Two Goals Left

In a speech Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed major points in the war to defeat Hamas as we see in a report from CBN.com:

One day after the last hostage's body was returned to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out what he sees as the future for Gaza and warned Iran once more against attacking Israel.

The PM detailed what is next in the war and it should sound familiar:

In an address to the nation, followed by a press conference, Netanyahu detailed what he considers to be Israel's victories and how he plans to respond to the challenges ahead.

He stated, "Absolute victory rests on three things: the return of all our hostages, the dismantling of Hamas's weapons, and the demilitarization of Gaza. Only in this way will we ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel."

When the body of the last hostage returned to Israel, one of the three goals was achieved. And it marks the first time since 2014 that there are no hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu then mentioned the last two goals:

After the return of police officer Ran Gvili's remains on Monday, Netanyahu said the focus will shift to two remaining missions: disarming Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza. He cautioned that those goals can be achieved the easy way or the difficult way..

Netanyahu also addressed the talk of rebuilding Gaza without Hamas disarming. He is adamant that Israel won’t allow that to occur. He also brought up their resistance to allowing Turkey and Qatar troops coming into Gaza:

"I hear even now the statements that we will allow the reconstruction of Gaza before demilitarization," the prime minister noted.

He added, "That will not happen. I hear that we will bring Turkish soldiers and Qatari soldiers into Gaza. That will also not happen. I hear that I will allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza. That has not happened, and it will not happen."

No Two State Solution

Netanyahu broached the idea of a Palestinian state in the near future. If anyone was even listening, soon after the attack on Israel by Hamas Israel unequivocally stated that the two-state experiment was over. And that is still the case:

He reminded Israelis that he had stopped the establishment of a Palestinian state in the past and will do it again in the future.

"Today and tomorrow, we will not allow it. Israel will maintain security control over the entire area, from the Jordan to the (Mediterranan) sea, and that is also true regarding the Gaza Strip," he said.

This all fits with Bible prophecy that Israel will expand their territory and control it once again. The PM then turned to previous military successes with Iran, but reminds everyone that that regime need to be dealt with again:

Netanyahu claimed that Israel achieved great success in striking Iran and its proxies.

"Now, it is true," he admitted, "The Iranian axis is trying to recover, but we will not allow it to do so. If Iran makes the grave mistake and attacks Israel, we will respond with a force that Iran has yet to see."

He then gave encouragement to his nation that they are finishing what they’ve started:

Israel closed one circle, he said, and will close another.

"From here we continue forward with strength, determination, and faith, continuing forward to ensure, with G-d's help, the future and security of the State of Israel for generations to come," he exhorted.

The world is watching to see how all this saber rattling between the US and Iran plays out as substantial military assets are close to being in place in the region. And Iran is threatening to hit Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital if they are attacked. Tensions are running high now:

The region is watching to see if President Trump takes military action against Iran after its brutal suppression of protests. In a speech last night, the president noted that 'an armada' is headed in Iran's direction and he hopes its leaders will make a deal.

The US military is preparing even now:

The U.S. announced its military forces will carry out a multi-day air exercise in the region, allowing airmen to prove "they can disperse, operate, and generate combat sorties under demanding conditions, safely, precisely, and alongside our partners,” according to Lt. Gen. Derek France, an air component commander with the U.S. Central Command.

So, what will happen next? I think that Iran will be hit by both the US and Israel with the military leadership and political leaders taken down substantially. Israel will be the ones doing the assassinations and the US taking out the military capabilities like they did last year. Overall I see a great deal of fireworks in the near future. And we need to pray with that in mind.