Israel's 145 Days at War with Hamas
The war that began in Israel on October 7th is a war that Israel did not want and did not start. Initially, 1,200 Israelis were killed on the border and 240 were taken captive by Hamas, the terrorist group. The war continues with today being Day 145. It is amazing that false numbers on the Hamas side are being circulated and the world is repeating the lies. We must continue to return to Day 1 of this war and be reminded that this was an infiltration and the atrocities that occurred to civilians (against international law) were staggering.
There is pressure on Israel globally, but they will not stop the war based on the pressure. “Israel is fighting to stay alive,” said a spokesperson for Israel’s Prime Minister. Israel is fighting an existential genocidal threat. If it was up to Hamas 9.2 million Israelis would not be there. If Hamas is not eliminated, it is an open invitation for more terrorism in Israel.
As Israel prepares to fight the last huge stronghold in Rafah, in Southern Gaza, which borders Egypt, President Biden has been working on a cease-fire agreement. I do not believe Israel will agree to any cease fire right now. There are four huge Hamas battalions in operation In Rafah. Unfortunately, so many of the Israelis who were captured on October 7th are in this area as well. Israel will not give up on them. They will not quit fighting until all their hostages have been returned and the enemy is eliminated.
Israel needs a total victory over pure evil. To leave a huge representation of Hamas in Rafah and end the war would only give Israel’s enemies more time to regroup, build more tunnels, increase their weapons and jeopardize any possibility of peace in Israel. Supplies have been brought into Gaza for decades through this southern border. Israel is also surrounded by 4 million other Arabs which brings concern at the same time. This is a war on terror.
Sixteen years ago, Israel gave the Palestinians the Gaza Strip as part of a peace agreement—land for peace. That agreement backfired and ever since, Israel has been battling hundreds of thousands of rockets, missiles, border fires and more, raiding their communities because of this land-for-peace agreement.
At the same time that Israel continues to battle in the South, Hezbollah is at war with Israel on the northern border. Terror attacks are also coming from Judea and Samaria, including Bethlehem. Bethlehem has been turned into a terror town.
The good news is that support for Israel is growing in parts of the United States. Those who attended the National Religious Broadcasting Conference last week in Nashville overwhelmingly support Israel and want to call the “West Bank” by their true Biblical names—Judea and Samaria!
How to Pray
Please pray for God's intervention. Pray that the hostages taken from Israel would be released safely. Pray for the Israel Defense Force soldiers to be safe and strong! Pray for those who have no bomb shelter to find safety. Pray that Israel's leadership will have God's wisdom. For more prayer points, click here.
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To learn about our Israel tours after the war, click here.