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Dear Faithful Friend,
Praise God that the intense and methodical battle that Israel launched against Hamas in Gaza is progressing well. Praise God that there have been relatively minimal casualties on the Israel side.
Praise God that the Hamas military organization is beginning to show signs of defeat.
Praise God that there is division between the Hamas leadership in Gaza and their international leadership in Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Praise God that only 20 rockets fell on Israel yesterday as opposed to 80 that fell on the first day of the war.
Praise God for the overwhelming unity that is being felt and expressed by the people of Israel in this war effort.
Signs of Weakness
In what was undoubtedly a clear sign that Hamas was rapidly losing their ability to carry on the war, their boastful and arrogant leader, Haniyeh gave a speech yesterday from where he has been hiding since the onset of hostilities. Amid all his typical dire predictions that Hamas was close to victory and that Israel would be defeated and that Allah would destroy the infidels and that Hamas would never give up, he indicated his willingness to agree to a cease fire plan.
This was a clear acknowledgment that he is aware that if Israel is not stopped, his organization will be crushed. Israel is holding firm in its demand that any cease fire must contain an absolute cessation of all hostilities against Israel and the establishment of a viable way to prevent the arms smuggling that has allowed Hamas to terrorize Israel.
In a very different spirit yesterday, President Shimon Peres, a veteran of all of Israel's wars, declared in a strong and yet humble voice that the Arabs and Islamic forces have failed to accomplish their declared goals against Israel in the last seven wars. He clearly stated that today we are winning this war against terror and that we must carry on the difficult fight until our enemies are one day ready to sit down and make true peace with Israel.
Phase Three of the Battle
Olmert has made it known that Israel is prepared to enter into the third and wider phase of Israel's battle plan. It has been made clear to our enemies that this next phase will even be more painful to them. Some goals would be extending the fight into the heart of Gaza City and taking control of the "Philadelphia Strip", the area of land that lies between the border of Israel and Egypt.
Another important aspect of the next phase is the entry of Israel's reserve forces into the actual battle area. As we have reported in previous updates, there have been tens of thousands of these reserve soldiers called up into active duty. They have spent the past several weeks refreshing their battle techniques and the military now believes that they are ready to take an active part in this war. The use of these forces will also enable many of the full time soldiers to take their first break in 19 days of warfare.
A Blow to Iran
Hamas is a surrogate army of Iran. They are primarily trained, funded and armed through their Iran connection. It has been a part of Iran's strategy to use both Hezbollah and Hamas to conduct their "absentee" war against Israel. The overwhelming defeat of the Hamas forces is a humiliating defeat for Israel's boastful enemy.
Unlike the last Lebanon war, the Israel military has been released to use their power to both defeat the enemy and protect the lives of their soldiers. The decision to hold back in Israel's last war and to put the protection of civilian life before the protection of their own soldiers was a costly mistake and ultimately made it impossible for Israel to win a decisive victory.
The obvious change in Israel's approach is not being lost on its enemy in the North. The almost complete absence of any military response by Hezbollah to help their "brother" fighters in Gaza is a clear statement that Hezbollah and Lebanon do not want to be on the receiving side of Israel's military at this time. If this war ends in a decisive and humiliating victory over Hamas, it will go a long way to reestablishing the deterrent capability of Israel's military forces.
A Palestinian Atrocity
Israel has agreed to almost daily cease fires to allow huge amounts of relief supplies to reach the people in need. Yesterday, a force of Hamas terrorists took over a caravan of trucks that were carrying relief supplies into Gaza. They commandeered all of the food and then sold it to the suffering civilians for profit. Israeli troops was forced to stand by and allow this atrocity, as they had promised not to engage in hostilities during these humanitarian deliveries.
A Long Fight
Today is the 19th day of battle for this tiny nation. Although determined and committed to carrying on, there is a sense of weariness entering into the nation. This weariness is not an issue of the ability or resolve to carry on the battle but rather a suffering of heart and soul by the people as they witness the distress of their Palestinian neighbors.
Unlike our Arab enemies, who rejoice and hand out candy when their enemies are killed, there is a growing sense of discomfort with the suffering of the Palestinian people among the Israelis. The root of this discomfort is a part of the nature of the God of Israel. The scripture tells us that Yeshua came to forgive and save. This essential nature of our God is to bring love, life and forgiveness. Our God is a lover of life.
The God of Islam is the one whom Yeshua said has come to steal, kill and destroy. The God of Islam is a lover of death. Yeshua taught us to love our enemies. Allah teaches his followers to kill and destroy the infidels. I once heard a Muslim cleric declare that they would win over the forces of the western world because, "you people love life more than death but we love death more than life."
Yes, we do love life more than death and because of that, we will win, not lose! Please pray for perseverance, stamina and strength for this nation and its people.
Keep Praying
Word has just come in that there was another Kaytusha rocket attack on the north of the country from Lebanon. No one was hurt. Please continue to pray that the northern border would remain quiet. We do not want a two front war.
We thank you for standing with us during this long and difficult time. We rejoice that he who protects Israel never sleeps or slumbers.
We send you our love from Zion,
Eddie and Jackie
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