GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 177

Hamas Is Collapsing From Within

Hamas Would Rejoice

In a press conference, Prime Minister Netanyahu talked about many issues including possible elections as we see in a report from i24news.tv:

In a press conference held Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed pressing issues concerning national security, hostage negotiations, and potential elections.

Netanyahu began by emphasizing the potential ramifications of holding elections at this juncture, asserting that it would not only paralyze the nation for up to eight months but also jeopardize ongoing negotiations for the release of hostages and disrupt the pursuit of wartime objectives.

He highlighted Hamas's vested interest in such an outcome, suggesting that the group would be the primary beneficiary if elections were to occur, underscoring the significance of maintaining stability and continuity in the face of external threats.

The Prime Minister explained why new elections would make Hamas smile:

Speaking directly on the issue, Netanyahu stated, "It would paralyze negotiations for freeing our hostages and would bring an end to the war before achieving its goals," adding, "and the first who welcome this is Hamas, and that says everything."

Netanyahu then spoke about the hostage negotiations:

Addressing the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated Israel's commitment to securing the safe return of all hostages, emphasizing the government's multifaceted approach combining military pressure with diplomatic negotiations.

He expressed frustration with Hamas's hardened stance in negotiations, particularly regarding demands that could compromise national security interests.

"We are showing flexibility in the talks, while Hamas is hardening its position," Netanyahu remarked. "If we give in to another demand every two days, this will bring about a deal? This is the opposite of the truth."

He answered those who want the hostages to come home:

Responding to criticism regarding efforts to bring hostages home, Netanyahu vehemently defended his administration's actions, asserting, "As Israel’s prime minister, I am doing everything, and will do everything to bring our loved ones home."

He condemned misinformation that undermines these efforts, emphasizing the anguish it inflicts on affected families and urging clarity and accuracy in public discourse.

Hamas Is Collapsing From Within

According to information gleaned from recently arrested terrorists, the terrorist organization is not doing well. We see more on this from an article in The Jerusalem Post:

Hamas is "disintegrating from within," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told IDF soldiers during a Sunday visit to the 98th Paratroopers Division's military base in central Israel.

"Over the past few weeks, hundreds of terrorists have been arrested, and what they tell us helps paint the full picture," the defense minister said.

"They're saying Hamas is disintegrating from within, the price they pay is very steep.

"The terrorists themselves are saying they can no longer take this toll," Gallant told the troops following a security assessment with the division's commanding officer, Dan Goldfus.

Gallant told the troops they are after anyone who helped the attacks on October 7th:

Gallant further told troops that the IDF would continue to seek out and kill anyone involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel. "The junior and senior officials, everyone who was either on the ground or giving orders from afar," he said.

The report noted that there were operations near the Al-Asqa hospital as the Shifa Hospital continues:

Earlier on Sunday, IDF soldiers supported by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) attacked a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operational headquarters located in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza.

The attack came as Israeli forces were continuing operations in Shifa Hospital and across the Gaza Strip, ahead of a planned invasion into the southern city of Rafah, which the IDF believed could be vital to achieving victory over Hamas.

Lebanon And Jordan Facing Internal Pressures

We see in two separate articles from The Jerusalem Post that both Jordan and Lebanon are facing conflicts because of the war against Israel. This is from a report about Lebanon:

As the Lebanese Christian village of Rmeish marks its first Easter since the Gaza war erupted, residents say a parallel confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel is dragging them into a conflict they did not choose.

Like many Christians elsewhere in southern Lebanon, residents are angry and fearful their homes could be caught in the cross-fire and their families forced to flee -- permanently -- from their ancestral villages near the Lebanon-Israel border.

The report details this in one recent example:

Earlier this week, a Rmeish resident confronted a group of armed men trying to launch rockets at Israel from within the village. Some villagers rang church bells to sound the alarm, and the armed men moved off to fire rockets from another neighborhood, according to mayor Milad al-Alam and Rmeish residents.

"What we've been saying for the last six months is: among our own homes, keep us neutral. Any strike in return would have brought huge losses," Alam told Reuters.

Mounting criticism is over who has influence on the fighting:

Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut Elias Audi asked earlier this month if it was fair for "one faction of Lebanese to decide on behalf of everyone, and take unilateral decisions that not all Lebanese agree on."

With outcry mounting, Hezbollah's main Christian ally the Free Patriotic Movement has even ramped up criticism, saying its nearly two-decade alliance with Hezbollah had been "shaken."

"The main problem that arose recently was crossing the limits of defending Lebanon and getting involved in a conflict in which we cannot make decisions," FPM head Gebran Bassil said.

Jordanians And Pro-Hamas Palestinians In Conflict

In the article about Jordan we read this about the conflict of Jordanians and the pro-Hamas Palestinians refugees they graciously took in when they were forced to leave other countries:

Violent clashes between Jordanian forces and protesters erupted in the past couple of days, including instances of stone-throwing and arson aimed at the country’s security forces.

These confrontations are taking place against the backdrop of the nation’s large anti-Israel protests, many of which included openly pro-Hamas chants.

One of the main promoters and leaders of these demonstrations is the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, a group aligned with Hamas for their shared ideological origins. It is active on both the social and the political level through its party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF).

One viral picture showed posters carried during a demonstration addressed to the Jordanian army, calling it to heed to the calls of children and women in Gaza, or take vengeance on their enemies and free the land: adding the hashtag: “Where’s the army of al-Karamah?” This is a word meaning both “dignity” and the name of a 1968 battle in which the Jordanian army forced the IDF to retreat from a retaliatory operation on Jordanian soil.

The split is between native Jordanians and Palestinians who were taken in by Jordan:

The scenes of violent rioters criticizing and targeting national symbols such as the kingdom’s security forces also stirred a wave of patriotism from Jordanians, some of which referred to the violent demonstrations as “marches of sedition.” Others started an online campaign under the hashtag “Flood of allegiance,” referring to Jordanian patriots’ allegiance to the Jordanian monarchy and security forces, and as a critical play on words against the “Flood of al-Aqsa,” the name Hamas chose for its October 7th massacre.

Several of those posting to this online campaign voiced their loyalty to Jordan this way:

A user named Faisal referred to the dire situation of Palestinians in other countries, reminding that “… in Syria, Bashar placed them inside the Yarmouk camp and prevented them from leaving after 7:00 p.m. In Yemen, the Houthis slaughtered them; in Lebanon Hezbollah slaughtered them; in Iraq Iranian militias slaughtered them, marginalized them, expelled them, and made their lives difficult. As for Jordan – it received them, naturalized them, hugged them, and rewarded them. And in return, they began to curse at us and our leadership… ”

Then there is this comment:

Another user named Dana posted an AI-generated picture showing demonstrators with Palestinian flags burning the streets, alongside the text “don’t burn my homeland for your Palestinian issue,” adding: “If liberating Gaza from the Zionists is a sacred duty, then liberating Jordan from the Palestinians is a national duty... ”

Another said this:

A user named Heba uploaded a video of protesters attacking and throwing stones at Jordanian security forces, adding “this is no popular stance or anything else.. [but] a group of thugs and terrorists who took to the street to take out their hatred on Jordan and the security forces, and we can only say, may Allah break their hands.”

Then there is this comment:

Finally, a user named “The Nabatean” uploaded a video from one of the demonstrations, in which protesters shouted, “All of Jordan to Hamas, all of my country to Hamas!” adding: “They chant to hand over your country to the adulterers of the land [meaning Hamas] before your own eyes. This is the price [we pay] for naturalization [of Palestinians].”

Will this unrest see both Jordan and Lebanon fall to terrorist supporters? Only time will tell. However, with strong unrest in both countries and the political ramifications that go along with it, terrorists are loving it. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and add these two countries to that list as well. Believers in both nations depend on it.