The War Grinds On :: By Daymond Duck
I started this article on Dec. 21, 2023 (the 76th day of the Israel-Hamas war and 21 days after Hamas broke the ceasefire and the war resumed).
I have the impression that the leaders of Hamas and Muslims everywhere are begging world leaders to pressure Israel to stop the destruction of Hamas.
Several Arab nations have tried to get the UN Security Council to impose a permanent ceasefire; Germany, the UK, France, and others have called for a sustainable ceasefire; U.S. Pres. Biden, U.S. Sec. of State Blinken, several members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have criticized Israel’s tactics; many in the mainstream media and Hollywood have been critical of Israel; people have demonstrated against Israel in several countries, etc.
Nevertheless, on Dec. 19, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said:
- Whoever thinks that we will stop is detached from reality. We will not stop the fighting until all of the goals that we have set are achieved: The elimination of Hamas, the release of our hostages, and the removal of the threat from Gaza.
- All Hamas terrorists, from the first to the last, are dead men walking. They have only two possibilities: Surrender or die.
So, despite the antisemitism, criticism, and disapproval, the war grinds on.
The war might end sooner if world leaders would admit the truth, recognize that Hamas is causing the death of innocent people by hiding behind human shields, stop trying to protect Hamas, and get behind Israel, but that is not likely to happen, and forcing Israel to be more careful may even cause the war to last longer.
Here are some reports that appear to be significant:
One, concerning wars and rumors of wars (specifically the Israeli-Hamas war): on Dec. 20, 2023, it was reported that Israel has discovered a large tunnel network underneath the homes of Senior Hamas leaders in an affluent neighborhood near Gaza City.
Senior Hamas leaders used it as an underground headquarters, for shelter, to travel to other locations before coming up above ground, to travel to some of the hospitals, to surface at a hospital and get an ambulance to travel to other above-ground locations, and more.
The Israeli military is calling this large underground network “Commander’s Square,” and they say it was operating as a “terror city.”
It reportedly contained descending spiral stairs, an elevator, apartments, offices, meeting rooms, living quarters, surveillance cameras, ventilation systems, and heavy blast doors that were used by some Hamas leaders.
Some areas had food products, electricity, water, and weapons.
Israel has posted pictures and videos of the complex.
One military official said Israeli troops will continue to go after Hamas above ground or underground.
(More. On Dec. 21, 2023, it was reported that Israel blew up the tunnels.)
(My opinion: Hamas can run and hide, but Jehovah knows where they are and how to get them. Calling on world leaders to protect them is a waste of breath if Jehovah wants Israel to wipe them out. Think about it: Hamas has spent years building miles of elaborate tunnels to hide from Israeli aircraft, and it was a waste of time, labor, materials, and money. “Commander’s Square” was destroyed in one day.)
Here is a link with a picture that shows the massive explosion that happened when “Commander’s Square” was destroyed.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-blows-subterranean-city-gaza-132347103.html
Two, the Bible teaches that there will be wars and rumors of wars at the end of the age (Matt. 24:6), that the Promised Land will be divided, and God will respond by dragging the nations into the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation Period (Joel 3:2; Rev. 19:11-21).
On Dec. 22, 2023, the UN Security Council passed a resolution requesting Israel and Hamas to cooperate with a UN coordinator to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the Palestinians without delay.
There was no mention of a ceasefire in the resolution.
Prior to the vote, there was a report that said the resolution also:
- Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages.
- Demands that all parties to the conflict comply with their obligations to international law.
- Reiterates the UN Security Council’s commitment to the Two-State Solution (the division of the Promised Land).
- Stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank and giving the Palestinian Authority “a governance role.”
(More: A few hours after the UN Security Council vote, Israel announced that it is expanding the war, so the war grinds on.)
(More: On Dec. 25, 2023, a writer for the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) said before the Palestinians can govern themselves, Israel must get rid of the Hamas terrorists that control Gaza. This is something the UN, the international community, and the Arabs should have done, but they did not do it.)
(More: On Dec. 25, 2023, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “I would not invest 15 cents in a future Palestine where Hamas is still standing.”)
Three, concerning a departing from the faith at the end of the age and the establishment of a one-world false religion: in a LifeSiteNews.com article posted on Dec. 21, 2023, Roman Catholic Archbishop Vigano said Pope Francis’ recent approval of blessings for homosexual couples shows that Francis is “a servant of Satan.”
Vigano called the pope’s hierarchy “false shepherds.”
Vigano mentioned two things that he thinks Pope Francis wants:
- The damnation of homosexual couples, and
- To provoke Catholics to abandon his church and set him free to transform his church into “the concubine of the New World Order.”
(My opinion: I have pointed out before that the pope’s age and health make it unlikely that he is the False Prophet. But if he is not the False Prophet, he is most surely a forerunner of the False Prophet. Pope Francis has clearly departed from the Scriptures on several issues.)
Here is a link to Vigano’s article.
Four, concerning the decline of America and a borderless world government: on Dec. 18-19, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel processed 26,751 illegal immigrants.
26,751 illegal immigrants were the most ever in two days, and the number would have been higher because there were more illegal immigrants waiting to be processed, but Customs and Border Protection personnel did not have enough people to process more than they did.
Five, concerning wars and rumors of wars (Psa. 83, Isa. 17, Ezek. 38-39): on Dec. 26, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. Gallant told Israel’s political leaders, “We are in a multi-front war and are coming under attack from seven theatres: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Iraq, Yemen and Iran. We have already responded and taken action in six of these theatres.”
Out of the seven attackers, the one group that Israel has not acted against is Yemen.
The six that are attacking Israel are agreeing more and more with the list of nations that the Bible says will attack Israel at the end of the age.
Gallant added, “We have already responded and acted in six of these areas, and I say here in the clearest way: Anyone who acts against us is a potential target, there is no immunity for anyone.”
As the war grinds on, prophecy is moving closer and closer to the prophesied scenario.
(More: On Dec. 25, 2023, an Israeli strike near Damascus killed a high-ranking Iranian commander. On Dec. 27, 2023, Iran vowed that Israel will pay for that.)
Six, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog and the destruction of Damascus: on Jan. 4, 2024, Iranian Pres. Raisi will visit Turkey to discuss three things:
- The situation in Syria.
- The situation in Gaza.
- Improving the relationship between Turkey and Iran.
(More: On Dec. 27, 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran has increased its production of highly enriched uranium.)
Seven, concerning corruption in the UN: on Dec. 27, 2023, Prime Min. Netanyahu said,
- For too long, international officials have been deflecting blame onto Israel to cover up for the fact that they are covering up for Hamas. In failing to condemn Hamas for hijacking aid and failing to condemn it for waging war out of hospitals, they have been complicit partners in Hamas’s human shields strategy. They have let the world down. We are demanding global accountability, and now we are leading by example. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that visa requests by UN employees will no longer be granted automatically and will instead be considered on a case-by-case basis. Israel will stop working with those who cooperate with the Hamas terror regime’s propaganda machine, and we urge our allies to do the same and stand up for basic integrity in the global institutions that should serve, and not sabotage, international security.
Israel believes the UN was collaborating with Hamas against Israel – overlooking the fact that Hamas was oppressing the Palestinian people, stealing foreign aid, food, fuel, etc.; and that is one of the reasons why the Israeli-Hamas war broke out.
Here are some daily updates on the Israel-Hamas war.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023 (Day 75): The twentieth day of the resumed war.
- Israel has come close to catching Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, but they escaped through tunnels.
- The U.S. and its allies are considering a military attack on the Houthis in Yemen following a Houthi capture of another ship in the Red Sea.
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 (Day 76): The twenty-first day of the resumed war.
- Israel said they will not agree to another pause unless some of the hostages are released.
- Hamas said they will not swap any more hostages for Palestinian prisoners unless Israel agrees to end its attacks.
- Israel has repeatedly warned the international community (UN, EU, U.S, etc.) that Israel will act if the international community does not get Hezbollah away from Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 (Day 77): The twenty-second day of the resumed war.
- Because of the expanding war, Israel urged the residents of central Gaza to leave and go south.
- A hostage with dual citizenship (U.S.-Israel) died in captivity.
- Iran is providing the Houthis in Yemen with tracking information that allows them to attack and seize ships in the Red Sea.
- After Hezbollah fired 20 rockets into one location in Israel and several more at other locations, Israel struck several targets in Lebanon.
Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 (Day 78): The twenty-third day of the resumed war.
- Israel said it has arrested 200 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists in the last week (700 since the war began). Many were hiding among civilians and surrendered without a fight.
- Israel said it has achieved full operational control in northern Gaza.
- Iran threatened to close the Mediterranean Sea if the U.S. and Israel do not stop their crimes in Gaza.
- Hamas said they have lost contact with a group that was holding 5 hostages, and they believe Israel may have killed them.
- Israel is under fire from Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza (wars and rumors of wars).
- The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee announced plans to investigate the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for its alleged ties to Hamas.
Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023 (Day 79) The twenty-fourth day of the resumed war.
- Israel found 5 dead bodies of hostages (3 soldiers and 2 civilians) in a tunnel.
- Israeli jets struck a Hezbollah command center in Lebanon.
- Israel started constructing a half-mile buffer zone inside the Gaza Strip to be occupied by Israeli troops to separate the Palestinians from Israel.
Monday, Dec. 25, 2023 (Day 80): The twenty-fifth day of the resumed war.
- Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar said Hamas will not be subject to the conditions of occupation (proposals to establish a different government in Gaza).
- An Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria, killed a high-ranking Iranian official.
- Hezbollah rockets struck several locations in northern Israel.
- Israeli jets conducted “wide-scale” strikes in Lebanon.
- Netanyahu said the war in Gaza isn’t close to being finished.
- The U.S. struck several Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Iraq that have attacked U.S. troops many times since the Israel-Hamas war began.
- A vehicle owned by an Israeli that was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, was found at a hospital in Gaza.
Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023 (Day 81): The twenty-sixth day of the resumed war.
- Israel started arresting leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups in the West Bank (inside Israel).
- An anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon hit a church in Israel and injured a man who was guarding the building. While Israeli troops were treating him, Hezbollah fired a second anti-tank missile at the church, injuring 9 Israeli soldiers.
- Netanyahu said if Hamas survives, more war and bloodshed will be guaranteed, and the expectation that the PA will demilitarize Gaza is a pipe dream.
So, after more than 80 days of intense fighting, the war grinds on.
FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).
Finally, are you Rapture Ready?
If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.
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