GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 340

We Need Loud Prayer Closets

Hamas Is Finished

According to a report from the Jewish News Syndicate Israel’s Defense Minister believes Hamas has ceased to exist as military:

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserted on Monday that the Hamas terror group is no longer capable of maintaining an organized fighting force in the Gaza Strip after more than 11 months of war.

Here is how he sees things now:

“Hamas as a military formation no longer exists. Hamas is engaged in guerrilla warfare and we are still fighting Hamas terrorists and pursuing Hamas leadership,” he told foreign journalists at his office at Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to AFP‘s account. The remarks were released for publication on Tuesday.

Gallant’s comments are inline with his recent comments about getting a hostage deal done because in his mind Hamas is all but destroyed:

He made the comments in the context of promoting a potential ceasefire agreement that would see the 101 remaining hostages, both alive and dead, released in exchange for many more Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons.

Gallant said bringing the hostages home is “the right thing to do.”

The Israel Defense Minister also sees a hostage deal as a way of being able to focus on Hezbollah next:

“Achieving an agreement is also a strategic opportunity that gives us a high chance to change the security situation on all fronts,” he added, with the Jewish state also facing threats from Iran’s regional proxies, including in the north from Hezbollah.

He wants the world to put more pressure on Hamas to agree to the current deal on the table:

Gallant urged the international community to continue to pressure Hamas to agree to the deal on the table, and said he consented to the first stage of the three-phase agreement announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 31.

“Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks and bring back hostages,” he said.

Earlier this year, Gallant voiced his opinion that eliminating all of Hamas would take years:

In July, Gallant said that the process of destroying Hamas would take a long time.

“The pursuit of Hamas terrorists will continue for years to come—from the most senior ones to the terrorists in the field. We must remember at any given time—and you were here on Oct. 7—we need to remember what Hamas did to us,” said Gallant.

“We must eliminate any terrorist who murdered children, raped women and kidnapped the elderly. We must also deter anyone who may attempt to conduct such heinous acts in the future,” he added.

Eyes To The North

The article also details Gallant’s comments to the troops that the fighting will head to the north soon:

Later on Tuesday, speaking to reservists of the IDF’s Oded Brigade serving in the north, Gallant reiterated that Israel plans to move its focus to the border with Lebanon as intense fighting is winding down in Gaza.

He told them that their goals against Hamas are almost over:

“The center of gravity is moving to the north. We are nearing the completion of our missions in the south, but we have a task here that has not been carried out, and this mission is to change the security situation and return the residents to their homes,” Gallant stated.

A month ago he said that pushing back Hezbollah and being able to take any action they need against them is one goal:

In August, Gallant vowed to push back Hezbollah terrorists north of the Litani River, in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War with the Iranian proxy.

“We deal with both removing threats and preparing all the possibilities to be able to attack wherever we decide,” said Gallant during a visit to an IDF intelligence base in northern Israel. He was briefed on the intelligence operations that enabled the July targeted killing in Beirut of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr, also known as al-Hajj Mohsin.

Allowing the residents in the north to return to their homes and businesses without fear of attacks from Hezbollah is a promise he intends to keep:

“We are determined to fulfill our mission; we must allow the safe return of [Israel’s northern] residents to their homes, once we ensure that Hezbollah withdraws north of the Litani River,” added the defense minister.

Pushing back Hezbollah sounds good in theory but to do what it takes to ensure that residents won’t have to fear rockets and drones attacks even again will need to take more than what he just told his soldiers. Hezbollah boasts of having the ability to strike anywhere in Israel right now. Moving them back to the behind the Litani River doesn’t accomplish that. The IDF will need to go in and eliminate Hezbollah from all over Lebanon and then destroy their tunnels. To do that they’re going to do exactly what they did to Hamas and send in troops. I know there are some who are loathe to hear that, but ending terrorists threats all over the region can’t be done by bombing alone.

Israel Is More United Than You Think

We read in another article, this one from CBN.com that while the protests dominate the news coverage, not all of Israelis feel the same way:

Attorney Yifa Segal from the Israel Defense and Security Forum contends the terrorists have one aim.

"You have a death cult of jihadist terrorists who literally wake up in the morning every day and try to figure out a way to bypass your defense mechanisms and to find a way to finally destroy you and kill and rape and destroy the state of Israel," she said. "All these people. And I've been – we've been – saying for years, we sounded crazy, but we saw it on October 7th."

The report then gives one example of that statement:

The IDF and Israel's Secret Service arrested three terrorist suspects, one of them along Israel's major north-south highway. They were planning what was described as an "imminent attack."

The PM also weighed in on the protests:

Against the backdrop of ongoing protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that he hears the cries of family members to bring their loved ones home.

"My wife and I go to heart-breaking meetings that just break our hearts to pieces," he shared. "I hear, I listen, I don't judge either, and I am doing everything to return the hostages and to win the war.”

One person thinks that the whole of Israel wants the IDF to win the war by eliminating Hamas:

Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, believes Israeli society is more united than it appears to be.

"I think that most of the Israeli society understands how crucial is winning the war," Avivi told CBN News. "The society wants to be united. The society is resolute. We have a small group that still is in the mindset of the sixth of October and not the seventh, but this is not representative of the most of the Israeli society."

He’s correct, but the majority of the reporting on things aren’t going to tell you that. Just like in America, the majority of people support Israel and want the terrorists defeated. Mainstream journalists just want viewers and unity doesn’t do that. Riots do. Loud yelling does. Burning flags does. Violent protestors do. Pray that the mostly silent majority stay silent no longer. And also ask the Lord to encourage people to pray violent prayers, prayers that storm the Heavens and God’s throne petitioning Him to continue to help His chosen people, the Jews win this war. Reporters aren’t going to report on that but turning God’s hand will bring victory. Loud prayer closets change things.