Palestinians have been firing at Israeli targets in several places today. Bullets hit a classroom full of Jewish students in the Gaza Strip community of Neve Dekelim. No casualties were reported. Shots were also fired at Israeli soldiers in Hebron. The sound of tank and machinegun fire returned to Jerusalem last night after Palestinian gunman opened fire once again on the Gilo neighborhood in the south of Israel’s largest city. However unlike previous attacks, a civilian was wounded when a bullet struck her in the neck and chest. The 23 year-old woman is in fair condition today at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital. She was wounded after walking up to her window to see if Israeli forces were returning fire after she heard the sound of gunshots coming from nearby Beit Jala. Bullets were aimed overnight at Israeli forces guarding the nearby shrine of Rachel’s Tomb. Soldiers returned the fire. In north Jerusalem, automatic fire was directed at two cars near the French Hill neighborhood. No one was injured in the attack. Earlier in the day, firebombs were thrown at an Israeli border police patrol in eastern Jerusalem, again with no injuries.
Shooting attacks continued yesterday in many places. Two soldiers were wounded when bullets hit their patrol car near the Palestinian-controlled town of Jenin south of Mount Gilboa. Shots were fired at other civilian and military vehicles in six other areas north and south of Jerusalem, but no one else was injured. The worst attack was on a civilian bus last night near Hebron. Two roadside bombs were detonated as the armored-plated bus passed by, but caused no serious damage. However, Palestinian gunmen lying in ambush then riddled the bus with at least 15 bullets, hitting the vehicle but causing not casualties. Zvi Katzover, the head of the Kiryat Arba town council, said the area was becoming "like Lebanon, but everyday we have miraculous escapes from death." He said the Palestinians had been planning a major massacre on the bus. Clashes also continued overnight in several Gaza Strip locations, including along the border with Egypt.
Earlier yesterday, Israeli troops shot and killed an Islamic Jihad leader who was released on orders of Yasser Arafat from a Palestinian jail six weeks ago. The militant Islamic group has taken responsibility for several recent terror attacks, including a deadly assault on a school bus in the Gaza Strip and a mid-November car bomb attack in Hadera. Palestinian media reports said Anwar Hamran was hit by many bullets at close range inside his stationary shop near Nablus. However the Israeli army spokesman said he was killed in an exchange of gunfire with troops stationed on nearby Mount Gerazim. Israeli officials say that Hamran was involved in the 1997 terror attack on an outdoor fruit and vegetable market in Jerusalem that left 15 people dead. Elsewhere, a 13 year-old Palestinian youth died of wounds he received on Saturday during violent clashes between Israeli and Palestinian civilians in Hebron.
Israeli officials have confirmed that clandestine negotiations, brokered by Germany, are underway to secure the release of four Israelis kidnapped by the Lebanese Hizbullah militia in October. However, they are playing down media reports that the release is imminent, saying much work still needs to be down before any deal is done. They add that Hizbullah may have been behind a flurry of reports about the potential release in the Lebanese press yesterday in an attempt to increase pressure for Israel to give in to the group’s demand that over 20 Lebanese citizens be freed from Israeli jails. While expressing hopes that their relatives will soon be set free, family members of the four kidnapped Israelis said they are distressed that Hizbullah keeps turning down Red Cross requests to visit the men. This adds to suspicions that one or more of the young kidnapped soldiers may have been killed during their violent abduction on October 7.
As in America, Israeli politicians were waiting for a Supreme Court ruling that might have determined who would emerge as the country’s next leader. The justices had been asked to force Ehud Barak's Labor party to allow a no-confidence motion against the government to be voted on in the Knesset today. Members of Barak’s party blocked the no-confidence motion from being voted on yesterday. However, no ruling was made before the deadline for the potential no-confidence vote came and went this afternoon. Meanwhile the Orthodox Shas party has pledged to make sure that Netanyahu can run by either supporting a change in the current law that bars him because he is not a sitting member of the Knesset, or by supporting the dissolution of parliament which would also allow him to be a candidate. The Knesset only has 10 days left to either dissolve itself or to change the Direct Election law that currently blocks Netanyahu’s path back to power
Article Credits listed below
===========================================================================================================================================
Things are heating up for Israel. She is surrounded by radical Muslim nations dedicated to her destruction. Russia is arming and preparing these troops exactly as the Bible predicted. And the peace process -- though fraught with problems, is continuing forward. When it eventually reaches conclusion, it may produce a false sense of security for Israel and may perhaps be the time that "Russia thinks an evil thought", and leads the radical Muslim nations in their ill-fated invasion of Israel. Or, perhaps, it is in the aftermath of the invasion that peace is achieved only to later usher in destruction as Israel cries out, Peace, Peace!
What Israel's enemies will not anticipate is God's intervention in the course of human history. The result is catastrophic for the invaders, but will change life for all mankind, as well. These events include nuclear weapons and an earthquake so large that it shakes the entire earth. But most important is that, during this time in history, God once again pours out His Spirit on the House of Israel, showing His greatness and holiness, and making Himself known in the sight of many nations. "Then they will know that I am the LORD". (Eze 38:23) God will "once again, in a little while, shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts."(Haggai 2:6-7) "And the desired of the nations shall come.''
``It is now the hour to awake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith.'' (Rom 13:11)
God's righteous judgements are always redemptive. He does not desire that anyone perish, but that all come to repentance and everlasting life.
This invasion could now take place at almost any time. To prepare for it, stay close to the Lord by purifying your heart and thoughts through the daily washing of the Word. Be careful not to forsake the Holy One of Israel. Soon the culmination of all things shall begin.
Purify yourselves daily by the reading of the Word. Jesus is returning for a Holy and Spotless Church. ``Today is the day of salvation for many who are perishing; their tomorrow shall not see my return in glory to judge the living and the dead. Today is the day of their salvation." Don't delay. Time is short. You have no guarantee that you will even see tomorrow. If you die without receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your eternal destiny is fixed.
As we see the signs of His return drawing close, what manner of holy life should we be living? Remember that Jesus is returning for a Holy and Spotless Bride. Whether His return is today or 10 years from now is irrelevant since eternity is only a heart beat away for any of us. So choose this day whom you will serve, ask the Holy Spirit to search you to see if there be any iniquity in you, and then call upon Jesus your Deliverer. He is faithful for forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unfaithfulness.
"Watch and pray, therefore, that you would be counted worthy to escape the judgment that is coming upon the earth and be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
Maranatha!
Blessings on you all as we all wait for the return of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Maranatha!
How to Be Saved Through Jesus
DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist. He has written the monthly Israel News Digest for CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL since 1986. His just-released new book, ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? may be ordered in North America by phoning 888-890-6938.
TO RECEIVE THESE FREE UPDATES DIRECTLY, SEND AN E-MAIL MESSAGE TO THE ADDRESS BELOW WITH ONLY
SUBSCRIBE IND AND YOUR NAME WRITTEN ON IT. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS OR ANYTHING ELSE. YOU WILL RECEIVE ONLY DAVID DOLAN’S CFI NEWS DIGEST AND UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.It should look exactly like this: subscribe ind Joe Smith
To unsubscribe, just write: unsubscribe ind Joe Smith
You can also find directions at the
CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL web site: www.cfijerusalem.org