GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 162

“Ridiculous Demands”

Rafah Plans Given Thumbs Up

According to a report from Jerusalem News Syndicate the Israel Defense Force plans for the operation in Rafah are given the go ahead by Prime Minister Netanyahu:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the Israel Defense Forces operational plans for Rafah, Mako reported on Friday, citing the Prime Minister’s Bureau. The IDF is preparing operationally for this next stage of the war while also readying for the evacuation of Gazan civilians from Rafah, the report added.

The United States is still asking for the plans, though:

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday that Washington needs to see a clear and implementable plan for Rafah, including getting civilians out of harm’s way, according to Reuters.

“Blinken told reporters in Austria that the U.S. has not yet seen such a plan for a military operation in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million people are sheltering,” the report stated.

In a separate article, this one from The Times Of Israel, news of the plans of entering Rafah being finalized are disputed:

Channel 12 and the Ynet news sites are calling into question Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim earlier today that he had approved military operational plans for an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

On February 9, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying he had “ordered the IDF to prepare for an intense operation in Rafah.”

On February 25, Netanyahu told CBS that he was meeting with IDF brass later that day to review their plan for evacuating civilians from Rafah and dismantling the remaining Hamas battalions there.

The networks indicate that despite Netanyahu’s declarations, an operation in Rafah is not imminent.

It is difficult to determine who is correct, but one thing we know is that many high ranking officials in Israel stated that if no hostage deal is in place by Ramadan, which started on March 10th, the operation would go forward. I tend to feel that the IDF is heading south once the Gazans living there are relocated.

Hamas Hostage Requests Are Still “Delusional”

As the threat of a Rafah offensive looms over the heads of Hamas leaders, a response from them is on the table as we see in an article from The Times Of Israel:

Hamas has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the US that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences, according to a proposal seen by Reuters.

Hamas said the initial release of Israelis would include women, children, the elderly, and ill hostages, in exchange for the release of 700-1000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the proposal. The release of Israeli “female recruits” is included.

According to the latest proposal, Hamas said it would agree on a date for a permanent ceasefire after the initial exchange of hostages and prisoners, and that a deadline for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be agreed upon after the first stage.

The group said all detainees from both sides would be released in the second stage of the plan.

Netanyahu again noted how he felt about the demands:

Ahead of a of the war cabinet on Friday to deliberate on the possibility of finalizing a hostage deal following Hamas’s offer, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday night accused the terror group of continuing to dig its heels in with “ridiculous demands.”

We learn more of the specifics about the Hamas offer in a report from i24news.tv:

Hamas, the terrorist group governing the Gaza Strip, declared on Saturday that it would not release any hostages without securing an agreement on the second phase of a deal with Israel.

This announcement was made by a senior Hamas official, as reported by KAN.

The second phase of the proposed agreement, according to Hamas, must involve the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops from Gaza. Without these conditions being met, Hamas remains steadfast in its stance regarding the release of hostages.

According to a reports from various other sources, Hamas proposes three stages, each lasting 42 days each. The first stage would see the IDF leave Gaza at the Al-Rashid coastal road. They want Gazans be allowed to return to their homes and will involve releasing hostages including women, children, elderly and ill captives in exchange for 700-1,000 terrorist prisoners. To get Israeli female reservists they would have to free 50 Hamas prisoners including 30 who are serving life sentences for every one female. The second phase would end the war with the third being a reconstruction process. Hamas then added they wouldn’t start the first phase without solidifying the plans for the second stage. In short, things they know Israel will balk at.

A Multi-Arena War

In a report from i24news.tv we hear from the IDF chief how many places Israel will be addressing during Ramadan:

In a recent situational assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi highlighted the complexity of security challenges faced by Israel during the month of Ramadan, characterizing it as a "multi-arena war."

"We are in a multi-arena war - Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza, and threats even further away," said Halevi.

The threats further away most likely include Yemen and anywhere Hamas leaders are living around the world. He could also be referring to Iran. Halevi addressed commanders and soldiers at the meeting as well:

During the meeting, attended by key military officials including the commander of the West Bank division, Lt.-Col. Yaki Dolef, and the commander of the Binyamin region, Lt.-Col. Liron Biton, Halevi emphasized the continuous stream of attempted terror attacks since the beginning of Ramadan.

The IDF Chief of Staff also took the opportunity to engage with soldiers and special forces deployed across various regions, all of whom are on high alert to counter multiple security threats.

In another report, this one from The Times Of Israel we get more of Halevi’s comments:

“We are more alert this month. Really be very vigilant, very careful, with very good security,” Halevi said in a video released Saturday by the IDF… “Everyone, every soldier… has responsibility for all the arenas, because every incident that happens in one of the arenas really affects and can cause [developments] in other areas as well,” he added.

And that allows me to continue to tell those of you that are believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem specifically using the fronts listed here. Thankfully the demonstrations during Ramadan have been managed, but we’re only less than a week into it. Pray for that as well.