GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 157

The Divide Isn’t Helping

Is Another Terrorist Leader Pushing Up Daisies?

There are numerous reports that indicate a high-ranking member of Hamas may have been killed in an IDF strike as we see in an article from The Times Of Israel:

The Israeli military and Hamas are trying to determine if Marwan Issa, the deputy head of the terror group’s military wing, was killed in a recent airstrike in the central Gaza Strip, Hebrew media reported Monday.

According to reports by several outlets, Issa was hiding in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Overnight between Saturday and Sunday, the IDF carried out an airstrike on a building where he was believed to be.

Reports said five Palestinians were killed in the strike, although it is unknown if Issa is among them.

According to the reports, both the IDF and Hamas were trying to ascertain if Issa was among the dead.

If true, this would be a major loss for Hamas since it is believed he played a major role in planning the October 7th attacks:

Issa is considered the number three in the terror organization in Gaza and serves as the deputy of Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Together with Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, they are believed to have masterminded the group’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel that triggered the war.

Prime Minister Netanyahu seemed to hint more terrorist leaders are going to fall in another article, this one from The Jerusalem Post:

In a video published later on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to the IDF operation.

"We are on our way to complete victory," he said, adding, "We have already killed number four in the Hamas; three, two, and one are on the way."

"We will reach everyone," he concluded.

Later in this article it was noted that the Israeli naval forces engaged a vessel used by Gaza terrorists organizations.

Gallant Addresses The IDF Accomplishments

In a report from i24news.tv we hear from the top Israel military minister about the possible killing of Marwan Issa:

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that Israel has achieved significant victories in recent operations, potentially referencing the reported strike targeting Hamas leader Marwan Issa.

The remarks followed a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other military leaders.

"We have seen successes, including in recent days, and we anticipate further achievements. Our operations are persistent and moving in the right direction," Gallant stated. He also cautioned about potential challenges ahead, particularly in the northern region, emphasizing its strategic importance.

No confirmations about Issa’s fate have come from either side so far:

Speculation has intensified over the fate of Marwan Issa, Hamas's third-ranking leader, after reports emerged of a strike targeting his whereabouts in the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas has yet to confirm whether Issa was among the casualties in the attack.

Gallant appeared to chastise political leaders as well:

In addition to addressing military matters, Gallant took a veiled swipe at political infighting within the government. He urged political leaders to emulate the unity and cooperation demonstrated by the military, especially during challenging times.

"The military's success lies in its ability to work together seamlessly, even under harsh conditions. The political system should learn from this example," Gallant emphasized.

Even in the United States, Israeli political leaders are being criticized for not being unified in their statements.

Netanyahu: Biden’s Criticism Of Israel Helps Hamas

While I’ve reported on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response to Biden’s State of the Union speech, he also spoke about the topic in another interview, this one with Fox News. Here’s an article detailing this from The Times Of Israel:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that perceived disagreements between the US and Israel make it harder to defeat Hamas.

“To the extent that Hamas believes that there’s daylight between us, that doesn’t help,” Netanyahu said in a Fox News interview in the wake of intensified criticism from US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the weekend.

He went on to say why being on the same page helps:

Agreement between the two allies, on the other hand, “helps the war effort, and it helps our efforts to achieve victory and obviously the release of the hostages,” he added.

The Prime Minister is trying to tamp down public comments about a divide after comments made in the State of the Union and in an interview on MSNC and seen in another Times article where Biden said this:

(Biden) said that, in his opinion, Netanyahu “is hurting Israel more than helping Israel, by making the rest of the world, as contrary to what Israel stands for…” He appeared to be repeating the argument he’s made in the past that under Netanyahu, Israel is losing the public opinion battle around the world, before he jumped to make a different point — something that occurred several times in the interview.

In another comment, Biden reveals another point that misreads Netanyahu and the Israel populace as well:

In recent days, US officials stated that Hamas was the party blocking a deal, while Israel had agreed to the framework.

But Biden told MSNBC on Saturday that “Hamas would like a total ceasefire across the board because then… they have a better chance to survive and maybe rebuild.”

Biden calls going into Rafah a red line and then backtracks on it saying he will never stop helping Israel only to seemingly disagree with himself again by saying this:

Then he seemed to begin reversing his stance again, saying, “But there’s red lines that if he crosses and they continue…” before he shifted and asserted, “[they] cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after [Hamas].

Maritime Delivery Was Netanyahu’s Idea

In an exclusive report found in The Jerusalem Post we see that the idea for a temporary port to bring aid into Gaza actually came from Netanyahu:

The plan for a maritime route to Gaza via Cyprus to provide humanitarian assistance for Palestinians was initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in collaboration with US President Joe Biden, a senior diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday night.

"Netanyahu took the initiative to establish maritime humanitarian aid for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, in collaboration with the Biden administration,” the source stated.

According to the source, on October 22, two weeks following the war's outbreak, Netanyahu discussed with President Biden the concept of "delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza via the sea, contingent on an Israeli inspection in Cyprus."

"Then, on October 31, Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined this strategy to Cypriot President [Nikos] Christodoulides," the source added.

All this comes as Biden used the building of the port as being his way to doing what Israel isn’t doing. If this account is true, Biden is, at the very least leaving out some rather important details. The idea even predates Biden even living in the White House:

The move was also viewed as a criticism of Netanyahu by the United States, with Biden stating in his speech on Thursday that Israel could and should do more to help Palestinians in Gaza.

Years before the Gaza war, Israel Katz, now the Foreign Minister, had drawn up plans for a maritime route via Cyprus involving a floating island.

The project was never executed. But he revived it after the war began on October 7.

One of the complicating factors with a maritime route was the absence of a port in Gaza big enough to handle cargo ships.

It’s still a good idea and we should support it. As usual, politics seem to always get in the way of a great many things. Regardless, continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.