Headlines in Israel claim miracles are protecting the Jews during the Gaza Strip ground war, with one headline proclaiming that Hamas terrorists are complaining about God changing the direction of rockets in mid-air.
Hamas terrorist astounded
ISIL update
IS – Islamic State is also known as ISIL—Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant. Wikipedia defines the Levant as, “The Levant (/ləˈvænt/), also known as the Eastern Mediterranean, is a geographic and cultural region consisting of the “eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt“.[2] The Levant today consists of the island of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and part of southern Turkey.
IS – has declared Iraq as their very own giving Iraq the new title of Islamic State. IS plans to continue their assault into the Levant with the intention to eventually control all of that area. Today ISIL now controls an astounding 35% of Syria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is now in control of 35 percent of the Syrian territory following a string of victories, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday.
ISIS holdings include nearly all of Syria’s oil and gas fields, the monitoring group said in a statement.
One of the latest gains of the self-proclaimed “caliphate” was the seizure of the country’s biggest oil fields, in Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria, earlier in the week.
ISIL is now moving into northern Syria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), the group that overran Mosul in Iraq last week and has been pushing south towards Baghdad, announced it is also preparing an offensive in northern Syria.
In a statement dated June 17, 2014, and published on several Arabic websites, ISIS called on its fighters to attack the city of Al-Qamishli and its rural areas. In the last several hours a number of bombings have been reported on Twitter and some reports say the airport of Qamishli has been heavily damaged.
ISIS is leaving a path of destroyed churches, shrines and mosques in its wake as it storms across Syria and Iraq, and has even set its sights on Mecca — Islam’s holiest site.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/10/isis-destroys-shrines-and-mosques-sets-sights-on-mecca/
Operation Defensive Edge – now a War?
There are now 75,000 IDF soldiers in Gaze with the goal of demolishing the numerous tunnels Hamas worked to create during the last 5 years.
“We know that Hamas terrorists are operating underground, and that’s where we will meet them,” the IDF said in a statement, as Israel’s ground operation to find and destroy the tunnels got underway. The IDF said it has already found 13 tunnels across Gaza, with 34 access points.
Hamas commanders believe they can fight on for several weeks at least to defend their tunnels, the civilian population be damned. Khaled Mashaal has reportedly continued to spurn calls for a ceasefire coming not only from Egypt but also from the Arab League.
Due to the size of the military operation, Israeli commanders are now calling it a war.
…..each task force, the size of half a division, is an integrated amalgam of air, armored, artillery and engineering forces, capable of operating almost autonomously in field combat. The buildup of the last 24 hours has expanded Israel’s fighting strength in the Gaza Strip to a total of 75,000 men, the largest ever fielded in this territory. Because of its scale, Israeli leaders are referring to Defensive Edge as a war rather than an operation.
Hamas has close to 100,000 fighting men, but they are clearly no match for the modern, advanced IDF. Why does Hamas continue to reject ceasefire proposals and draw Israel deeper into the Gaza territory? Do they have an ulterior motive? Is Hamas devising a plan that will involve its neighboring Arab factions and countries for an all out assault on Israel??
As the fighting continues, the world expands its show of hatred for Israel.
Jewish community braces itself ahead of Friday’s Al Quds Day March, which will be ‘so extreme’ even some far leftists are boycotting
Operation Defensive Edge breaking update
Israel mobilizes another 50,000 reservists
DEBKAfileJuly 19, 2014, 11:11 PM (IDT)
Saturday night, as fighting intensified in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced the call-up of another 50,000 reservists.
Turkey vows to Gobble
The tone out of Turkey has increasingly become more critical in the face of the Israeli/Hamas conflict.
Turkish leaders have strongly condemned an Israeli ground operation into Gaza that has killed scores of civilians, declaring the Israeli administration a “threat to international peace.”
While President Abdullah Gül warned Israel that its military actions could have dangerous repercussions in the region…. Gül and Erdoğan met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the developments in the wake of Israeli aggression.
“Particularly, this noncompliant aggression of Israel is spreading the seeds of hate throughout the whole world, not just in Palestine,” Gül said July 16, “Israeli attacks have come to a very dangerous phase. I want to warnIsrael once more. If they do not stop, the outcome will be massive.”
Gül has urged Israel to end its military operations in the Gaza Strip, warning against “massive consequences,” and called on the U.N. Security Council to make a “cogent decision to end the Israeli offensive.”
Erdoğan’s reaction against Israel was much blunter…….“Israel is a country threatening the world’s peace. It’s a country that threatens the Middle East peace.He also blamed the United States, Russia and other world powers for being passive in condemning Israel’s actions.
Turkey has even criticized the Muslim countries.
The prime minister also lashed out at the Islamic world. “When the West remains silent, the Islamic world watches too,” he said, calling on all sides to be moderate on Palestine. “We demand an immediate stop to the bloodshed . . . We are very much aware the Middle East deserves peace, prosperity, and solidarity,” he said.
“What happens in Palestine is not Shiite vs. Sunnis; that is why the Islamic world keeps silent. Our children and brothers are dying in Palestine. Humanity has been destroyed there, as well as the honor of Muslims,” he told the audience at Dolmabahçe Palace.
“Some Islamic countries are content with what is happening in Palestine today. If that is not the case, they will find themselves involved in the matter,” he said.
The political complexity continues to grow.
Both Gül and Erdoğan refuted claims made by Israel and Egypt that Turkey prevented a truce between Hamas andIsrael with Gül calling these assertions “ridiculous and remorseless.” Erdoğan also criticized the Egyptian leadership, saying, “[President Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi is himself cruel.”
Both Gül and Erdoğan held talks with Abbas, who paid a short visit to Turkey on July 18. Abbas informed the Turkish leaders about the developments in Gaza and exchanged views about how a cease-fire could be reached. Abbas said Israel’s objective was to try to nix the efforts of Hamas and Fatah to form unity in Palestine. “We count Turkey as our fundamental partner in our Palestine cause,” he said.
As the official mediator, Egypt is changing its’ stance on Hamas.
Egypt’s position regarding the management of the Gaza crisis has quickly changed, whereby it endeavored to reopen channels of communication with Hamas and bring Hamas back into the fold. This is the first such attempt since the Muslim Brotherhood’s administration was ousted and former President Mohammed Morsi removed. It also came at a time when Hamas rejected the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, which coincided with the announcement of a visit by President Mahmoud Abbas to Turkey.
There is too much to post in this article, so for more information, it can be located below.
Operation Defensive Edge – The Ground Invasion
The Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip has officially begun.
The first hours of Israel’s Operation Defensive Edge ground phase against Hamas were marked by heavy artillery and air pounding to soften up the terrain as the ground forces went in Thursday night, July 17. The troops advanced in two heads – one north to Jebalya and Beit Lahiya and the other south, where it went into action initially against Khan Younes and Rafah. The densely populated Gaza City has not been broached as yet.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told a special cabinet meeting Friday that the IDF is preparing to expand its operation in the Gaza Strip. “Terrorist tunnels can’t be destroyed just be air power,” he said. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said the operation will go on for as long as needed. “Those seeking to disrupt our lives must pay the price.”
Meanwhile the Palestinian relationship with Egypt seems to be changing.
Thursday night, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shokri said that Hamas was responsible for what was happening. He said, “Had Hamas accepted the Egyptian proposal (for a ceasefire) it could have saved the lives of at least 40 Palestinians.” Shokri said that Hamas was at fault for the IDF’s need to enter Gaza in a ground operation. He accused the Palestinian Islamists of harming not only Palestinian interests but also Egypt’s national security by associating with Turkish steps to undermine Cairo’s efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The West Bank Palestinian’s are now looking to Turkey to produce a ceasefire negotiation.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was to head to Turkey on July 18 to push a ceasefire in Gaza after Egyptian-mediated negotiations stalled and Israel launched a ground operation.
Cairo has been the hub of intense negotiations to end the 11-day conflict between Hamas and Israel, after the Palestinian militants in Gaza rejected an initial Egyptian truce proposal.
Egypt, under recently-elected President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has moved to isolate Hamas, accusing it of backing insurgents on its own territory.
It has worked instead to bolster the role of Abbas – its ally based in the West Bank and rival to Hamas – in reaching a deal to end the conflict
Hamas ultimately wants the Rafah Border Crossing to the Egyptian Sinai opened which is currently closed by Egypt in their promise to “help” Israel. Opening this border crossing will allow Hamas to survive and ultimately allow for other insurgents including possibly the IS (Islamic State) to enter into the attack on Israel via the Sinai Peninsula.
Hamas may be aiming its missiles at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but Israel was ultimately a hostage in the Islamists’ effort to get closer to Cairo.
Hamas wants this in order to bring an end to the blockade on Gaza, open the Rafah Border Crossing, and in many ways to ensure its own survival……..
The bottom line is that the key to solving the current escalation was — and remains — in Egypt’s hands, not in those of any other Arab or international party. Hamas demanded the opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza from almost the first minute of the operation. Egypt rejected the idea immediately, as long as Hamas stands on the Palestinian side of the crossing. But Cairo has emphasized that, if there are Palestinian Authority forces under Mahmoud Abbas deployed there, it has no objection to opening the crossing.
Operation Protective Edge Update July 17th
It is interesting to note that no one has coined a term or name yet for the 10 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Is it a war or just a military operation at this point. Hamas has shot hundreds of rockets into Israel while the IDF Air Force has executed hundreds of airstrikes.
Hamas tried sending a commando team through a tunnel snaking under the Gaza border for a large-scale terrorist attack or kidnap early Thursday, July 17. As the group of 13-30 started coming to the surface inside Israel opposite the southern Gaza Strip, it ran into heavy IDF fire. Some were killed; the rest turned tail to escape through the tunnel and reach home. Israeli helicopters bombed the tunnel which exploded, and went on to scour the area around the Gaza Strip for more attempted incursions, through the honeycomb of secret tunnels Hamas has sunk for terrorist attacks and kidnaps.
debkafile quotes Israeli and Western military experts as estimating that the prospects of an Israeli ground incursion into the Gaza Strip are now more real than the chances of a ceasefire. There is little substance to the reports that Hamas and Israeli delegations are in Cairo to discuss various drafts of a ceasefire accord.
The question being asked now is why, after 10 days of trading Israeli air strikes for Palestinian rocket attacks, the IDF has not destroyed the Hamas war room, the seat of its command and control center for directing the war and launching rockets, instead of striking the vacant homes of Hamas high-ups.
In the absence of a clear battlefield victory, headlines are appearing like this one: “Hamas Has Already Won Its Rocket War With Israel.”
IDF: Forces prepared for ground action
The army spokesman stated Wednesday night after it was announced that another 8,000 military reservists had been called up that “the forces were being prepared for a ground move.”
That brings the total active reserve count up now to at least 48,000……
Looking for that Blessed Hope! 