and if a foe, then let there be a change in personnel at every senior level of the U.S. government.  May the Lord provide alternatives to current decisionmakers in America, so that those who are chosen to lead American in the future, will show favor towards the Jewish People and the state of Israel.  

CRAFTED PRAYER:

Lord, we ask You to open the door to more influencers in the Body of Messiah, giving them strategic positions in the U.S. government. Put those influencers in touch with lawmakers, who will set new clear U.S. policy regarding the Middle East. May revelation come to these influencers as to God’s scriptural promises regarding Israel and the Jewish People.

 

 

 

SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 212

 

Jerusalem, Israel

December 1, 2023 PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

 

Another shooting terror attack in Jerusalem. Same bus stop, at the exit of city, where there have been multiple attacks in the past. It is a vulnerable point.

Several Israelis died in that shooting attack.  An Israeli reserve soldier who got out of his car, crossed the road, and killed the terrorists. However, he himself was killed. Israeli troops that arrived on the scene thought he was also a terrorist and shot him. It was an accident in the midst of chaos. They call such accidents here: “friendly fire.”

The identities of the terrorists showed that they were from Jerusalem. This attack happened in the middle of the so-called cease-fire.

PRAYER POINTS:

Please remember this vulnerable bus stop in your prayers! Please do battle in the Spirit realm… that this bus stop will no longer become a bulls-eye target for terrorists!  No more ambushes from enemy gangsters. No more demonic confusion and chaos, that causes the lives of our soldiers!

We DECLARE the heart cry of David, according to PSALM 64 for our citizens:

“O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.

Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.

 

They sharpen their tongues like swords, and aim their bitter words like arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly. They encourage each other to do evil, and plan how to set their traps in secret.

 

“Who will ever notice?” they ask. As they plot their crimes, they say: We have devised the perfect plan!”

 

Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

But God Himself will shoot them with His arrows, suddenly striking them down.

 

Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

 

Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God, and realize all the amazing things He does. The Godly will rejoice in the LORD, and find shelter in Him. And those who do what is right will praise Him.”

 

Please proclaim Psalm 64 in your times of spiritual warfare.

 

 

 MILITARY UPDATE AND HOW THE IDF SEES THE PLIGHT OF REMAINING HOSTAGES:

 

The IDF is moving forward with the war. There are more IDF goals in the north of Gaza, and in the south.

The IDF wants a demilitarized zone in Gaza, with Hamas no longer controlling Gaza anymore.

There have been a lot of IDF efforts to do undercover operations, even to bring one hostage back, but, it has not worked, so far.

UPCOMING MILITARY OPERATIONS:

The IDF has 3 neighborhoods yet to take control of in north Gaza. What is different is that Israeli commanders, along with the government, decided there won’t be fighting between houses; but, they will be going into the battle only after the houses collapse.

PRAYER POINTS:

Pray that Israeli soldiers will find the enemy wherever he is hiding!

JOB 24:16: In the dark they (the enemy) breaks into houses which they marked for themselves in the daytime; They do not know the light. They reject the light!

Let God’s light reveal enemy positions to the IDF as they go into battle after the houses collapse.

In this next phase of fighting, there is a lot of firepower first: strikes from the air; artillery; and the killing of terrorists before the IDF goes in. This will be the case in the north, and in the south… especially, when the soldiers attack the city of Khan Yunis. Already, they have sent pamphlets, warning Gazans to get out of the city. This is an important target for the IDF where a difficult battle is expected to take place.  Please keep this specific city in your prayers!

 

Most of the tunnels have been in the north. The IDF thinks that in the south it will be easier to move around, even using a vehicle.

The IDF is still hoping that Hamas will give all the hostages back.

WHERE DO THE SO-CALLED “INNOCENT” GAZANS STAND:

Israeli military officials say that the Gazans cannot be trusted. There was a report several weeks ago, that the Gazans found a hostage that had escaped and gave him back to Hamas. According to Israeli leaders, many Gazans are acting on behalf of Hamas.

TWO WAVES OF MASSACRES:

Most of the world is not completely informed that there were two waves of massacres on October 7, and in the days that followed. There was not that much information in the news about it.

Israeli military officials say that the second wave of terror, that killed and slaughtered civilians, may have been Gazans helping Hamas. The claim is that there is no distinguishing factor between Hamas and some civilians that are caught up in these evil acts against Israel. This needs prayer – greater discernment, understanding, and wisdom for the IDF.

The IDF must rely on a lot of intelligence, so as not to attack where there are hostages. Israel knows where some of the hostages still are. But, it is very hard to get inside and to evacuate them because Hamas is holding on to them, with explosive charges, wherever they are.

If the IDF has opportunities to bring them out, then they will. But, they are trying to distinguish between the terrorists and the hostages, and not to attack the infrastructure of where they are located. This is a key point for prayer!

 

PRAYER POINTS:

In PSALM 31:1-5 we read from David the Psalmist:

“In You, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. Turn Your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.

Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.  (David is reminding the Lord of what He has promised. This is David’s assurance, by faith!)  

For the honor of Your name, lead me out off this danger! Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. (Another version says: Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in You alone). I entrust my spirit into Your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God.

Pray for exposure of wicked schemes:

EPHESIANS 5:12-13: “For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But, their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them.”

THE ATTITUDE OF THE ISRAELIS:

The majority of Israelis do not want to stop this war until the goals of the government are accomplished… that is, the finishing of Hamas’ rule in Gaza. Also, an established demilitarized zone, in Gaza, so that Israel’s southern communities are no longer threatened.

Until the Lord delivers Israel from the Islamic extremist elements in Arab society, this nation will be dealing with the reality that the presence of Jewish citizens in their own homeland is not accepted. This is the bottom line. But, God is using this to deliver His people. This is where the breakthrough will come in! The more insecure and afraid His people are, the more they will run into His arms!

Israel is going through great hardships and suffering. The population is being dealt with strongly by the Lord; His judgement has come to the Household of Israel. His correction is on the His people; their obedience is key. There will be a crying out to Him with all their hearts. It has started already, but more will come.

This is a shadow and type of what the nations will also go through…

PSALM 32:7: “You are my hiding place; You, LORD, protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs and with shouts of deliverance. Selah.”

PSALM 68:20: “Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.

ISAIAH 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD (Yehovah), YHVH, is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation.”

SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 211

 

Jerusalem, Israel

November 22, 2023  PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

 

THE HOSTAGE SITUATION:

We need to keep pressing on in prayer, with a keen focus on the hostage situation -- that ALL of the captives will be set free, not just some of them.

THERE ARE TWO KEY ISSUES – THE LORD’S DESIRE TO SEE MORE FAITH RISE UP IN ISRAEL; AND, ABOUT GREATER SHAKINGS IN THE LAND.

(1)   FAITH increased in Israel!

HEBREWS 11:32-39:

And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.

(2)   THIS WAR IS A GREAT SHAKING IN THE LAND! GOD WANTS US TO COME UP HIGHER – TO SEE FROM THE LORD’S THRONE ROOM PERSPECTIVE:

Hebrews 12:22-28:

But, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

AFTER THE WAR IN GAZA:

On November 19, 2023, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah denied that Hamas carried out the horrible massacre at the Rave festival near Gaza. Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) actually accused Israel of carrying out that massacre. In the past he denied the existence of the Holocaust, and today he is denying the existence of the Hamas massacre.

The same spirit is operating through this Palestinian leader in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), as it is through the Hamas leaders, Yahye Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.

This is a key point because there is a great focus now on the “day after” Israel is finished in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made this point about Mahmoud Abbas because the root of the issue is how the Palestinians are educating their children. It’s about the fact that Abbas rewards terrorists with money; those who committed crimes against Israel.

After Mahmoud Abbas put his comments on social media platforms, the Biden Administration, reportedly, demanded that he remove his messages, which he did.

The issue here is that the U.S., along with other nations, eventually wants the Palestinian Authority to take over the authority of Gaza.  And, look at who the Palestinian Authority represents (in the comments of Mahmoud Abbas?)

This is a wake-up call for us to pray…

Luke 12:2: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”

To the hunters who are hunting down God’s people, we declare, according to Jeremiah 16:17: “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eye.”

Let’s agree together in prayer before the Lord; who is watching over Israel, and over the Jewish People, globally; that He will continue to reveal those voices who ae denying the truth, so that HIS righteousness, justice, and truth, will prevail over every situation before Israel and the nations in Yeshua’s name!

 

ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDER WITH LEBANON:

One of Israel’s goals on the northern border has been to push back Hezbollah’s Radwan forces, so that Israeli citizens can return to their homes, safely. However, Israel’s main target is Beirut where the heads of Iran’s proxy forces are located.

Hezbollah did not enter into a full-scale war in the north, but rather created friction in the war with Israel.

While cooperation with the U.S. has been unprecendented, Israel has been restricted by the U.S. on the northern border.  There are diminishing degrees of strategy for Israel to act on because of what the Americans consider important, in order to avoid a full multi-arena war. It is holding Israel back from accomplishing its military goals, but most Israeli officials accept that the benefits of American support are worth it.

One of Israel’s national security officials is currently in the region, checking to make sure the war does not escalate in the north.

Meanwhile, military officials claim that the security situation in the north should be changed, completely, to provide self-confidence and security to Israeli citizens, so they can return to their homes. If northern residents see Hezbollah’s Radwan forces along the northern border, they will not go back to their homes.

Israelis that live in the north are in a state of fear, thinking that there will be terror inside their communities in the future. So, Israel’s military officials realize they need to do something dramatic to change the environment. Israel is not planning to go into a full-scale war. However, if necessary, Israel will do so. The IDF could do heavy damage to Lebanon by an aerial campaign. But, again, Israel is restricted by American policy in the Middle East.

Israel has gone to the UN, demanding that the UN cause Lebanon to comply with UN Security Resolution 1701 (passed by the UN after the Second Lebanon War). Israel will use convincing statements to address the international community of what is not acceptable. Israel will insist that they are able to work with the United Nations and UNIFIL to push back Hezbollah’s Radwan forces to the Bekah Valley or north to the Litani River. If that does not work, Israel’s military forces will take the conflict on the northern border to the next stage. The next stage will be more violent. Israel cannot accept the situation as it is now, where thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, is on Israel’s map of targets. He is on the IDF’s radar, but it is a matter of context. Israel is not planning automatic action against Nasrallah. It has to do with intelligence gathering, and benefits to Israel’s national security. Israel is fully capable of going after Nasrallah.

PRAYER POINT:

This is an assurance prayer for the residents of the north in Israel, as we proclaim they will overcome their fears and lean on God’s safety, protection and salvation that is available to them:

PSALM 139:

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.

You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,

even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—

even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!

If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.

O God, that You would slay the wicked—away from me, you bloodthirsty men— who speak of You deceitfully; Your enemies take Your name in vain.

Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?

I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

 

 

SITUATION ANALYSIS -- 210

 

Jerusalem, Israel

November 17, 2023  PRAYER UPDATE

Israel and the Nations

 

THE CONTINUED WAR IN GAZA:

After the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of Israel’s southern communities, the first phase of the war included fighting Hamas terrorists outside the Gaza border (in Israeli territory). This was followed by Israel unleashing its air power on the northern Gaza Strip. Now, the north has been successfully divided off from the south by IDF forces. Most Gazans have moved to the southern part of the Gaza Strip. On October 27, 2023, Israel began its second phase of the war, sending IDF ground troops into Gaza.

 

HAMAS BATTALIONS:

Calculations by the IDF is that 5,000 Hamas murderers were involved in the massacres of Israelis on October 7^th. All the rest of the Hamas terrorists, approximately 15,000 of them, were spread through 24 Hamas battalions.  Out of the 24 battalions, 14 of them still remain in the Gaza Strip. Israel has taken out the rest of them.  Israel achieved a “decisive victory” over the 10 battalions the IDF eliminated.

Hamas has not been annihilated. They are still active, launching rockets against Israeli towns and cities, though less often. Hamas is continuing to hit Israeli ground forces in the northern Gaza Strip, but not as a military terror unit. They are working as individuals, with RPG’s, and shooting at Israeli tanks.

Shifa hospital has become a symbol in this war. The IDF has evidence that Hamas used human shields in Shifa and other Gaza hospitals, and hid beneath the hospital compounds in basements. Israel entered Shifa hospital to provide this proof to the media, especially that Hamas held hostages under that hospital area.

Gaza City has been a tense area with lots of underground tunnels. The IDF has conquered it.

 

THE IDF’S MILITARY CAMPAIGNS:

The military campaign right now is still in the northern part of Gaza. The first and second campaigns are expected to last until the first part of January 2024.  

The third campaign will be focused on stand-off capabilities, and ground raids, in order to complete the military dimension of the war. The aim is the destruction of Hamas leadership, and the dismantling of the rest of the Hamas battalions which are mainly in southern Gaza. The IDF still has a long way to go to achieve its goals, and Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, is still in its sights.

The third campaign will include a different IDF strategy, employing different capabilities. Israel is leaving the details vague. IDF officials know where the Hamas leadership is located, and they are determined to eventually fulfill their targets in this war, especially going after Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.

There will be a fourth campaign connected to this war. It will involve rebuilding and reconstructing Gaza. It’s a different mandate, which will include other nations, not Israel. There will be strategies to provide humanitarian aid in the fourth campaign, as well as overall leadership of Gaza, which will include, for a time, an Arab force of some kind. Israel has insisted on having overall security control of Gaza.

 

ISRAEL’S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES:

Cooperation with the U.S. has been unprecendented in regard to many aspects of the war. American forces have been deployed in the Middle East, to deter Iran and Hezbollah. Tons of U.S. advanced military equipment and arms have been provided to Israel. The U.S is in the region to serve America’s interests, which sometimes clash with Israel’s interests.

 

THE HOSTAGES:

Israeli families are losing patience with the Israeli government over the fate of their loved ones. If there is, suddenly, a hostage deal, military officials say it will create a temporary pause in the fighting. Hamas wants a cease fire, but Israel has said it would only be temporary. 

The plight of the hostages is a very difficult and complex problem for Israel. It is a triangle of tensions involving: (1) Israel’s goal to hit very high targets at a very high level. (2) Israel’s operational concepts to eliminate those high targets. (3) In the midst of Israel’s military campaign, there are on-going negotiations to free the hostages. It’s an intensive, constant, pressure on the Israeli government and armed forces. PRAYER is needed!

Hamas wants to use the hostages as pawns to achieve their goals:  

·        *To get Palestinian prisoners out of jail.

 *A strategy to stop the war in order for Hamas to survive. With a pause, it gives them time to supply their military capabilities. They want fuel to run their operations in the tunnels. They want refreshment time outside the tunnels. And, they want food that will last them 40 days beneath the ground, isolated from what is happening above them.

 Holding the hostages is their strategy of survival. Hamas has threatened to kill some of the hostages if Israel does not agree to their demands. Sinwar knows that Israel’s combat capabilities will crush his men, so he wants to bring relief to them in the underground tunnels. He needs a ceasefire to enable him to do this. Whether it is called a “pause” or a “temporary ceasefire,” either way, its to Israel’s disadvantage. Yet, the freeing of the hostages is a priority of the Israeli people.

 

ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDER WITH LEBANON:

One of Israel’s goals on the northern border has been to push back Hezbollah’s Radwan forces, so that Israeli citizens can return to their homes, safely. However, Israel’s main target is Beirut where the heads of Iran’s proxy forces are located.

The Radwan Regiment is a special operational force of Hezbollah that Israel is contending with on the northern border. Its main goal is to infiltrate the territory of Israel, with a specific focus on northern Israel, expanding into the Galilee. These forces wanted to carry out a similar attack as Hamas did to Israel’s southern communities on October 7th.

Iran’s original plan was for its Axis of Resistance to strike, simultaneously, in a multi-front war against Israel. Iran delayed, but Hamas decided to strike on its own. To the disappointment of Hamas, Hezbollah did not join its secret attack on Israel, Oct. 7th. Hamas then thought that by providing such a victory as a catastrophe in Israel, it would cause all Iranian Axis of Resistance forces to join in, especially Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Lebanon. Israeli military officials have concluded that Iran had other interests, and refused to sacrifice their goals for the goals of Hamas.

Hezbollah did not enter into a full-scale war in the north, but rather created friction in the war with Israel. They have used Palestinians to target civilians, and their own capabilities to target Israeli soldiers. According to Israeli officials, Hezbollah has not had much success.

However, Israeli officials say that Hamas will provide its own success story that Israel had to evacuate 60,000 Israelis in northern border towns. It will, likely, declare that it diverted Israel’s attention from Gaza by forcing the IDF to deploy forces in Lebanon that could have been used in Gaza. Furthermore, Hezbollah could say it managed to disrupt the normal routine of Israeli residences in the north.

So far, Hezbollah has lost 76 operatives. Israel has lost 7 soldiers. Israel’s military experts have concluded that Hezbollah is very strict on equations. Now, Hezbollah is occupied with how to change the equation to something equivalent. However, Israel still has assessed that it is against Iran’s interest to fully mobilize Hezbollah and go to a full-scale war at this time.

While cooperation with the U.S. has been unprecendented, Israel has been restricted by the U.S. in the north.  There are diminishing degrees of strategy for Israel to act on because of what the Americans consider important in order to avoid a full multi-arena war. It is holding Israel back from accomplishing its military goals, but most Israeli officials accept that the benefits of American support are worth it.

Military officials claim that the security situation in the north should be changed, completely, to provide self-confidence and security to Israeli citizens, so they can return to their homes. The northern residences are not expected to rely on Israeli intelligence, nor on IDF sentiment, that states: “We will give you an early warning sign.” If northern residents see Hezbollah’s Radwan forces along the northern border, they will not go back to their homes.

Israelis that live in the north are in a state of fear, thinking that there will be terror inside their communities in the future. So, Israel’s military officials realize they need to do something dramatic to change the environment. Israel is not planning to go into a full-scale war. However, if necessary, Israel will do so. The IDF could inflict heavy damage on Lebanon by an aerial campaign. But, again, Israel is restricted by American policy in the Middle East.

Israel plans to eventually go to the United Nations, demanding that the it cause Lebanon to comply with UN Security Resolution 1701 (passed by the UN after the Second Lebanon War). Israel will use convincing statements to address the international community of what is not acceptable. Israel will insist that they are able to work with the United Nations and UNIFIL to push back Hezbollah’s Radwan forces to the Bekah Valley or north to the Litani River. If that does not work, Israel’s military forces will take the conflict on the northern border to the next stage. The next stage will be more violent. Israel cannot accept the situation as it is now, where thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. 

Is it inevitable that Israel will eventually go to war in the north?  According to one military spokesman, the answer is, “no.”

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, is on Israel’s map of targets. He is on the IDF’s radar, but it is a matter of context. Israel is not planning automatic action against Nasrallah. It has to do with intelligence gathering, and benefits to Israel’s national security. Israel is fully capable of going after Nasrallah. An IDF military official said to pay attention to how Israel deals with Gaza – the images will be similar.

 

PRAYER POINTS:

In 2 Chronicles 20:1 we read, “…Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 

PRAY that Israel recognizes that it is the Lord who is fighting on Israel’s behalf!

In 2 Samuel 17:45, we read, “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’ ”

The Lord delivered Goliath into David’s hands, and we declare in the name of Jesus, and in PRAYER that God will deliver Hamas, Hezbollah, the Radwan forces, Iran, and others in the enemy’s Axis of Resistance…. all of them into Israel’s hands! And, the whole world will know that the God of Israel did this!

According to 2 Chronicles 32:8, PRAY that Israel relies on the Lord in battle!  Hamas or Hezbollah may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!

Declare, as stated in Deuteronomy 20:1, that no matter what vast army tries to come against Israel, that Israeli forces will not shrink back in fear, but realize that the Lord is with them, as He was with them when He brought them out of Egypt.

Luke 8:17: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

PRAY for the hostages that are in the captivity of Hamas in Gaza -- that the Lord will help the IDF find those hostages, immediately, and bring them ALL to safety, in Jesus name! 

Isaiah 61:3: They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.”

PRAY for wounded Israeli soldiers in hospital rehabilitation centers throughout Israel – that the LORD will, supernaturally, heal them and restore them through miracles, signs, and wonders – HIS display of HIS splendor!

Proverbs 29:25: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”

Israel sees itself as weaker, militarily, than the United States. So, Israeli leaders lean on America, rather than God, Himself. This is becoming a snare for Israel in the north. PRAY that Israeli officials look to the Lord for their every need, especially, militarily, diplomatically, and politically, as they fight this war.

Acts 3:19: “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” 

Currently, there are testimonies of miracles happening in Israel throughout this war. This is especially true of secular Jews. They are returning to God in the only way they know how – in being more observant of their traditions. It’s a start!  Do not dismay the day of small beginnings!  There is repentance through their sorrows.

Acts 3:20: “And, that He may send Jesus, the Messiah, who was preached to you before.” 

PRAY for this progressive faith that is at work here in Israel; that the fullness will come – from repentance, to a turn towards God, with forgiveness of sin, and refreshing times before Him. THEN, that the Lord will send Jesus to them; capturing the hearts of His people by bringing them their promised Messiah… that All Israel Will Be Saved!  (Romans 11:25-26).

Hebrews 10:36: “You need to persevere, so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”

The “collective whole” of Israel is in the trial of endurance – running the race and wanting to finish it well, especially the believers. In the army, the soldiers are battling the ground forces of Hamas. In the Body of Messiah, we are battling heavenly forces. PRAY that He renews our strength like the wings of an eagle, and that we can soar with Him in heavenly places, receiving His heavenly perspective, in knowing how to PRAY most effectively! May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Lock your prayer shields with us over Israel!