The World is changing fast and is about to change again in the Middle East.
22 member Arab League nations called Monday for combating Islamic State extremists, acting to join forces against the terror threat as President Obama continues to forge his own coalition for battling the extremist group.
It’s not clear to what extent the Arab League and western allies are coordinating……The Arab League resolution calls for immediate measures to combat the group on the political, defense, security and legal levels.
Arab states join forces against ISIS, as Obama preps strategy
One of Islam’s most revered holy sites – the tomb of the Prophet Mohamed – could be destroyed and his body removed to an anonymous grave under plans which threaten to spark discord across the Muslim world.
Saudis risk new Muslim division with proposal to move Mohamed’s tomb
Concerning Israel:
A senior government official in Jerusalem on Sunday told the Israeli press that Hamas is already digging new terror tunnels and smuggling a new stockpile of missiles into the Gaza Strip in preparation for its next war against the Jewish state.
Hamas Already Digging New Terror Tunnels
The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has changed the opinions of certain global players who now wish to hold dialog with the group, senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar said Saturday, according to Ynet. Al-Zahar said nations – he did not give specifics – which had previously regarded his organization as a terrorist group had now undergone a change of heart.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, proposed to Mahmoud Abbas a far-reaching plan. According to this plan, Egypt will provide a 1,600 square kilometer area near the Gaza Strip, an area that will make the Strip five times its size today, there shall be established a Palestinian state under the total control of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian refugees would return to this country and it would be demilitarized.
Al-Sisi proposes: Extend Gaza Strip into Sinai and establish Palestinian state there
Will Iran emerge with a new leader?
Iran’s supreme leader underwent prostate surgery on Monday at a government hospital in Tehran, state media said in a rare report on the state of health of the country’s top cleric.
The 75-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters in Iran and has been the country’s top leader since 1989, was reported to be recovering.
Iran’s Khamenei undergoes surgery for prostate cancer
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12
As of yesterday, a new ceasefire agreement has been accepted by Israel and Hamas. Is the war over and did Israel get the victory?? The re-opening of the Gaza border crossing is the Rafah crossing that Egypt has been guarding against terrorist entering into Gaza and Israel via the Sinai Peninsula.
The battered residents of southern Israel were clear: “Israel surrendered to terror” by failing to destroy Hamas and accepting a truce that left the terrorists fully armed. The next Gaza war is only a matter of time, they insisted.
Israeli government officials tried to put a positive spin on the situation, noting that Hamas, and Gaza as a whole, had suffered a major blow.
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………. members of Israel’s security cabinet, who were furious that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire without first seeking their input.
The terms of the deal Netanyahu accepted were these:
- Both sides will immediately implement an open-ended ceasefire (which they did on Tuesday afternoon);
- Gaza border crossings will be opened for the import of humanitarian aid and supplies for reconstruction;
- Gaza’s fishing zone will be extended further into the Mediterranean.
The Hamas demands that did not make the final cut were:
- The development of sea and air ports in Gaza;
- The release of Hamas terrorists arrested in Judea and Samaria over the past two months;
- The transfer of salaries to Hamas officials in Gaza.
The Israeli conditions removed from the final draft included:
- The demilitarization of Gaza;
- A mechanism to prevent Hamas from rearming;
- The return of the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers taken by Hamas during the Gaza war.
OPE now in its 48th day, continues to drag on. Hamas has admitted to kidnapping of the three teens that started this war and has broken 6 consecutive cease-fires. Israel has lost at least 64 soldiers and 4 citizens while the number of dead in Gaza has reached over 2000 with at least 900 of those deaths as militants.
It has also been known for some time now that ISIS has a presence and strong influence in the Gaza Strip.The tone in Israel has been one of frustration against the Prime Minister and Defense Minister’s lackadaisical approach to completing the job and ending the war. But, that may have changed – a little…
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Sunday issued new directives to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon: Strike every source of terrorist attack from the Gaza Strip. “No more immunity” for sectors or respect for borders or even civilians. Opening the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu and Yaalon said: ”We will continue to hammer Hamas – by air, for now. The world is beginning to grasp that Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas. Israel continues to stand by the civilized world.” Ya’alon aimed for national consensus when he said: “We stand by our policy of avoiding direct confrontation with Hamas or a decisive end to the war; preferring diplomatic closure.”
Recently Israel has targeted Hamas military leaders, killing at least 4 high ranking members. In return for supposed betrayal of Palestinian spying for Israel, Hamas has executed 27 Palestinians.
Hamas has now executed 27 Palestinians accused of spying for Israel, after killing another four Saturday. Seven were shot dead in a public square outside a Mosque after Friday prayers. The victims’ heads were shrouded in hoods and their hands tied behind their backs. The executions were taped and released for publication.
Meanwhile in the backdrop of ISIS, and the Israel/Hamas conflict, Libya spirals into a larger civil war.
Five weeks of bombardment by grad rockets have devastated parts of the capital, which is suffering cuts to power, water and petrol. Hospitals are running short of vital drugs and thousands are fleeing the city as fighting rages on.
The battle leaves Libya in a state of civil war, with fighting also raging between Islamist brigades and nationalist forces of a former general, Khalifa Hiftar, raging 400 miles away in the eastern city of Benghazi. There were reports that jets from Hiftar had struck and sunk a ship from Misrata trying to bring ammunition to Islamist brigades in the city. – See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/politicians-and-militia-groups-vye-control-battle-torn-libya-99372368#sthash.y8wwvGR2.dpuf
Remember there are 2 Muslim factions that make up the Palestinian community. Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.
Israel’s security services revealed Monday that “the most dangerous Hamas network since the 80s” had been uncovered, plotting the violent overthrow of Palestinian Authority institutions in Ramallah and seizure of the West Bank. This coup was to be coupled with large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. No date was attached to the revelation. Hamas terrorist cells were to converge on the PA seat from Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, Jericho and 37 Palestinian villages. . The Shin Bet (Israeli Intelligence) reported making 93 arrests in the plot that was allegedly orchestrated by Saleh al-Arouri from Istanbul, who has maintained a base of operation labeled “Hamas-West Bank,” with the knowledge of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, since his deportation in 2010.
Al-Arari took care of recruiting activists and transferring of funds for terrorist operations assisted by a forward command in Jordan. Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal was alleged by the Israeli security services as in on the conspiracy. DEBKAfile finds the timing of this disclosure suggestive. It coincides with a meeting ion Qatar Monday between PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Meshaal, and may have been a reminder of Meshaal’s murky history – even though Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi and Abbas must know all about the Hamas leader with whom they hope to conclude a deal for a long-term truce in Gaza.
http://www.debka.com/newsupdatepopup/9459/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-says-it-foiled-hamas-plan-for-coup-against-pa-in-west-bank/
Failing a Gaza seaport, the war goes on and thousands of Israelis will die
Hours before the 72-hour ceasefire was due to expire Friday morning, Aug. 8, the Palestinian Hamas’ military wing slapped down an ultimatum before Israel: Either allow the Gaza Strip to have an open seaport – which would be tantamount to lifting the Gaza blockade – or prepare for a long and brutal war of attrition with thousands of fatalities.
Hamas’ decision about extending the ceasefire was tensely awaited Thursday night after Israel’s acceptance. Instead, the Palestinian Islamists declared that the war would go on unless Israel bowed to their dictates.
Israel’s envoys had previously rejected their demand for a deep sea Gaza port in the talks taking place in Cairo under Egyptian auspices.Abu Obeida, spokesman of Hamas’ military wing, Ezz e-Din Al-Qassam, also announced that his movement had acquired new rockets with larger warheads than the more than 3,000 fired against the Israeli population in the month-long conflict, and they would be aimed at Israel’s Ben Gurion international airport. Israel would be severed from its air transport ties with the outside world, he said.
“We demand our fundamental rights,” said the Hamas spokesman, in a statement that was broadcast live Thursday night. “We call on our envoys to the Cairo talks not to continue negotiations until Israel surrenders to our demand for a seaport. The war is not over until the siege of Gaza ends.”
Seemingly there is no end to the advancement of ISIL and their quest to take the Levant (The Levant today consists of the island of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and part of southern Turkey). ISIL ha now taken the giant, hydroelectric Mosul Dam. If Baghdad falls, IS will control the whole country of Iraq.
The IS has captured the hydroelectric dam on the Tigris River, which provides northern Iraq with power and is the largest in the country. Its failure could send a 65-foot wave across large areas of Iraq including a flood one meter deep in Baghdad.
Also Thursday, Islamists overran 14 towns with Christian majorities in northern Iraq, putting tens of thousands to flight with an ultimatum: Convert to Islam or die. Church leaders have appealed for immediate help.
http://www.debka.com/newsupdatepopup/9365/
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/03/world/meast/iraq-crisis-isis/index.html
IS has captured 2 more Iraqi cities and thousands of children are stranded without food or water.
According to Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, terror group ISIS has occupied two Kurdish towns in northern Iraq, Zumar and Sinjar. Thousands are reported to have been forced to leave, Fox News reports.
A map shown on America’s Newsroom on Monday now shows 17 cities completely taken over by ISIS in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria.
Peters considers ISIS more than just a terror group now, becoming a more “well organized militia.” He also says that the Kurds are “the one people in the whole region we should be supporting”…..
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/isis-spreading-captures-two-more-iraqi-cities
ISIL has now entered into Lebanon taking the city of Arsal and moving ever closer to Israel.
The radical Islamic terror organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has gained a larger foothold in Lebanon as it faces off against the Lebanese army.
Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that for the moment, it has no plans to confront ISIS. Hezbollah leaders told the Lebanese Daily Star that it has only agreed to provide logistical support to the Lebanese army. However, should ISIS capture significant territory, Hezbollah leadership implied that it would enter the fray.
Since Monday, Lebanese forces and members of ISIS have been squaring off in northern Lebanon. According to reports, ISIS has captured the city of Arsal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/world/middleeast/isis-lebanon-syria.html?_r=0
Today IS took over the city of Qaraqoush in Iraq, the largest Christian city in that country.
Iraqi militants seized control Thursday of the country’s largest Christian city — reportedly telling its residents to leave, convert or die….
In 2009 at Camp Bucca in Iraq, a US military detention camp, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi now leader of ISIL was released, but made a startling statement before he left.
The Islamist extremist some are now calling the most dangerous man in the world had a few parting words to his captors as he was released from the biggest U.S. detention camp in Iraq in 2009.
“He said, ‘I’ll see you guys in New York,’” recalls Army Col. Kenneth King, then the commanding officer of Camp Bucca.
King didn’t take these words from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a threat. Al-Baghdadi knew that many of his captors were from New York, reservists with the 306 Military Police Battalion, a unit based on Long Island that includes numerous numerous members of the NYPD and the FDNY.
The camp itself was named after FDNY Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca, who was killed at the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
King figured that al-Baghdadi was just saying that he had known all along that it was all essentially a joke, that he had only to wait and he would be freed to go back to what he had been doing.
“Like, ‘This is no big thing, I’ll see you on the block,’” King says.
King had not imagined that in less that five years he would be seeing news reports that al-Baghdadi was the leader of ISIS, the ultra-extremist army that was sweeping through Iraq toward Baghdad.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/14/isis-leader-see-you-in-new-york.html
ISIL has continued to make good on their promises. Next to Iran, they are the biggest threat to the Middle East and possibly the world today; acting on their threats. There are even reports that Iran (shia) is supporting ISIL (Sunni) and helped to develop them. ISIL is currently in other parts of the Middle East that has not yet made the headlines such as Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, and has allegiance from some African country terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. Will ISIL be the instigator of Psalms 83? A tumult is defined as “a loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people” and “confusion or disorder”. Currently that is the case in the Middle East with all the various wars and confusion between the various Muslim groups as Sunni is now fighting Sunni and Shia supporting Sunni……
2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. Psalms 83
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Looking for that Blessed Hope! 