ISRAEL REPORT
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Gibber! Gibber!
Chugley
Israel Report December 2023
My Counsel Shall Stand…….
Editorial
As the Gaza conflict drags on and the end of HAMAS draws near, many of the recent Christian and secular media speculation over the near future may need some revision as to the outcome of events which were triggered on October 7th. Further, other aspects of the prophetic scene also seem to be developing in a different fashion than many discerning people imagined just a few weeks ago. Amazingly neither Iran and her proxy Hezbollah joined the fray to support the battle to save HAMAS. To be sure, Iran sent her weaponry, funding and verbal encouragement, yet restricting their puppet Nasrallah in Lebanon to sending a few rockets Israel’s way – with one eye on a couple of American carrier squadrons off their coasts and the other on the massive firepower being unleashed upon the cities of Gaza, the mullah’s of Tehran suddenly seemed willing to leave Yahya Sinwar, the face of Hamas in Gaza just as Goliath was the face of the Philistine army, alone to reap his fate. For the moment a wider regional war has been averted, or delayed. Thousands of Hamas fighters are pouring out of tunnel shafts naked to the waist with their weapons held over their heads in surrender and Israel now holds a firm control over the region with comparatively few, although always tragic, losses. On the global political map the reliably ineffective UN seems lost in a world of indecision over what should be done, the plans of Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum appear to have hit a speed bump, and some more perceptive nations have firmly rejected the World Health Organisation bid to put the nations under their sway by way of global plandemic treaties. Even as the world was promised a greater and deadlier pestilence, the uptake of the jabster’s boosters has been dismal and Bigpharma is taking some enormous monetary losses in contrast to the billions squeezed out of governments over the past three years for their unhealthy wares.. Are we on the cusp of Jeremiah’s “Jacob’s Trouble” – absolutely – it’s just that when the momentum slows, or perceived directions change, so many become disillusioned, anxious and doubt sets in. They excitedly inform their family and friends of the latest significant political gyrations – and what it will mean for them if ignored – only to see their claims evaporate resulting in great scorn and derision. As we hurtle toward 2024 the many international financial pundits did not see their dire warnings of a 2023 global financial collapse fulfilled, nor their claims of a precious metals break-out. Today the stock markets soared and Christmas spending is as robust as it ever has been. Inflation is down – or so the bankers say, and four insane U.S. interest rate cuts look baked in for next year. Some amongst the soothsayers of today are puzzled, depressed, confused and humiliated. Their hopes of an early Armageddon dashed. So, are we out of the woods then?? Not likely. Is it possible though that a time of “peace and safety” looms ahead? Biblically, yes, it is. It is a false arrangement possibly after a regional war – one in which Israel survives yet at great cost and injury – and loss of allies – resulting in an urgent need of some foreign protection and military assistance. It involves a mystery – partially revealed – of a final coalition of nations to ring in the end of global gentile rule headed by a man claiming to be Christ Himself. A vile and demonic person who deceives Israel and humanity by stealth and promises of universal peace.
He will take advantage of technology available already today – and finally and briefly use it to enslave mankind. His regime will surely sweep away all the wannabe dictators of today and their Fascist schemes now at last being questioned by many. This is a tyranny never before experienced on planet earth and therefore of a spiritual nature, a demonic reveal that will stagger the mind, and change long held perspectives and delusions. To have a Messiah arrive, albeit false, who will bring peace and harmony to a continually war torn region, be accepted by Jewry as Shiloh who was yet to come, perform miracles and call down fire from the heavens bringing along all religious beliefs with him, will reset the human mind on a massive scale. Events may not be transpiring as thought by those bold enough to second-guess the days ahead. Their unease has been caused by their penchant for taking their eyes off the biblical ball as it were, and falling to the temptation to read into biblical prophecy all the events of each day? This is obviously not going to be a gradual process. This requires a sudden and cataclysmic moment – an awakening to a spiritual deception such as sends the intellect into overdrive – something always considered to be the fantasy of the cinematic world – now requiring an entire rewiring of the synapses. An apparent cosmic reality check – devised over millennia to deceive those who dwell upon the earth into disbelieving the natural order, casting aside the notion of humanity being galactic orphans, and the veracity of the Bible. In the end, the minutiae of world events have little bearing on what God has decreed will come to pass. Yes, there will be a major regional war in the Middle East, it has begun in small measure already, a time of great suffering, finally washed away in a rush to peace and short-lived stability. Suddenly, altered by a realignment of reality as the spiritual dimension invades our perceptions. The puny machinations of the current and few political elite, pestilences, engineered weather, earthquakes and climate change will no longer hold significant meaning. Overtaken by such a change in vision as set John the Revelator back on his heels in a swoon is now soon and inevitable – it is outside of our realm – and will be so convincing as to even deceive believers – if that were possible. That will not be possible however, for this imminent event to occur, a restraining influence must first be removed. The precious church of Jesus Christ must first go home. It will be sudden, unannounced, and take the majority by surprise. This is the event focussed upon so prominently in scripture. The great alien abduction, for that is how it will be explained. No matter how troubling and confusing are the news headlines today – we must ensure that our emotional stability is not dependent upon agreement with our limited worldview – our stay must be upon the Word of God no matter the vagaries and fascination of earthly politics, geographic alignments and conflagrations – and their possible prophetic significance. Our creator has all things under His authority and His purposes will be carried out to the letter regardless of human opinion as to how and in which manner this shall be achieved. Says He;: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” [Isaiah 46:10]
US urges Israel to end large-scale Gaza ground invasion by the end of the year……..
The White House on Friday tried to downplay U.S. differences with Israel over the future course of its war against Hamas. While both parties see an eventual transition from wide-scale bombardment and intense ground fighting to a more targeted campaign against Hamas leadership, the U.S. and Israel remain at loggerheads over when that might happen. As civilian casualties mount, the Biden administration wants that to happen within weeks, while Israeli officials say its large-scale ground operation has many more months to go. The Israeli government has been told to end its large-scale ground invasion in Gaza by the end of 2023 and move to a more targeted phase in its war against Hamas, The New York Times has reported. The Times reported that, according to four senior US officials, the Biden administration told the Israeli government it wanted the next phase to involve the use of elite Israeli forces undertaking more precise missions. This would involve forces moving in and out of the population centres of Gaza to carry out attacks on Hamas leaders, the tunnel network and to rescue hostages.
Asked if he wanted Israel to scale back its assault on Gaza by the end of the year, US President Joe Biden said he wanted Israel to focus on saving civilian lives; “I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives, not stop going after Hamas but be more careful,” Biden said. The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, however, said it would take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war even as his country and the US face increasing international isolation and alarm over the devastation from the campaign in Gaza. “It is not easy to take a democracy into war, but once we are in the war, we will prevail because we are fighting for the right issues and for the right values. Thank you for standing side by side with us,” said Galant. Israeli leaders repeated their determination to pursue the military assault until they crush the militant group for its October 7 attack as The U.S. State Department on Thursday refused to rule out the possibility of the Hamas terrorist organization retaining power or joining a Palestinian Authority-led governing body [??!!] for the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria. “We have been clear about our position on Hamas, which the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 due to its premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets,” a U.S. government spokesperson said. [“For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.”] (Obadiah 10, KJV)
Biden says Israel must ’Embrace’ an Arab Palestinian state…….
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for calling the “Oslo Accords” a mistake, and insisted that Israel must embrace the two-state solution. Speaking at a fundraising event, the American leader [so called] criticized the “most conservative government in Israel’s history” for opposing the creation of an Arab Palestinian state. Said he; “You cannot say there’s no Palestinian state at all in the future. Bibi understands that he’s got to make some moves to strengthen [the PA] — strengthen it, change it, move it. You cannot say there’s no Palestinian state at all in the future. And that’s going to be the hard part”. Never a truer word was spoken. While both parties see an eventual transition from wide-scale bombardment and intense ground fighting to a more targeted campaign against Hamas leadership, the U.S. and Israel remain at loggerheads over when that might happen. As civilian casualties mount, the Biden administration wants that to happen within weeks, while Israeli officials say its large-scale ground operation has many more months yet to go.
Dozens of Terrorists Arrested in Northern Gaza….with Weapons in Hand…….
Over 70 terrorist operatives were arrested during the operation on hospital grounds, and more were killed in clashes with IDF soldiers The IDF and Shin Bet fighters arrested dozens of terrorist operatives on the grounds of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. In the footage published Thursday by the IDF, the terrorists are seen leaving the hospital premises holding weapons above their heads as a sign of surrender. More than 70 terrorists were arrested during the operation. Several clashes broke out, during which IDF soldiers eliminated more terrorists. The detainees were taken for interrogation by Unit 504 and Shin Bet coordinators. In additional footage published at the end of last week, dozens of Hamas terrorists were seen surrendering to IDF soldiers at the UNRWA compound in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. The terrorists, some of whom are affiliated with Hamas, were taken for questioning and can be seen in the footage standing in a long line, dressed only in underwear, surrendering with their hands raised. One of them was even filmed placing a weapon in front of the troops.
IDF Mistakenly Kills Three Hostages in Gaza……….
IDF troops killed three hostages taken by Hamas after mistaking them for terrorists during operational activity in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shejaia, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday evening. The three victims are Yotam Haim, who was abducted from Kfar Aza, Samer Talalka who was abducted from Nir Am, and Alon Shamriz, all of whom were kidnapped on October 7. During fighting in Shejaiya, Gaza, an IDF force mistakenly identified the three Israeli hostages as a threat. They opened fire and killed them.The bodies were returned to Israel and identified.
Battle Zone Update……..
According to a joint statement, a “significant” tunnel was discovered in recent days by the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade alongside the Shin Bet. The Hamas operatives were identified and killed by the Combat Engineering Corps’ elite Yahalom unit, using “diverse means,” the IDF says, without elaborating further. Israel’s reported attempt to pump seawater into the vast network of tunnels beneath Gaza beginning earlier this week was “a success,” The Times of Israel reported Thursday. The publication added that the army warned of “new combat methods” to deal with terrorists hiding underground. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the IDF had started pumping seawater into Hamas’s underground tunnel system, a move aimed at destroying the Palestinian terror group’s subterranean network of passages and hideaways and at driving its operatives above ground. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan on Thursday claimed that the tunnels were engineered to withstand flooding as well as other “potential dangers.”
Though some hostages are being held in the tunnels, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral. Daniel Hagari said Thursday that the army operates based on intelligence it has regarding where it believes the hostages are located and that it will not take steps that harm them. After a major raid of the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] city of Jenin, the IDF said it arrested dozens of people. According to the IDF, troops scanned hundreds of buildings, arrested 60 wanted Palestinians, and seized 50 weapons and hundreds of explosive devices during the 60-hour incursion that began late Monday, according to the Times of Israel. The IDF said the troops also found more than 10 tunnel shafts, seven labs used to manufacture explosive devices, and five war rooms used by local terror operatives to monitor IDF operations. Some of the sites were blown up by the troops. During that raid, IDF troops entered a mosque and sang Jewish prayers over its public address system.
Hamas unleashed a rocket attack on Jerusalem for the first time since October. At least six rockets were launched towards Jerusalem according to the Israeli military, with three intercepted, Israel’s N12 news reported. The military said the other rockets landed away from populated zones. The barrage could be seen from the Al Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam and a frequent flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian strife. One of the rockets fired from Gaza fell near the Al-Astashari hospital in Ramallah, Israel’s N12 news reported. Hamas also fired rockets near Beit Shemesh, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem, but they fell harmlessly, according to further reports. . The IDF claimed Hamas attempted to ambush its troops by connecting speakers to explosive-laden dolls and backpacks.
Those items “were intentionally placed near a tunnel shaft connecting to a large tunnel network that extends under nearby civilian areas including a school and a medical clinic,” according to the IDF. “It also connects to a mosque containing a Hamas command centre equipped with cameras that were monitoring IDF troops. The command centre is connected to the medical clinic’s power supply. IDF forces conducted thorough searches of the area and exposed the ambush as well as Hamas intelligence and anti-tank positions in the area. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini [pictured above] said after returning from Gaza “we are almost 70 days into this war, and every time I go back, I think it cannot get worse. But every time I witness more misery, more grief and sadness and I have the feeling that Gaza is not really a habitable place anymore.” “On this visit I stayed in Rafah in the extreme south of the Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt,” he said. “Now, Rafah is the epicentre of the displacement of Gazans. This is where over 1 million people have fled to the Governate, and most of them have been moved more than once since the beginning of the war. Rafah has quadrupled its number of people overnight.” CNN reporter Clarissa Ward, who was trying since the start of the war to get into Gaza, finally made it in. She took a look at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She conducted a tour of the incredible damage after more than 22,000 strikes, “by far surpassing anything we’ve seen in modern warfare in terms of intensity and ferocity.” she reported.
Fighting continued along the Lebanese border Friday……..
Israeli Air Force aircraft struck a series of Hezbollah targets this week in Lebanon in response to what the IDF said were cross border attacks. Among the targets struck were terrorist infrastructure, a command and control centre, and military sites in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating. In addition, the IDF said it struck a launch post from which launches toward Israel were identified using the 120mm laser and GPS-guided ‘Iron Sting‘ mortar ammunition made by Israel’s Elbit Systems. Amid concerns throughout this war that it might expand into a fight against Hezbollah, IDF troops are undergoing training for “potential scenarios along the northern border,” the IDF said. Dubbed “Valuable Time,” the exercises are designed to train IDF reservists while they also carry out operational activities. It includes daytime and night-time combat, urban and rural warfare, operational artillery training and operations of various other types of weapons. The exercises are being conducted on a number of levels, from the platoon level to the battalion combat teams, in order to best simulate integrated joint combat. The IDF Northern Command said it established a training arena that includes shooting instructors, a mobile fire operation unit, and training across a range of weapons, as well as technological tools for planning combat to enhance force readiness. More AID permitted to Enter;
Israel has opened the Kerem Shalom border for direct delivery of humanitarian aid, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced Friday. The crossing is located in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border. Earlier this week, the IDF said it would only allow inspections of humanitarian aid at Kerem Shalom, which would then have to go to the Rafah border checkpoint between Egypt and Gaza for entry into the Strip. “We welcome this significant step,” he said in a statement. “President Biden raised this issue in recent phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and it was an important topic of discussion during my visit to Israel over the past two days. The United States remains committed to expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. We will continue to work closely with Egypt and other partners on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance through Rafah crossing, and we hope that this new opening will ease congestion and help facilitate the delivery of life-saving assistance to those who need it urgently in Gaza.” Said he.
Sudden Flux of Hamas-Hezbollah Meetings Stoke Mystery……..
The two groups may be coordinating closer than ever before despite their longstanding differences. Leaders from now endangered Hamas and Hezbollah have been meeting in a flurry over the past several weeks in a sign the groups may be coordinating more closely over the course of the Israel-Hamas war. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held phone calls with the leaders of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad just after the October 7 attack on Israel. Later that month, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, met with Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhleh. The parties agreed on next steps they each should take at the time, a joint statement said, raising concerns about the groups opening up a new chapter of broader coordination. Hamas and Hezbollah are part of what Iran calls the “Axis of Resistance,” an interwoven set of both Sunni and Shia Muslim groups which have their own relationship with Iran and which share a main driving interest: working against Israel and the United States. Both groups get funding and training from Iran—and speculation about how far Iran’s hands reach into Hamas’ planning and plotting have been swirling since October 7. But the two groups’ alignment isn’t necessarily cut-and-dried. “Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran… it’s a marriage of convenience,” Doug London, a former CIA chief of station who served throughout the Middle East and a CIA subject matter expert on Iran and counterterrorism, has stated. Hamas, a Sunni Muslim group, has said it is coordinating closely with Shia Hezbollah on the war. Lebanese Hezbollah began launching attacks against Israel from the north just after October 7, in what appeared to be coordinated steps. But the groups have had differences over the years. In the past decade, Hamas and Hezbollah backed opposite sides in the Syrian war. Hamas had opposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown—in a significant break from Iran and Hezbollah’s approach to the war. Nevertheless, a common and demonic hatred of all Jewry remains the glue that holds them together when push comes to shove. It is a rapidly developing bond of necessity as the HAMAS proxy faces an imminent and humiliating defeat.
Divine Irony: Turkish MP’s Collapse Following Harsh Words Against Israel………
In a striking turn of events that underscores the complexities of Middle Eastern politics and the power of words, Turkish lawmaker Hasan Bitmez, [pictured above] a member of the conservative Felicity Party, collapsed from a heart attack in a dramatic moment right after delivering a fiery speech against Israel in the Turkish parliament. Bitmez, 53, concluded his impassioned address with a strong condemnation of Israel, stating, “You will not escape the wrath of Allah.” These words, heavy with foreboding, were his last before he unexpectedly collapsed, his head striking the floor, much to the shock and concern of his fellow assembly members who ran to his aid. He was rushed to hospital where two stents were inserted into his coronary artery – but to no avail – he died the next day.
WORLD NEWS BRIEFING – with Tom Hughes and Don Perkins – 14 December 2023
Dr. Phil Speaks Out for Israel
Israel Report
Editor; Mike Claydon
Israel Report Editor; Mike Claydon israelreport@mail.com