Israel Report - Saturday 24 February 2024
Sought Out - not Forsaken.....
Editorial
As the nations become increasingly infected with the anti-Semitism virus with no vaccine in sight, imagine the shock and horror as the citizenry discover for themselves, now quite possibly in their lifetime, the plans the God of Israel has for the nation that He clearly reveals is the apple of His eye.
They are without excuse - greatly detailed promises are available to all in the mostly unread writings of the biblical prophets penned millennia ago.
If we are well into the "Latter Days" as we seem to be, and Israel demonstrably the most hated nation on earth currently fighting for its very survival, wouldn’t' it be prudent to seek out just exactly what the Lord Himself has revealed as the outcome?
When the coming last wars are fought and lost, and that finally only achieved by the intervention of the Jewish Messiah - and a devastated world remains, what then?
The remaining few nations left relatively intact will, in great shame and anguish, be forced to bow to the realisation that they will now be ruled from Jerusalem, and Israel will be the head of the nations - forever.
The pledges made to the remnant of Zion are immense in their scope and wash away any lingering doubts anyone may have about the immediate future.
For Zion's sake God will not hold His peace, or rest, until divine wrath and anger are satisfied.
The Gentile nations will quickly observe and understand when they are shown the glory and righteousness of who is about about to govern them.
Israel will be a royal diadem, she will no more be thought of as forsaken, or termed desolate - to Jerusalem will all mankind pay homage.
A nation shunned, persecuted, and reviled for so long has then become Hephzibah, which means “my delight is in her” and Beulah which means “married”
God has set His watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem who will not remain silent, and give Him no peace until Jerusalem becomes a praise in all the earth.
To see a large number of people calling themselves 'the Church" today found fighting against the plans of their Saviour is utterly devastating and demoralising, and the judgement seat that awaits will be an uncomfortable experience for all who have been foolish enough to take the side of those wishing an end to God's elect.
The Lord Jesus Christ is Jewish, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. That has been proclaimed to the end of the world - and He brings with Him at His coming salvation and reward for His people .
They will be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord - sought out, a city not forsaken.
Source; Isaiah 62
War cabinet agrees to send Delegation to Paris for Hostage talks......
Israel and Hamas have been at odds over the terms of a deal as Hamas insists on a full withdrawal and end to the war, while Israel insists that it must be allowed to finish its military campaign.
The war cabinet agreed to send a high-level delegation to a second Paris summit on hostage talks in hopes of a breakthrough that would allow a deal to be reached before the month-long Ramadan holiday, which begins on March 10.
“We are confident that the Israeli delegation... will promote a quick deal to return all the hostages, those who are alive and those who have been murdered,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said as it welcomed the decision.
Israel warns UNSC Iran giving weapons to Hezbollah......
Iranian shipments to Hezbollah include components for air defencc systems, drones, and several different missiles.
Israel’s FM, Israel Katz [pictured above] warned that Iran has accelerated its shipments of weapons to Hezbollah through Syria since the war in Gaza began, stressing that Israel has an "inherent right...to defend its territory and its citizens" in a letter to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday.
Katz stated that Iran was committing "gross violations" of UNSC resolution 1701, as well as violations of UNSC resolutions 2231 and 1540.
Bibi's Post-War Plan:
Benjamin Netanyahu's post-war plan for Gaza, which was unveiled Thursday, doesn't rule out a role for the Palestinian Authority and stresses Israel will only allow reconstruction to take place after the enclave is demilitarized.
Why it matters: It's the first time Netanyahu has presented any written position on his plans for the day after the war in Gaza.
But the principles laid out in Thursday's document are short on concrete details and largely based on Netanyahu's public statements from the last few months.
State of play: The document, also provided to ministers of Netanyahu's cabinet, presents several principles as a basis for discussions on the issue, Netanyahu's office said.
A senior Netanyahu aide said the goal was to present principles that would get the broadest consensus possible but said the consultations in the cabinet will likely lead to changes before the policy is approved.
The big picture: The principles in the document broadly address several key areas for post-war Gaza and Israel.
IDF presence and Gaza's borders: According to the plan, the Israel Defence Forces will indefinitely maintain freedom of operation across the entire Gaza Strip — a position Netanyahu has voiced in the past.
Israel will create a "security zone" within Gaza's territory bordering Israel "for as long as there is a security need for it," the plan states.
Israel will also control the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, operating there "as much as possible in cooperation with Egypt and with the assistance of the U.S." to prevent smuggling from the Egyptian side of the border, including through the Rafah crossing.
Demilitarization: The Gaza Strip will be completely demilitarized except for weapons that are "necessary to maintain public order," the document says.
Israel will be responsible for monitoring the demilitarization of the enclave and ensuring it isn't violated.
Netanyahu also wants to implement a plan for what he calls the de-radicalization of all religious, educational and welfare institutions in the Gaza Strip.
This plan will be implemented "as much as possible with the involvement and assistance of Arab countries that have experience in promoting de-radicalization in their territory," the document states.
Reconstruction: The document stresses that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will only be possible after the completion of the demilitarization process and the beginning of the de-radicalization process — a position Netanyahu hadn't expressed publicly before.
"[T]he reconstruction plans will be carried out with the financing and leadership of countries acceptable to Israel," the document states.
Reality check: No country so far has agreed to finance the reconstruction of Gaza and many countries said they won't do it without a clear political horizon for the Arab Palestinians.
Netanyahu appears to allude to the involvement of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the reconstruction and de-radicalization efforts.
But the two Gulf countries have made it clear publicly and in private messages to Netanyahu that they would not be involved in any "day after" plan in Gaza if it doesn't include a path for an Arab Palestinian state.
Governance: The document doesn't clearly state who Netanyahu envisions governing Gaza after the war, but says "local elements with management experience" will be responsible for civilian management and public order in Gaza.
These elements "will not be identified with countries or entities that support terrorism and will not receive payment from them," the document states.
Between the lines: Unlike Netanyahu's previous statements, the document does not rule out the corrupt Palestinian Authority as playing a role in the management of Gaza, though it doesn't specifically mention the PA either.
The Biden administration is pushing for a "Revitalized" Palestinian Authority to play a role in governing the enclave…….
Closing UNRWA: Netanyahu also wants the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the biggest supplier of aid in Gaza, to close down and be replaced with other international aid agencies.
Iran Fires Ballistic Missile From a Shipping Container At Sea…….
Fired from a sea base-like vessel, Iran’s launching of ballistic missiles via shipping containers could have wide-ranging implications.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has fired two ballistic missiles from launchers disguised as standard shipping containers that were hosted aboard one of its sea base-like vessels.
This particular combination, which has not been seen to date, greatly expands the reach with which those weapons could be used to strike potential targets by surprise, especially given that shipping containers can be embarked on any vessel that has the space to accommodate them.
UK Ship On Fire Near Yemen....
Another UK ship is on fire near Yemen as the sea becomes littered with Disabled Tankers
The last several days have witnessed well over half a dozen attacks or attempted attacks by Houthis on foreign vessels and tankers in the Red Sea.
For example the US military confirmed Tuesday that two US-owned tankers were struck the day prior.
Such attacks are now coming several times a day.
On Thursday the Pentagon said its coalition ships in the Red Sea intercepted six more drones over waters off Yemen.
This came after another UK-owned ship was struck, and is reportedly burning and immobile some 70 nautical miles southeast of Aden.
The United States have observed an increase in the number of attacks conducted by Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden over the last three days.
Soon, a disaster is going to occur in this area - and will lead to a major conflagration.
Biden to Send Long-Range Ballistic Missiles to Ukraine.....
President Biden has just upped the ante on Ukraine aid while continuing to press House Republicans to approve the gargantuan war spending bill and its $61 billion for Kiev.
Even while it's clear Ukraine forces are being beaten back from the front lines, NBC reports this week that Biden is now closer to approving longer-range missile systems, which are capable of striking deeper into Crimea and Russian territory.
"After months of requests from Ukrainian officials, the Biden administration is working toward providing Ukraine with powerful new long-range ballistic missiles, according to two U.S. officials," the report says
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban [pictured above] has said the immediate future is bleak for the European Union due to the way the Ukraine conflict is unfolding.
He made the comments during a Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary faction conference behind closed doors on Wednesday, according to media reports.
Warnings of Looming “Catastrophic” Arms Shortage in Ukraine...
Amid continued high-profile delays in the delivery of additional Western military aid, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation on the front lines as “extremely difficult.”
An understatement.
Most tellingly, Zelenskyy has specifically attributed the potential for further Russian advances on the battlefield to delays in getting aid from the United States and other Western countries.
Moreover, U.S. officials are now increasingly warning that Ukrainian forces are running dangerously low on ammunition and other weapons.
Citing two anonymous U.S. officials, ABC News recently reported that Ukraine will face a “catastrophic shortage of ammunition and air defences” by the end of next month unless Congress passes a bill including the next round of funding for Kyiv, valued at $61 billion.
Based on internal U.S. estimates, ABC News added that the current shortage “could effectively turn the tide of the war and lend Russian President Vladimir Putin a significant advantage.”
“The juncture starts now and it just keeps getting worse progressively through the spring and into summer. So, this time period that we are entering is … critical,” one of the senior U.S. defence officials told the same broadcaster.
ISIS cells Kill and Injure Five Members of the Regime in Syrian Desert......
Two regime soldiers were killed and three others were injured in an attack by ISIS cells on a military vehicle on the road between Al-Rasafa and Athriya in the Syrian Desert.
Meanwhile, Russian warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Al-Rasafa Desert targeting positions that are believed to shelter ISIS cells.
According to SOHR statistics, the number of fatalities in military operations in the Syrian desert since early 2024 has increased to dramatically; and they are as follows:
17 ISIS members were killed by regime forces and their proxy militias.
103 members of regime forces and their proxy militias, including 13 Iranian-backed Syrian militiamen, have been killed in 51 operations by ISIS members, including ambushes, armed attacks, and explosions, in west Euphrates region and the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Al-Raqqah, Homs.
Israel Report
I have heard that Japan is a very difficult land in which to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What a wonderful calling you have Steve!! Thank you for your generous remarks regarding our editorials - we try to approach the present tumultuous days with biblical truth so that some can make more sense of what is now occurring at breakneck speed. Thank you again and you will be in our prayers for the work you do!
Every blessing!
Mike
Amen!!! From a Hungarian serving in Japan. Thankful for having free access to such highest quality trusted Editorial. The Lord bless and reward you Brother Mike!!!