Middle East Prayer Update

Halfway into the Passover holiday ‘Let my people go’ has never felt so real. There are still approximately 24 living hostages held in the tunnels of Gaza as well as 35 kidnapped bodies.

Intense negotiations are underway to release up to half of the living hostages with Israel making enormous concessions (including releasing 1000 terrorist prisoners). The talks are still getting stuck on one point; Hamas’ demand to stay in power in Gaza with international guarantees after the end of the war.

With the new IDF Chief Commander, Ayal Zamir, the war has intensified with a more focused military strategy. This has already brought many achievements with very few Israeli casualties. Many believe this new strategy will bring the release of the hostages and a full military victory much sooner.

For the first time, Gazan people are protesting against Hamas, even demanding for Hamas to surrender. This shows a weakening of the terrorist group’s brutal hold on its constituents, although some of the protest leaders have been tortured and murdered. 

The international press has missed much of the coverage of these protests since most of the journalists operating from Gaza are pro Hamas or controlled by the Qatar government, which owns Al Jazeera.

Recently an official of the Nasser hospital in Gaza demanded that Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists leave its premises to prevent an Israeli air strike on the hospital. He is now receiving death threats.

President Joseph Aoun in Lebanon has promised to enforce dismantlement of Hezbollah and is backing his words with action. There is even talk of normalized relationships with Israel. For the first time in a year and a half Israelis are vacationing in northern Israel, close to the Lebanese border. And for the first time in twenty years, the Christians in Lebanon are feeling protected from Hezbollah.

Turkey, which has had an up and down relationship with Israel over the years, has become increasingly anti-Israel. With Iran being weakened, Erdogan is seeking renewed influence in the Middle East. He is now partnering with the new Syrian government, representing a viable threat on Israel's northeast border.

‘Negotiations’ have started between the US and Iran on its nuclear weapon program, thought to be within weeks or months of completion. Israel is concerned that America will agree to an agreement with only partial dismantling of Iran's nuclear facilities. Such an agreement would not eliminate the ultimate existential threat to Israel. Israel doesn’t see any option other than total destruction of the nuclear infrastructure, only achievable with US ‘bunker busters.’

Division within the Israeli public has reached alarming proportions, with intense and vocal opposition to the government at almost every level. Protests have become a weekly event.

Please pray:

• For all the hostages to be released

• For a complete end to the war with complete destruction of Hamas

• For Lebanon to be under full control of its own government without Hezbollah

• For the downfall of Turkey’s president Erdogan

• For the US not to whitewash the need to destroy Iranian nuclear infrastructure 

• For healing within our nation