GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 210

Hamas Has One Week

Israel Gives Hamas Last Chance

We see in a report from The Jerusalem Post that if a ceasefire is to be brokered Hamas needs to compromise:

Israel gave Hamas a week to agree to a cease-fire deal, or the invasion of Rafah will begin, Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

Egyptian officials claimed that Hamas is seeking a long-term truce and guarantees from the US that a cease-fire will be respected by Israel.

Hamas apparently wants more details:

Hamas expressed concern that the latest proposal is still too vague and gives Israel room to restart the fighting.

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's Gaza chief, has yet to make his view known, further complicating the situation.

The details are seen again:

The proposal calls for an initial period of up to 40 days of cessation of violence, during which Hamas would release up to 33 hostages, with the possible negotiation of a long-term cease-fire to develop.

Next, there would be a cease-fire of at least six weeks, during which Hamas and Israel would agree on a larger hostage release and an extended pause in fighting that could last up to a year.

Hamas will be present in Cairo as will Israel to see if a deal can be accepted that both parties will agree to, but Prime Minister Netanyahu is sticking to his comments that an offensive in Rafah is going to happen with or without a hostage deal:

Netanyahu has persisted in insisting that Israel will enter Rafah regardless of whether a deal is made or not.

Hamas was concerned that Netanyahu was attempting to provoke them into refusing the proposal, to provide justification for invading Rafah, and thus blame Hamas for the failure of negotiations.

If you’ve listened to both sides at all you know that Hamas has no intentions whatsoever of allowing Israel to finally attack their last stronghold in Rafah and will stall to live for more time. Israel has no intentions whatsoever of letting Hamas survive.

Sinwar Surrounded By Hostages

In an article from i24news.tv we are told that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is surrounded by hostages:

A former US Army official told Sky News on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is purportedly using Israeli hostages as human shields to safeguard himself and his family.

General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, cited insider sources suggesting that Sinwar has approximately 15 to 20 hostages surrounding him and his family in Gaza.

Keane elaborated on his assertion:

"My sources tell me that Sinwar...has 15-20 hostages protecting him and his family," Keane stated emphatically during his interview with Sky News. "That's why they have these hostages to guarantee their survival."

Furthermore, Keane emphasized that Israel's military actions to pressure Hamas are justified in order to secure the release of these hostages. "Israel is absolutely right in putting military pressure on them to force the release of the hostages," he affirmed.

Keane isn’t the first one to make this claim:

This revelation echoes a similar report from February, when the Washington Post indicated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) believed Sinwar was hiding in tunnels beneath Khan Yunis, surrounded by a human shield of hostages.

The reported use of hostages by Hamas sheds light on the group's refusal to release all the hostages demanded by Israel.

If Sinwar needs these hostages as human shields why do we even think he’ll let all of them go unless he knows the fighting is over. And this is also why Hamas doesn’t seem to know the location of all the hostages:

Previously, Hamas claimed difficulty in locating the hostages and proposed a ceasefire of several weeks to facilitate their release.

The use of human shields is a violation of international humanitarian law, condemned by various human rights organizations and governments worldwide.

Things make more sense when you start to actually listen to what is being said.

Prayer Keys

I like to give prayer keys as we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, keys that will allow us to intercede specifically for Israel:

Abba Father, scatter Your enemies who constantly attack Israel today – politically, through lawfare, by personal attacks against its leaders and the IDF, and of course, physically (Psa. 68:1, 30b).

In the natural Israel seems trapped at the Red Sea again with much of the world rushing against it, so please provide anointed leaders like Moses to lead Your nation through (Ex. 14:13-14; 32:11-13).

Shield Netanyahu against the spiritual forces that attack him through the rage of some of the hostage families who are at times manipulated to bring him and his government down (Psa. 35:1).

Heal mentally and emotionally all ex-hostages who are now physically free (Psa. 107:20; 147:3).

Pour out Your divine shalom on all those whose loved ones have been murdered or sexually abused, or are still held hostage, or whose fate is as yet unknown (Isa. 61:1-3; Matt. 5:4).

Lord, since You knew (the) US Administration would become a very unreliable ally for Israel (Isa. 36:6), we ask You to give Israel's leaders clarity in dealing with them (Prov. 8:14-16).

Fill them with Your wisdom (Ex. 31:3) in their relationships with other Western nations who follow America's lead concerning Your nation (Deut. 4:6; Matt. 15:14).

God of Israel, caution Netanyahu to see that the more he submits to Biden's threats, the worse things will be for him and for Israel (Psa. 31:15-18; Dan. 4:17).

We praise You for each US politician and citizen who stands boldly with Israel, yet we ask You to turn Israelis away from trusting in America and let them trust in You alone (Psa. 118:8-9; Isa. 31:1).

Show Israelis how their Western "allies" can be more treacherous than their enemies as they can pressure Israel into making unbiblical moves which it would not otherwise consider (Psa. 55:13-14).

Support fully Israel's total rejection of the creation of a Palestinian State in Your land (Joel 3:1-2).

Overrule Israel's government to reject all plans that are not of You (Psa. 33:10-11; Isa. 8:9-10).

God, continue to make the IDF that "exceedingly great army" You prophesied of in Ezekiel 37:10.

Despite global resistance, guide Israel to fulfill its vow to totally destroy Hamas (Ex. 17:13-16).

Let the shed blood of IDF soldiers who have laid their lives down for Israel provoke its political and military leadership to finish that which they committed to do when they began this war (Psa. 15;4b).

Empower IDF soldiers to fight courageously against Hamas in Rafah (Deut. 31:6-7; Prov. 21:31).

Shield the soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (Psa. 23:1-6; 91:3-13; 144:10).

Lord, as You did with Joshua at Jericho, and others in Scripture, impart precise directions about the timing and tactics of the IDF's invasion of Rafah (Josh. 5:13-6:5; 2 Chr. 20:14-17; Amos 1:6-7).

Remove all obstacles, including American objections, to this necessary action (Isa. 57:14).

Provide the soldiers who are preparing to go into Rafah with all the training and equipment that they will need and be a shield over them as they go (Psa. 121:7-8).

Do not allow any terrorists to escape by hiding among fleeing civilians (Jer. 23:24; 49:10).

Abba, set free any hostages who are still living (Psa. 146:7; Zech. 9:11), or guide the IDF to find them in Rafah, or wherever they are, and release them from their captivity (Num. 21:1-3).