Israel At War – Day 48
Risks And Rewards

List Of Hostages Released

Hamas has released a list of hostages to be released, but there are cautions about the whole process from the IDF as we read in this report from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-23-2023/) :

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warns that there may be changes amid the hostage deal with Hamas, and that the terror group will attempt to use “psychological terror” against the Israeli public.

He says officers have contacted the hostages’ families and notified them who is being released, “with the necessary reservations.”

“These will be complex days, nothing is final until it actually happens. And even amid the process, there may be changes at any moment,” he says.

“It is important to note that Hamas is a ruthless enemy. Difficult days are ahead of us, joy mixed with sadness,” he says.

Hagari spoke to what may happen during the pause in action:

“Hamas will try to use the days of the deal and the pause in fighting to spread fear, disinformation and psychological terror,” Hagari warns.

He says that the deal is not “the end of the process, but the start.”

Friday At 7 AM – Hostages Freed At 4 PM

According to hostage negotiators in Qatar, the timeline for things happening is seen in this article from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-truce-to-kick-off-friday-at-7-a-m-13-hostages-will-be-freed-at-4-p-m/):

A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said Thursday afternoon that the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas would go into effect Friday at 7 a.m., while a first group of 13 Israeli hostages would be freed on Friday at 4 p.m.

The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari said Doha had received the list of names of the civilians the terror group would free on the first day of the deal.

The deal had originally been expected to take effect Thursday morning, before being suddenly put off late on Wednesday night, with Israel’s National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi stating that the release of the hostages would not start before Friday. This led to speculation throughout Thursday as to the cause.

More details about how many Israel hostages for how many terrorists is seen in the same article as well as a possible reason for why there was a delay:

Hamas’s military wing also said a ceasefire would go into effect Friday morning, and last four days. “In four days, 50 [hostages] will be released,” Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said, confirming information from Israel that three jailed Palestinian terror convicts would be freed in exchange for every Israeli hostage, totaling 150.

Ahead of the Qatari announcement, an unverified report from the BBC had claimed that Hamas was using the opportunity to make fresh demands, but did not specify what they were.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the new demands set forward by Hamas included a stipulation that the hostages released from Gaza be transferred directly to Egypt, rather than to the Red Cross, as previously stated. A reason was not provided.

There Are Risks

We turn to an article from CBN.com and a journalist stationed in Israel (see https://www2.cbn.com/news/israel/israel-agrees-ceasefire-secure-50-hostages-theres-major-risk):

In stage two, the release of an additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the ceasefire. Some warn it will be hard to resume the war once it's stopped.

Yet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the war will go on.

"There is idle talk outside, as if after the truce to return our abductees, we will stop the war," said Netanyahu. "So, I would like to make it clear: we are at war – and we will continue the war. We will continue the war until we achieve all our objectives; eliminate Hamas, return all our abductees and missing persons, and ensure that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel."

CBN News war correspondent Chuck Holton, who has talked with Israelis as he traveled throughout the country during the fighting, says the deal answers a global cry for freedom for those who were held captive.

"You have the chance to get out, especially some of the women and children that are being held hostage. And there are so many people here in Israel and elsewhere around the world who are clamoring for that," Holton says.

Holton does say that this comes with risks:

"They have to weigh the fact that this is going to put more IDF soldiers at risk, because the longer you have troops in the field, the more risks that they take on," Holton adds. "And it lends some legitimacy to Hamas. So that's not a good thing. It also takes the pressure off Hamas for a time, at least for several days, and lets them have time to rearm and refit and rest and plan what they're going to do next. And so ultimately, it will probably draw out this conflict longer, which obviously is not a good thing."

A Reminder From The IDF To Hamas

As if we needed to hear this again, the head of the IDF promises us that the war will start again after this pause of four days. But the big takeaway is the amount of time mentioned in the statement. I go back to The Times Of Israel for the quotes (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-23-2023/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site&utm_campaign=qatar-truce-to-kick-off-friday-at-7-a-m-13-hostages-will-be-freed-at-4-p-m):

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says that once the “short” temporary truce with the Hamas terror group ends, the military will resume the fighting “with intensity” for at least two more months.

“What you will see in the coming days is first the release of hostages. This respite will be short,” Gallant says to troops of the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit.

“What is required of you in this respite is to organize, get ready, investigate, resupply arms, and get ready to continue,” he tells the forces.

“There will be a continuation, because we need to complete the victory and create the impetus for the next groups of hostages, who will only come back as a result of pressure,” he says.

Even after the period of intense fighting ends, he says, “there will be many operations in which Shayetet 13 will have something to do, until there is no military threat from the Gaza Strip, and we will have freedom of action to do what we want at any given moment.”

We will have to wait to see what “with intensity” really means.

Ridiculous Question

A video of a BBC reporter, while interviewing an Israeli spokesperson went viral, and for good reason as see in this report from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700750820-sky-presenter-goes-viral-over-astonishing-illogical-utterly-revolting-inference-on-hostage-deal):

A British TV presenter sparked outrage on Thursday after making the “disgusting accusation” that Israel believes Palestinian lives are less valuable in an interview with an Israeli spokesman.

Interviewing Eylon Levy on Sky News regarding Israel's decision to hand over 150 Palestinian security prisoners — convicted of attempted stabbings, car rammings, shootings or association with terrorist organizations — in exchange for 50 innocent Israeli children and toddlers, Key Burley said she had spoken “to a hostage negotiator” concerning the rate of exchange.

“He made the comparison between the 50 hostages that Hamas has promised to release as opposed to the 150 prisoners that are Palestinians and Israel has said that it will release,” she said. “Does Israel not think that Palestinian lives are valued as highly as Israeli lives?"

Levy replied this way:

Gobmacked by the question, Levy replied: “That is an astonishing accusation. If we could release one prisoner for one hostage we would obviously do that."

“We are not choosing to release these prisoners who have blood on their hands. We are talking about people who have been convicted of stabbing and shooting attacks."

The widespread outrage at the absurdity of Burley's inference included a rebuke from her fellow British presenter Rachel Riley, who lashed out at the "astonishing, illogical and utterly revolting" line.

And We Thought Things Would Be Quiet

For one thing, I don’t trust Hamas or Hezbollah to pause their activity at all so once the first set of hostages is released look for the IDF to find either of those terrorist groups to try and get sneaky. I would prefer that everyone does exactly what they agreed to and that at least 50 hostages are released. We shall see though. In the meantime, we should not be quiet in our prayers for Israel. So here are more prayer keys for you:

This is a critical season for Messiah's Body to intercede for both Israel and their own nations (Ezek. 22:30-31).

  1. Lord, in Your Body, raise up more Sons of Zion and remove all Sons of Greece (Zech. 9:13)
  2. Teach believers how to hate evil in a godly manner (Psa. 97:10a; Prov. 8:13; Amos 5:15a).
  3. Use Israel's crisis to draw more believers to study the Tanach and understand at least in part what You are doing in Israel, and in the world, today (Isa. 8:20; Jer. 8:7-9; Mark 12:24; 2 Pet. 1:19).
  4. As they do that, fulfill Psalm 119:130 (As your plan unfolds, even the simple can understand it, TLB) in many of them (Matt. 11:25).
  5. Use the October 7th massacre to expose the wolves hiding as sheep in Your Body (Acts 20:29).
  6. Erase all denial or shame from members in Your Body who hesitate to admit that You are still a "Man of War" (Ex. 15:1-3; Isa. 42:13; Rev. 19:11-16), and that You are still jealous for Your glory and for Your people at this hour (Deut. 4:24; Jer. 32:41; Ezek. 36:5; Joel 2:18; Zech. 8:1-2).
  7. Lord Yeshua, show believers that Satan's goal in destroying Israel is to prove that Your Word is not true, and to demonstrate that You do not have the power to fulfill it (Num. 23:19; Jer. 31:35-37).
  8. King Messiah, purge Your Body of all anti-Semitic and anti-Zionistic thinking (Eph. 5:27).