THE MARTYRS OF SYRIA

Precious in the sight of the Lord

    is the death of his faithful servants.

Psalm 116:15

Yesterday afternoon we received this message from the pastor of a church in Syria ( I will not share his name for his protection): 

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

Our hearts are heavy and broken as we cry out to the Lord in this dark hour. For nearly a week now, fierce fighting has raged in Suweida, Syria, between the Druze and Bedouin (Sunni Muslim) communities. Over a thousand precious souls have perished, and countless others are wounded or taken captive.

It is with deep sorrow and tears that we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved brother and shepherd, Pastor Khaled Mezhir, pastor of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suweida, has been martyred for his faith along with his wife, his parents, and over 20 members of his family. They were brutally killed today. Pastor Khaled, once a Druze, gave his life to Christ and faithfully proclaimed the Gospel to his people despite opposition and persecution. He and his family stood as lights in the darkness, and now they rest in the presence of the Lord they so faithfully served.

The church in Suweida is now scattered; many believers are unaccounted for. The surviving members are enduring unimaginable suffering—cut off from food, water, electricity, internet, and hope for safety, despite the so-called “ceasefire” declared by a new regime.

We urgently plead with you, our family in Christ, to lift up your voices in prayer:

• Pray for the comfort and strength of Pastor Khaled’s surviving relatives and for the flock he has left behind.

• Pray for the protection and endurance of the remaining churches and believers in Suweida.

• Pray that the Lord would miraculously provide food, water, and safety for His children.

• Pray for wisdom and resources so that we may reach and help those who are suffering and displaced.

May the Lord, who is near to the brokenhearted, rise up as our refuge and strength. Let us stand together as one Body, crying out for His mercy and deliverance over Suweida and all our brothers and sisters in Syria.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

God does not call upon his followers to chose to be martyrs, he does not rejoice in the death of his people, unlike the god of Islam, however should His followers be martyred, having 'run the good race' He receives them into heaven with joy.  These Christians who have been martyred in Syria, in this latest atrocity, and in the earlier massacre in north-west Syria, are now in Paradise. They are now beyond the reach of the Enemy, Satan.

Those however who have been left behind are in deep mourning and need our prayers. They are also in great danger, and need our support. Please spread the word in your churches and if possible to the wider community. Ask your government why it is silent in the face of this slaughter and attempted ethnic cleansing?

For over a week fighting has raged in and around the Druze-majority city of Suweida (also transliterated as Suwayda or similar). It is unclear what triggered the fighting but a massive mob of bedouin (Sunni muslim jihadists) rushed into Suweida and began slaughtering, raping, taking hostages and destroying everything in sight. They even went into the hospital, killing dozens. Official numbers estimate the dead Druze and Christians at around 1100, but many are  missing. The true number we may never know. Al-Sharaa's government forces were sent to quell the fighting but many of them, some bearing ISIS insignias, joined in the massacre, as did other jihadi groups. 

The only entity to have so far come to the aid of the people of the city of Suweida is Israel. And some even dare to accuse Israel of actually starting the fighting ( how absurd are the libels against Israel!). During last night Israel sent 2 million shekels worth of food, medicine and other aid into the besieged city.

Jordan refused to open its borders to allow aid to be taken into the Druze (probably in fear of arousing the anger of its jihadi elements and its Syrian neighbor). Where are the other Arab neighbors? Where is the UN? Where is the US? Where is the 'Christian' world? 

Why is Israel involved?

Many are asking why Israel felt the need to get involved. There are two main reasons:

1. Israel has a sizeable population of Druze who live within Israel with full citizenship rights. The Druze are valued members of our society, they are loyal citizens and are among our best fighters in the IDF, often rising to high ranks. They have also paid a high price for that; many of their soldiers have been killed fighting for Israel, and you also may remember the 12 Druze children playing on a football field who were killed by a Hezbollah rocket last year. The Druze of Syria are close kinsmen of the Druze in Israel, with whom they maintain contact. We here in Israel feel we have a moral duty to the Druze community, a minority scattered throughout the Levant (Syria, Lebanon and Israel). Muslims hate the Druze and regard them as apostates and heretics to be eradicated. 

2. The Druze of Syria live in several cities and towns, along Israel's 87km border with Syria, particularly on Jabal al-Druse (The Druse Mountain), within the region southwest of Damascus reaching to the Israeli border and which Israel declared a demilitarized zone since the fall of Assad and the establishment of the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa. Israel is determined to keep this zone, (the area s-w of Damascus) demilitarized in order to protect our border communities from surprise attacks or invasions from Syria, and also to protect our Druze cousins.  

Why did Israel bomb military sites in Damascus and attack tanks approaching Suweida?

The US and the western world in general are falling for the deception of Ahmed al-Sharaa (once known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani) who is pretending to be a moderate, benign ruler who just wants to stabilize Syria and unite its various warring factions. Israel however is not fooled by his western clothes, his trimmed beard, and his charm and good looks. 

Al-Sharaa is a terrorist once on the US' most wanted list with a   $US 10 million price on his head. He was the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, where he was captured by US forces and thrown in jail. There he met the leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In 2011 al-Bagdadi sent al-Julani to Syria to start another terror organization called Jabhat al-Nusera. The following year al-Baghdadi went to Syria to establish the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). ISIS wanted to absorb Julani's group but he resisted and declared his allegiance to al Qaeda. When al-Qaeda showed little interest, Julani branched out on his own forming Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), with the goal of establishing an Islamic State in Syria under Sharia Law. First he established a mini-state in the city of Idlib where he imposed strict Sharia Law and ruled it with a government and a milita that suppressed any opposition. It was from this mini-state that in 2024 he launched his push forward to rapidly take Damascus and oust the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

Immediately, al-Julani changed his name back to his given name, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Why? Well, his nom-de-guerre too obviously betrayed his intentions. Julani is the Arabic word for the Golan Heights, now in Israeli territory. His organization also dropped its name for the same reason, transmogrifying into the Syrian government forces.  Al-Sham is the Arabic term for the Levant which not only includes Syria but also Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. That is his goal. To rule all those nations as one, Syria, under Islamic Law. He is being backed by Erdogan's Turkey which has the same aim, the re-establishment of the Turkish Empire as an Islamic State. 

In an Islamic State there is no room for minorities, be they Druze, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians or Jews. They must be converted or stamped out. The irony is that the most pluralistic and tolerant country in the Middle East, Israel, is the one being accused of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Only Israel is standing up against the encroaching Islamic State. Where is the outcry from the western world when Syrian minorities, Alawites, Christians and Druze are being massacred? Jews are not being massacred in Syria because there are only 1-2 very elderly Jews left!!! Once an ancient and thriving community of around 55,000 (in 1948) all have fled because of persecution. 

Sadly al-Sharaa and his ilk are clever and understand the gullible western mind very well. They know they can fool us. They will make deals and 'talk the talk' but they mean nothing. 

In Islam is the principle of Taqqiya which obligates the 'good' Muslim to lie if it is in the interests of gobal jihad. Signing a bit of paper has no value in the Middle East. Shaking hands has no value. Deals are not worth the paper they are written on. 

Israel knows this. We understand the Middle Eastern mentality and consequently do not trust the words and the outward image of al-Sharaa. Leopards do not change their spots. They may cover them for a while, but underneath they are still a leopard. As long as it is in his interest al-Sharaa will pretend to be a moderate, reasonable leader with only the good of his people on his mind, but once his rule is established and accepted he will revert to type. His ultimate goal is to unite the Levant, establish Islamic rule, and to do that he must destroy the State of Israel and control Lebanon and Jordan too. 

Knowing this, after Assad was deposed, Israel quickly established military posts on Mt Hermon and expanded the 'buffer zone' along its border, destroying all of Assad's heavy weaponry and military installations. It has also declared the area west of Damascus to be a demilitarized zone, where heavy weapons are banned. When al-Sharaa's government forces moved tanks towards Suweida they violated this demilitarized zone, and consequently Israel swifty attacked them and military command centers in Damascus, in order to protect the Druze, and our border, and send a clear message to al-Sharaa.

For more on the Syrian question I recommend the following videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8LhWFKIJn0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfzopst14-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01uIA-HnLLc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbLPDJLG7u0

There is much more happening here in Gaza and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and with the Iranians and Houthis, but I will write about that another day. In the meantime please share the information and pray for the minorities in Syria and for Israel.  

Iran's 'Final Solution' - war by proxy - and why it failed. 

“Turn to me and be saved,

    all you ends of the earth;

    for I am God, and there is no other.

23 

By myself I have sworn,

    my mouth has uttered in all integrity

    a word that will not be revoked:

Before me every knee will bow;

    by me every tongue will swear.

24 

They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone

    are deliverance and strength.’”

All who have raged against him

    will come to him and be put to shame.

25 

But all the descendants of Israel

    will find deliverance in the Lord

    and will make their boast in him.

Isaiah 45: 2-25

For followers of the Twelver sect of Shiite Islam, such as the ayatollahs of Iran, the existence of a Jewish State on what they regard as 'Muslim soil' is an abomination and a hindrance preventing the return of the Mahdi.

The Mahdi is a kind of a messiah figure who is the twelfth imam, currently in 'occultation' (secret seclusion), who according to Shiite eschatology will emerge in the end times to bring about justice and peace in a world overwhelmed by oppression and corruption, and to establish global Islamic rule.

The Mahdi will precede the coming of the Prophet Issa (Jesus) who will rule the world either with the Mahdi or alone (opinions vary). 

According to the Hadiths (the collected sayings of Mohammed) the "last hour will not come unless the Muslims fight against the Jews, and the Muslims would kill them..." (Sahih Muslim 41:6985, also Sahih al-Bukhari 4:56:791).

Clearly, according to these beliefs, the Jews must be conquered and eradicated. The existence of the Jewish State, Israel, is anathema and must be destroyed. 

The current Ayatollah, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, sees himself as the forerunner preparing the way for the reappearance of the Mahdi. He believes he has a divinely sanctioned imperative to destroy Israel, and he formulated a brilliant plan to do just that, his 'final solution', a war to end all wars, opening the way for the Mahdi.

To this end, Khamenei patiently, over a period of at least 30 years, prepared his battle plan, moving his 'chess pieces' into place for a war by proxy. He 'groomed' various terror groups and Shiite entities to go to war against Israel, providing funding, weapons and training. According to his master plan these proxies would carry out a massive, simultaneous invasion of Israel, while he backed them with thousands of missiles, drones and at least 10 nuclear bombs. 

Hezbollah in Lebanon, perhaps the strongest of the proxies, had around 150,000 rockets, ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of drones, and thousands of rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and other smaller munitions. Hezbollah also had a sophisticated army of Iranian (IRGS)-trained soldiers numbering approximately 20,000 full-time soldiers, and an equivalent number of reservists. 

Hamas, though Sunni, joined with Iran in order to fulfill its desire to eliminate Israel and the Jewish people. Before October 7, 2023, Hamas and the other terror groups in Gaza, had around 50,000 operatives, about 30,000 medium and short-range rockets capable of hitting almost every part of Israel, in addition to many thousands of RPGs and mortars and other short-range weapons, hidden in at least 200 km of underground tunnels and command centers, and protected by civilian 'human shields' above. 

The Houthis in Yemen were, and still are, being continually supplied by Iran with sophisticated, long-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, all capable of hitting Israel. 

Iraq had ready an invasion army of around 50,000 soldiers. 

Iran has close to 1 million military personnel. It also had a massive arsenal of around 2,000 - 4,000 (estimates vary) ballistic and cruise missiles capable of reaching Israel and was busy manufacturing more, aiming to reach a total stockpile of at least 8,000. It also had thousands of UAVs (weaponized drones). It was also furiously enriching uranium in order to produce nuclear warheads. At the outbreak of the war it was estimated that it could make, within weeks, around 10 nuclear bombs with the 600kg of enriched uranium it had already made.

Had all these 'armies' attacked Israel simultaneously in surprise, according to the master plan, Israel would have been quickly overwhelmed, outnumbered and outgunned. Most Israelis would have been killed or captured, and the State of Israel pushed into the sea - 'from the River to the Sea'. This would have been genocide on a grand scale. So what went wrong? 

On October 7, 2023 Hamas and other Gazan terror groups, together with many 'civilians' stormed the Israeli border communities killing around 1200 and taking 251 as hostages. At the same time, thousands of rockets were fired into Israel. Although caught by surprise, many IDF personnel, police and armed civilians sprang into action and somehow managed to prevent a much greater disaster. Hamas had planned to reach Tel Aviv, capture the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, capture military bases and installations, and destroy or capture the nuclear reactor at Dimona. They expected Iran and the other proxies to join their attack. But they did not. Iran sat back. Hezbollah the next day began firing rockets into Israel, but didn't invade, nor did Iraq, and the Houthis did not join until much later. Why?

I do not know the official explanation, if there is one. I have heard a theory that Hamas 'went off half-cocked' before the others were ready because of leaked information about the existence of the booby trapped communication devices that later decimated the leadership of Hezbollah. I have also heard that Iraq failed to receive the go-head from Tehran. Perhaps because the communication network failed for some reason. 

I do know that since the October 7 invasion and massacre, Israel has fought back with courage, determination and has devastated the enemy forces. Much of this amazing success can be attributed to our incredible air force, its coordination with the superb ground forces, and our technological superiority both in terms of intelligence but also in the field of battle. Our military personnel have shown exemplary courage, resilience and skill in battle. Not only that, they know they are fighting a battle for our very survival as a nation, and the survival of their own loved ones. This is a big advantage in warfare. 

We also have another big advantage - the most important. Yahweh, the God of Israel is fighting on our side. It is the only explanation for our overwhelming success so far. If I hadn't already believed in God before the war, I would now. We have witnessed so many things that could only have occurred by divine intervention. 

Hamas and its allies in Gaza alone have fired 19,000 rockets at Israel, and Hezbollah approximately 3,000 from Lebanon. Iran has fired around 700 ballistic and cruise missiles, and an unknown number of UAVs at Israel, and the Houthis 52 missiles and many drones. Some of these failed en route or were intercepted by Israel's defense systems, and those of her allies. Only a few reached Israel and, though there have been casualties, mostly civilian, the number is far, far fewer than one might expect given the intensity of the barrages and the potential destructive power of the missiles. Even the one missile that impacted Ben Gurion Airport somehow 'contrived' to fall in the only open space there and caused only a few minor injuries. This is just one of the many, many such miracles we have seen, not to mention the many we may not have seen nor recognized.

It seems that God has been supernaturally protecting Israel. He has allowed us to suffer to some extent in an effort to cause us to repent of our sins and return to him, but he has been great in his mercy, not because we deserve it in any way, but because we are still his chosen people, called by his name, Israel (which means he who struggles with God). God does not fail to fulfil his promises and his prophetic word. Israel still has a role to play in God's redemption plan. He will not allow our enemies to overcome us. The Mahdi will not come (unless he is the Antichrist) and Islam and Allah will be shown to be a false deception. All the world will see and recognize Jesus and bow down to him. It is Jesus who will bring in a millennium of world peace and he will reign the whole earth with his saints from Jerusalem. It is the God of Israel who will bring down the new heaven and the new earth as described in the Book of Revelation.

So what now? Our enemies have been weakened and wounded, the Iranian master plan is shattered, and as I write U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss Trump's vision of the Abraham Accords and peace in the Middle East. 

Can there be peace in the Middle East? Perhaps for a time, but our enemies are still alive, still have a large arsenal of weapons and still believe that Israel must be destroyed so that the end times era of 'peace' under Islam can be ushered in. Surrender to the infidels, Jews and Christian, is unthinkable, as is the concept of defeat or failure in a shame-based society. They may make deals, negotiate 'peace' but only to give themselves time to regroup and rearm so that they can attack again. 

Shiites teach and practice the principle of Taqiyyah. For them Taqiyyah means 'the religious obligation to conceal the truth and not showing openly that which may lead to negative consequences in religious or worldly terms'. In other words, it is not only permissible but obligatory to lie to the enemy, make false declarations or false agreements or treaties, if it is advantageous in terms of their ultimate goal of global jihad.

This is something Western leaders do not seem to understand. Negotiated treaties and deals made with Shia jihadist entities are not worth the paper they are written on. For Shia jihadists a ceasefire can only be temporary, and peace with the 'infidel' unthinkable. I fear for the gullible West. It is a huge mistake to  think that jihadis value life and peace as we do. They value death, martyrdom and war above peace, as long as jihad is incomplete. Their sole overriding goal is world domination and the subjection of all mankind to Islam.

Iran, even after its humiliating defeat in the recent 12-day war with Israel, declared 'victory' and is still openly declaring its intention not only to destroy the 'little Satan', Israel, but also the 'big Satan', America and the rest of the 'corrupt and infidel West'. 

Iran may be 'down' but it is not yet defeated. A wounded lion is a dangerous beast. Iran still has a sizeable arsenal and reports vary about the degree of damage done to Iran's nuclear program. Around 600kg of enriched uranium is still 'missing'. Russia and China have promised to help them restock their arsenal and repair their damaged military sites and factories. 

Hezbollah is not only refusing to disarm as required by the Lebanon ceasefire agreement, it is actively rearming and regrouping. 

The Houthis are still firing missiles at Israel on an almost daily basis. 

Estimates are that though the Hamas military apparatus is dismantled, and perhaps 90% of its leadership killed, there are still around 50,000 Hamas operatives carrying out a guerilla-style war against the IDF, and rockets are still sporadically being fired into Israel. Hamas still holds 50 Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive. 

The war is far from over, and a true, lasting peace will only come when the true Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), returns. 

 

DAY 6 IRAN - ISRAEL WAR, DAY 621 GAZA WAR

“But you, Israel, my servant,

    Jacob, whom I have chosen,

    you descendants of Abraham my friend,

9 

I took you from the ends of the earth,

    from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, ‘You are my servant’;

    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10 

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11 

“All who rage against you

    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;

those who oppose you

    will be as nothing and perish.

12 

Though you search for your enemies,

    you will not find them.

Those who wage war against you

    will be as nothing at all.

13 

For I am the Lord your God

    who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

    I will help you.

14 

Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,

    little Israel, do not fear,

for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,

    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 

“See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,

    new and sharp, with many teeth.

You will thresh the mountains and crush them,

    and reduce the hills to chaff.

16 

You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,

    and a gale will blow them away.

But you will rejoice in the Lord

    and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:8-16

On Friday morning (13 June) we were awakened at 3AM by our Home Front alerts to discover that Israel's air force was attacking military targets in Iran. I admit I felt a frission of fear but my main reaction was one of relief. After more than 40 years of having the Iranian threat hanging over our heads, and suffering constant attacks from Iranian proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis etc), we were finally striking 'the head of the octopus'. 

The time was right. We really had no choice. For years the Ayatollah Regime in Iran has been open about its intention to destroy Israel completely, and on Friday they were on the cusp of producing several nuclear bombs to do just that. They also had already produced around 3,000 ballistic and cruise missiles with factories working overtime to bring that stockpile to at least 6,000. We also had the opportunity, after having destroyed most of Iran's air defense system back in October of last year. US President Donald Trump had done his best to convince the Iranian Regime to make a deal to dismantle or destroy their nuclear project and avoid war, but they were adamant they would never agree. On Thursday it was clear that the negotiations had failed.

Iran's reaction to Israel's pre-emptive attack was immediate. They fired around 100 ballistic missiles and many armed UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles or drones) at Israel that same morning. Thanks to our missile defense systems and the help of other nations, none of these reached Israel. 

Since that time the Israeli Air Force has continually bombarded Iranian nuclear installations, as well as hundreds of missile caches and launchers and other military targets. In the first few days, the IAF destroyed all the remaining Iranian air defense systems, opening the skies for unopposed aerial attacks. Israel has also assassinated the 20 top military leaders and 9 -10 of the most senior nuclear scientists of Iran. 

Since Friday Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and UAVs at Israel, targeting mainly the built up areas in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheba and their surrounding towns. Israel tries to avoid civilian casualties by warning of attacks in advance and targeting only military installations and the homes and offices of the military leadership, but Iran on the contrary directly targets Israel's civilian population. 

Israel has been very careful to avoid civilian casualties because that is how we wage war. However we also have no quarrel with the Iranian people and we are hoping that they will rise up and get rid of the current regime, that most of them hate intensely.

Historically Iran (Persia) and Israel have had friendly relations since King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple in 539 BCE and until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

According to today's IDF statistics the Iranians have fired over 400 ballistic missiles, and 1000 armed drones at Israel since last Friday. Around 90% of the missiles fired at Israel by Iran have been intercepted or have not reached Israeli airspace. A few have slipped through and as of this time (18/06) some 24 Israeli civilians have been killed and 500-800 (depending who you include) people injured.  18,766 damage claims have been lodged for destroyed or damaged buildings and vehicles. 3,800 people have been evacuated from damaged buildings.  No Israeli military personnel have been killed or injured in the Iranian arena. Only one Israeli aircraft, an unmanned drone, has been brought down in the hundreds or thousands of sorties the IAF has flown. The IDF is saying that "Operation Rising Lion" (see Numbers 23:24) is ahead of schedule and having greater success than expected. We have also to date suffered fewer casualties than expected. 

In the last day or so we have seen fewer and fewer incoming missiles from Iran, indicating that they may have lost a significant portion of their fire power and  under stress, or perhaps are saving them for something big. A few hours ago, Iran fired, for the first time, three of its Sejjil missiles at Israel. These missiles  travel at 12-14 times the speed of sound and carry a very large explosive warhead weighing around 700kg. Fortunately these missile were successfully intercepted and caused no damage or casualties. 

Since the beginning of Operation Rising Lion Israel has been largely shut down. All schools have been closed and only essential businesses (supermarkets, pharmacies etc) allowed to operate. Gatherings have been forbidden. Public transport has been stopped, except for some routes to hospitals and other essential places. The airport was closed down on Friday, all passengers and personnel were evacuated and all the planes flown to another country. 

Around 100,000 Israelis are trapped abroad since the airport was shut down. Today however the Ministry of Transport and the Israel Aviation Authority have begun to repatriate, on special rescue flights, Israeli citizens who want to return home, but it will take a long time clear this vast number of stranded people. Many tourists and visitors are also stuck here in Israel but soon they will be able to board outgoing flights as part of this operation. 

Life for the civilian population of Israel has been largely circumscribed by these events. With workplaces, schools and shops closed and Home Front instructions to stay close to shelters, the streets were more or less empty the first few days. As time has gone on more and more people have been venturing out to restock supplies, walk the dog, take exercise or just 'get out of the house'. Unnecessary movement in the open is however discouraged since being distant from a shelter is risky as at any moment the 'incoming missile' alerts can sound. 

I have been very impressed by the courage, restraint and resilience of the Israeli population. I have seen no panic or overt expressions of fear. Everyone seems calm, determined and positive. I am constantly amazed by the willingness of so many to sacrifice so much, putting their own lives on the line again and again, in order to protect our nation. 

Of course we are tired of war. It is now 621 days since Hamas invaded Israel and massacred 1200 Israeli men women and children, including foreign nationals, and took 251 captive into the horror tunnels of Gaza, sparking the war against Hamas. This is still ongoing, and just this week alone 4 Israeli soldiers were killed there. 

I appreciate that our suffering is perhaps not as great as that of the people of Gaza, but whereas the media is much concerned for the Gazans, the suffering of Israelis is overlooked. We have lost around 800 soldiers since the war began on October 8, and 53 of the hostages still remain in the hands of Hamas, though of those only around 20 are believed to be still alive. 

Israel is a small country with a very strong national identity and sense of community. Its really just one big family. When one soldier is killed or one hostage is confirmed dead we all mourn. When one hostage is released we all celebrate. Everyone knows someone who has died or suffered life-changing injuries. We are a nation in mourning but also standing strongly together, in spite of sometimes vitriolic political differences. Deep down all Israelis, even the most secular, have a strong hope and faith that we will survive and flourish. This gives us tremendous strength as a nation.

Since Friday the synagogues and churches have been closed because of the ban on gatherings. Our congregation held its 'meeting' on Shabbat via Zoom. 

About half of our congregation have been camping out at our congregational premises since many do not have adequate mamads (specially reinforced shelters) at home. Municipalities have opened public shelters and in Jerusalem the underground train station has also been opened for those who have no protected space at home. 

A few minutes ago our Home Front Command began to ease the regulations in most areas of the country, not because the danger is significantly less, but because we cannot indefinitely shut down the economy and our lives. 

Tonight we are all holding our collective breath waiting to see if and when the U.S., and perhaps other allied nations, will join us in eliminating Iran's nuclear and missile threat. Only the US has the large bunker-busting bombs that can penetrate the depths of the massive underground nuclear facility at Fordow in Iran.  

There is much more I could say about the situation but I recommend you read reliable news outlet sources online for more information. I recommend All Israel News for factual and honest reporting without commentary. Here is the link:   https://allisraelnews.com/. I also recommend you avoid the mainline news outlets, especially the BBC and CNN because of their anti-Israel bias. For an accurate and up-to-the-minute update I recommend IsraelRealtime. You can join for free using one of the links below:

👉 WhatsApp: tinyurl.com/IRWAC

👉 Telegram: tinyurl.com/3fz86npa

👉 Other links: IsraelRealTime.com

UPDATE: 19 JUNE 2025

This morning Iran crossed a red line. A volley of around 25-30 missiles was fired at Israel about 07:30 and one of them struck the Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva (Beersheba), causing much damage one of the buildings.  No one was killed but there were some minor injuries. It could have been much, much worse were it not that the top floor of the building had been evacuated just the day before at the instruction of the Ministry of Health, reportedly because of damage sustained in earlier attacks. According to All Israel News, "MDA Director General Eli Bin called it “a great miracle,” stating that the Ministry of Health had ordered the evacuation of the damaged floor just last night. “Many lives were saved,” he continued. 

In the same barrage several other missiles struck apartment buildings and a school in central Israel. Thankfully schools are still closed. There were no fatalities but dozens suffered injuries, some serious. Many more have lost their homes. 

An earlier volley at about 1 AM, consisted of only 5 missiles and all were intercepted, and there were no damage or injuries.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE WAR?

27 January 2025

It has been several weeks since my last update, but it is not for the want of trying. As fast as I write, events overtake me. Facts on the ground are changing by the minute, as you will see if you read my earlier entries below. 

By now, the deal with Hamas has been agreed upon and its implementation begun. To date, 7 female hostages have been returned alive to Israel, hundreds of Palestinian terrorists, some with Israeli blood on their hands, have been released from Israeli prisons, and today, the Netzarim corridor has been opened to allow evacuated Gazans to return to the northern part of the Strip. This is just the beginning of the first phase of the deal. Already Hamas is pushing the boundaries and there is no surety the agreement will stand long enough for all the hostages to be returned to Israel. We are holding our collective breath. 

Is the deal a good thing? No, I believe it is a terrible deal, giving Hamas at least the illusion of victory, but it was necessary at this point. Israel as a state has a strong moral imperative to rescue every last Israeli citizen if at all possible. No one is expendable. There is an extremely strong sense that we are all family, and you never abandon family. 

Is the war with Hamas over? No, they live to fight another day. Already Hamas is celebrating 'victory', regrouping, recruiting and replacing their lost arms. They are promising more 'October 7's and we believe them. I do hope however, that we will be ready next time and will not ever again be caught off-guard. 

Did Hamas win? In a sense perhaps they did. Their plan to take hostages and hold them to ransom has worked, and as a result they are receiving thousands of their people back to fight another day. Hamas as an organization and fighting force is still here, and has the support of many, if not the majority of Gazans.  Their ideology lives on and their aspiration to destroy the Jewish State, from the River to the Sea, has perhaps even strengthened.  On the other hand, if you see the images of the destruction in Gaza, large swathes of which have been literally flattened, and count the cost to the people of Gaza, it is hard to see it as victory. Nevertheless for Hamas that doesn't matter. They care nothing for the people they rule over. 

What will happen in Gaza now? That is the million (or billions!) dollar question. Hamas still is in control it seems. The international community may have other plans for Gaza but for now it is Hamas out on the streets with the guns. 

Many here hoped that US President Donald Trump, now having been sworn in, would endorse an allied attack on Iran's nuclear sites, and bring down the ayatollah regime thus slaying the 'head of the octopus'. It seems however that he prefers the diplomatic course, negotiations and sanctions. I am not sure we have time for that. I don't think we should negotiate with pure evil. It hasn't worked in the past and it won't work now. 

Trump yesterday released the shipment to Israel of the bunker busting bombs needed for an attack on Iran. This shipment was blocked for many months by the Biden administration. Is this move by Trump merely a completion of a business deal (Israel had already paid for these armaments), or is it a 'green light' for Israel to attack the nuclear sites in Iran. Perhaps it is just a message to Iran and its proxies? 

In the north, the ceasefire is holding in the sense that there has been no rocket fire into Israel since the ceasefire began. Skirmishes however continue between IDF forces and Hezbollah operatives who are infiltrating into the 'forbidden zone' south of the Litani River attempting to repossess arms caches and re-establish positions. The withdrawal of IDF forces from southern Lebanon was supposed to be completed by today (26 January), but it has been announced that the deadline will be pushed back to the 18th of February, because the Lebanese Army has not successfully enforced the pullback of the Hezbollah fighters nor taken control of most of the villages along the Israeli border as required by the agreement. It seems to me unlikely that the Lebanese army will be able to fulfil its obligations, since it is poorly equipped compared to Hezbollah, and in any case is partially made up of Hezbollah operatives. 

Since the albeit shaky ceasefires have been initiated in Lebanon and Gaza, focus has to some degree shifted to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), where the IDF and the Palestinian Authority are trying to stamp out the nests of Hamas, ISIS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terrorists. Will these operations be able to prevent these terrorists from carrying out more October 7 -type attacks on Israel as they plan?

As you can see, there are many questions. For now the rockets and missiles are not flying overhead and there is an uneasy calm, but the situation is tense and the skirmishes on the ground, in both Lebanon and Gaza could easily escalate once more. 

We are all feeling weary of the war, violence and hatred, and I sense that the world as a whole has rather lost interest in the fate of Israel in this situation. If you belong to the LORD, please do not give up praying for Israel. It may seem very far away, but what happens here will affect the entire world, and you, and I, are here 'just for a time like this'. If we do not 'stand in the gap', who will?

It feels to us here in Israel that the entire world is rising up against this tiny land and the Jewish people as a whole. Today is International Holocaust Day, the commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz 80 years ago, and once again expressions of blatant antisemitism have become socially acceptable in many countries, and in the media.  Will there be another Holocaust? Will you stand up against this tide of antisemitism or will you look the other way? We need to pray fervently and perhaps the LORD will relent. The prophet Amos said this,

I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
 So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen,” the Lord said.
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land.  Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented.
Amos 7: 2-6

Is Micah's prophesy about to be fulfilled?

But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”

Micah 4: 11-13

15 Jan 2025  9PM Israel time

It has just been officially announced that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to 3-stage plan to bring about the end of the war, and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. The deal is expected to be officially signed in the coming hours. 

In the first stage, which will take six weeks to complete, 33 of the remaining 98 hostages will be returned to Israel. The process will begin this coming Sunday (the 19th), with the release of the first three hostages. The 33 hostages to be released include female civilians and soldiers, children, the elderly and the injured or ill.  We do not yet know the identities of those to be released nor whether they are alive or deceased. I cannot imagine the agony the waiting families must be experiencing. 

During this phase both sides will enter into a ceasefire, and Israel will start withdrawing towards the east, allowing Gazan civilians to return home and be rehabilitated in stages. Israel will also release thousands of Hamas terrorists from Israeli jails, some to Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and some to exile elsewhere.   

The other 65 Israeli hostages will be released only in the second and third stages, the details of which are still to be ironed out by the parties involved. 

Is this the beginning of the end of the war? Will both sides honor the agreements? Can it be ensured that Hamas will not regroup, rearm and again attack Israel? Who will govern Gaza?  

There are still so many questions to be answered, but perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Only God knows. 

As you can see, as fast as I write the situation changes.  Read what I wrote yesterday:

14 Jan 2025  Missile attacks from the Houthis

It is Day 466 of the war in Israel, and this morning at around 3AM we were yet again woken up by the missile alert sirens.  The ballistic missile was fired from Yemen by the Houthis, who claim to have hit the IDF Central Command in Tel Aviv. In reality the missile was shot down over Jerusalem and the shrapnel fell in the surrounding areas, one large fragment punching through the roof of a house in Mevo Beitar, which lies between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. No one was injured, except for around 11 people who sustained minor injuries while running for shelter, or who suffered anxiety attacks. 

https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2025/01/AFP__20250114__36TP4MN__v1__HighRes__IsraelYemenPalestinianConflict-1024x640.jpg

A rocket fragment embedded in roof of house in Mevo Beitar near Jerusalem, January 14, 2025

 Earlier yesterday, another interception of a ballistic missile caused fragments to fall in the Afula - Beit Shean and Jordan Valley area. 

Since the ceasefire came into effect in Lebanon, and the fall of Assad's regime in Syria, there has been an increase in the number of attacks from the Houthis. Since the beginning of the war in October 2023, the Houthis have fired around 40 ballistic surface-to-surface missiles and 320 armed UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) at Israel. Most of these either fell short or were shot down before reaching Israel. One drone penetrated and killed a man in Tel Aviv but, apart from that, there have been no fatalities in these attacks (as far as I can remember). Even when the missiles are shot down there is a danger of falling debris, and as you can see some of this 'shrapnel' is very large indeed. 

Is a hostage deal imminent?

In spite of this latest missile attack this morning all the news is focusing on the hostage deal negotiations. The media is full of reports saying the 'deal is on' the 'deal is imminent', the 'deal is off' and so on. I cannot imagine what the families of the hostages are going through in this maelstrom of information,  misinformation and speculations, not to mention purely fake news. 

Israelis are divided about the wisdom of even a temporary  ceasefire at this juncture, and the release of thousands of Palestinian terrorist prisoners from Israeli jails. Some see it as tantamount to conceding defeat and rewarding Hamas for its aggression. Some Palestinians are already celebrating Hamas' victory over Israel, and Hamas is boasting of its plans for future invasions such as that which they carried out on October 7,2023. 

Other Israelis support the proposed deal in order to obtain the release of hostages 'at any price'. Although the exact terms of the deal have not been publicized, it seems that the first stage of the deal will secure the release of only 33 of the 98 hostages remaining in Gaza, and it is unclear how many of those 33 are still alive. It is also unclear when and if the other 65 hostage, dead and alive, will be released. The clock is ticking for the hostages, even for those who were young and healthy when captured, since they have been starved of food, light and fresh air, and kept in horrendous damp and unsanitary conditions far underground, and denied medical care. It is thought that around 50% have already died. 

Personally my heart is torn. On one hand I want to see all the hostages rescued but I fear the consequences of agreeing to  any deal which allows for the survival of Hamas and the release of terrorists, especially those with Israeli blood on their hands. Its a terrible choice. 

I cannot imagine the pressure on our PM Netanyahu today. As someone put it 'he needs Solomonic wisdom' to know what to do. Its a lose-lose situation, and the 'Palestinians' are already celebrating their 'victory'. May the LORD give Netanyahu divine wisdom and guidance! 

Ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip

After 15 months of continual fighting, the IDF is still encountering pockets of resistance, discovering weapons caches, rocket launching sites and tunnels even in areas once deemed 'clear'. It is testimony to the massive preparations Hamas had made before their attack on October 7. It is also testimony to the massive amount of money they spent on military installations and equipment, rather than using it to improve the lives of the Gazan population. Over 300 km of concrete-lined tunnels have been discovered in a network under the Strip, which measures just  41 kilometres (25 miles) long, and from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide. (Just imagine how many homes, schools, hospitals etc. could have been built with that concrete, and how many water desalination plants and electricity stations and infrastructure could have been built with that money.)

With the fighting ongoing, soldiers of the IDF are still being killed. Just yesterday 5 were killed, and 10 injured, in the northern Gaza Strip, among them the son (aged 20) of one of my colleagues at All Israel News. His funeral is to take place in about an hour from now (at 2PM on 14/01). 

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has lost a total of 840 soldiers, including 55 in the current operation in the northern Strip which began in October 2024, according to the official figures of the IDF. 

Although the military apparatus of Hamas has been largely destroyed, it still has many fighters and much equipment and has made no secret of the fact they want to carry out more kidnappings and attacks in Israel. Lately, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have even resumed firing rockets, on an almost daily basis, from Gaza into the southern communities of Israel, even as the traumatised people there are returning to try and rebuild their homes and lives.

It seems too that, against all the odds, Hamas is managing to rearm, and there are reports of large numbers of men being recruited into their fighting ranks. Some reports suggest that roughly the same number of new recruits have been added to their number as the number of Hamas operatives killed by the IDF. 

Ceasefire in Lebanon

The ceasefire in Lebanon, which began on the 27 November, seems to be more or less holding. Apart from one anti-tank RPG there has been no cross-border rocket fire from Hezbollah. The IDF has however been continually acting against Hezbollah operatives entering the region south of the Litani River, which was forbidden by the ceasefire agreement. The IDF has discovered massive preparations in tunnels and 'civilian' houses for a planned attack on northern Israel in which some 5,300 Hezbollah operatives were to storm the border in 36 places and capture and take hostage the residents of a number of Israeli towns in the Galilee and Golan.

The big question is: Why didn't they do it?  Had they carried out this plan simultaneously with the Hamas attack we would have been in big trouble. May God be praised!

The 60 day ceasefire ends on the 26th of January and by that time the IDF is supposed to have withdrawn all its troops from Lebanon, and the Lebanese government army (LAF) taken control in the region vacated, and all Hezbollah forces withdrawn north of the Litani River. Although the IDF has withdrawn from some towns and villages, there is doubt that the LAF will be able to take control and expel all the Hezbollah forces in that time frame. It may be that the IDF will have to extend the deadline. The IDF is still encountering Hezbollah operatives south of the Litani River, and uncovering Hezbollah weapons caches and military positions. 

The Fall of the Assad Regime in Syria

Since the lightning fast fall of the Assad regime in Syria the situation remains extremely fluid. A de facto government has been established under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Al Sharaa is at pains to present himself and his organisation as being 'moderate' and as having no plans to threaten any other country. 

Thankfully our leadership is suspicious of this claim and is watching very carefully. Once things have quietened down, and the spotlight is turned off, Al Sharaa will most likely revert to type and introduce strict Sharia Law, persecute minority groups, and threaten Israel. We have seen this pattern in several instances elsewhere in the Middle East when terror groups take control. 

Israel has occupied the buffer zone between Syria and Israel, including the strategically important Syrian summit of Mt Hermon. The IAF has also been bombing and destroying Assad's heavy weapons, military equipment and arms caches so that these do not fall into the hands of HTS, ISIS or any other terror group.  The IDF is also destroying routes by which weapons were shipped through Syria from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iraq

Iraq, seeing the writing on the wall, also announced soon after the fall of Assad that it would no longer fire missiles at Israel, and would not participate in the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah. 

Iran

The fall of Assad's regime came as a serious blow to Iran which had already more or less lost its two main proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. After Israel destroyed most of Iran's defense capability on the 26 October 2024, Iran has repeatedly threatened retaliation but, to date, nothing has eventuated. 

It seems to me a shame that Israel and its allies, especially the US and the UK which already have forces in the region, have not taken the opportunity to destroy Iran's nuclear sites, once and for all. Why has this not happened? I suspect there are two main reasons: one, that the Biden administration has withheld from Israel the bunker busting bombs needed to do the job, and two, that Biden does not want it to happen on 'his watch'. He wants to go down in history as the President who made peace, not war, in the Middle East. 

I fear the opportunity created by Israel's destruction of Iran's defensive systems may already have been partially lost by this delay in taking action. There are reports that since October, Iran has managed to restore at least some of its defense capability. 

There is some expectation here that after Donald Trump is inaugurated as U.S. President on January 21st things will change. Although Trump has made it clear that he wants to deal with Iran through sanctions and diplomacy, with Iran only days or weeks away from producing a nuclear bomb, there is no time for those solutions. The question is, will Trump support and cooperate with Israel to destroy Iran's potential to build a nuclear arsenal? 

Turkey

Turkey's dictatorial President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has made no secret of his desire to reestablish the Turkish Empire. Turkey backed, armed and financed the HTS, and is reportedly amassing its army along the Turkish-Syrian border. Here in Israel, we are watching developments very carefully. 

Egypt

In 1979 Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty. The treaty stipulated very specifically what military resources Egypt was permitted to locate in the Sinai. These stipulations were relaxed in recent years to help Egypt counter the ISIS presence there. However more recently, Egypt has massively expanded and strengthened its military presence in the Sinai, far beyond what is permitted, and this with aid and arms provided by the USA. One must ask why?