Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Psalm 122:6-8
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu Al Ata. The IDF had identified Al Ata as the senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group in Gaza. They discovered he was planning rocket, sniper and drone attacks against Israeli forces on the Israeli-Gaza border.
At the time of this writing, over 300 rockets have been fired into Israel in retaliation. Funded by Iran, the PIJ is one of the most violent terror groups in Gaza. The Iranian regime filters money, weaponry and rockets to the PIJ.
To date, more than 50 Israelis have been wounded but there have been no Israeli deaths. However tremendous damage has been caused. One rocket narrowly missed civilian drivers on a busy highway. These numbers could have been much higher if it were not for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The rockets fired by terrorists are war crimes because they are targeting Israeli citizens while Israel is only attacking military targets. The Israeli envoy to the United Nations has called on the UN Security Council to condemn the rocket fire.
“Nine million citizens are facing an insufferable terror attack by terror groups. I expect a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the side responsible for this and not a statement calling for both sides to act with restraint. The time has come for the international community to understand that silence is a prize for terror,” Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement.
Danon adds: “Israel is not interested in an escalation but will lead the campaign against terror with determination and strength.”
Israeli citizens have spent nights in bomb shelters, schools across parts of the nation closed and hospitals evacuated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Knesset stating, “We will not tolerate attacks on our citizens. We will do all that we need to defend our citizens. We are not bent on escalation, but that we would respond to every attack against us and respond very sharply.”
As a result of these attacks, the IDF was forced to increase airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad. They have targeted underground terror facilities for storage and manufacturing weapons as well as training camps.
There is an urgent alert to pray for the nation of Israel and the barrage of rocket fire it faces. An IDF spokesman has said it is “preparing for a number of days of fighting.” Pray for the protection of the Israeli citizens to withstand the forces setting out to destroy their country.
Photo credit: Christians United for Israel