Map showing where the rockets and missiles have been hitting in the first 3 days of this war with Hamas. (Haaretz)

I’m in a hotel watching wall-to-wall coverage of the escalating violence here. We’re now getting breaking news. Israeli PM Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet have just concluded their classified meeting, which has lasted for hours. Only a few details have been released concerning their conclusions. But the main two are ominous:

* Israel’s Home Front Command has been ordered to tell the nation to prepare for 7 weeks of war.

* 75,000 IDF reserve soldiers are definitely being called up for action — up from 30,000 on Thursday, and 16,000 on Wednesday.

“Home Front Command asks local authorities to prepare for seven-week fighting period,” reports Ynet News. “In discussions held between Home Front Command Chief Major-General Eyal Eisenberg, regional commanders and heads of local authorities in the center and in the south, authorities have been instructed to prepare for a seven-week period of combat as part of Operation Pillar of Defense and to prepare emergency supplies, accordingly. Some supplies were prepared in advance. The Home Front Command estimates that terror organizations in the Gaza Strip are still capable of launching long-range rockets, even further than a 75-kilometer range. The Home Front Command sharpened instructions for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and southern residents and, accordingly, communities located in a range of between 40-75 kilometers from the Gaza Strip must enter nearby, protected spaces the moment blasts or sirens are heard. If there is no protected space in the vicinity, residents should enter the nearest structure or stairwell. In light of the long-range rockets fired over the past few days, these instructions apply to all communities within a 75-kilometer range and not only in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.”

I’ve been consulting with The Joshua Fund staff today. At the moment, we’re blocked from providing any humanitarian relief to those in the thick of the rocket fire because all roads in the region are closed to civilian traffic. But we believe specific opportunities will open soon. We’re closely monitoring the situation and making preparations to move the moment the Lord gives us the green light. Please pray for us to have wisdom. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to The Joshua Fund, please go to www.joshuafund.net. Thank you so much for faithfully standing with us as we seek to bless Israel and her neighbors — Jews and Arabs — in the name of Jesus, especially in this time of crisis.

“Israeli citizens, like any other people, deserve peace and quiet, so they can go about living their lives,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told CNN on Friday. “If we will see in the next 24, 36 hours more rockets launched at us, I think that would be the trigger” for a ground operation, he said.

Please pray for Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet that they would be like the “men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (I Chronicles 12:32) Please pray for the Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his advisors to know what to do to stop this violence, as well. And continue to pray for the millions of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Morsi warns Israel will pay heavy price — Egyptian president sharpens his tone against Israel, threatening: ‘If I see the homeland in danger, I won’t hesitate to take unusual steps.’ He vows that his country will ‘stop this brutal aggression’
• Abbas: Israel trying to undermine Palestinian UN bid
• Ashton, Merkel say Israel has right to defend itself

Friday was a potentially game-changing day for Israel. For the first time since 1970, Iranian-made missiles were fired at Jerusalem from terrorists in Gaza. Missiles were also fired from Gaza at Tel Aviv. Air raid sirens were blaring in both cities this evening, rattling residents because of their exceedingly rare nature. As I write this late Friday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet have been meeting for several hours behind closed doors. One decision has been made for certain: Israel is now calling up 75,000 reserve soldiers, not the 30,000 that were just approved on Thursday.

The big question now: Will the Palestinian terrorists’ attacks on Jerusalem, Israel’s political and religious capital — and Tel Aviv, its largest population center and its commercial capital — trigger an IDF ground invasion of Gaza?

Israel is certainly moving rapidly to prepare for such a possibility. Tanks and armored vehicles are being moved into position surrounding Gaza. Roads leading into Israeli towns and villages near Gaza are closed to all but military traffic (and some journalists). We have friends who live in the Israeli town of Sderot who were out of town when the shooting began who now can’t get back to their apartments (not that they really want to return at the moment).

That said, the decision may not be as obvious as one might think. Israel will invade if it absolutely has to. But the more I think about it, the more I’m thinking that Netanyahu doesn’t want to invade. Not because he is weak, but because he is shrewd. He knows three things:

1. CASUALTIES — Netanyahu knows that Israeli and Palestinian casualties will mount rapidly if IDF soliders have to fight house to house in Gaza — no one wants that if it can be avoided.
2. CHARGE OF OCCUPATION — Netanyahu also knows that Hamas is trying to lure Israel into Gaza. Currently, Hamas officials are saying they are fighting the “occupation.” That’s ludicrous, of course. Israel hasn’t occupied Gaza since it pulled all of its military forces and residents out of the Gaza Strip in 2005. However, if the IDF has to invade, then Hamas will be able to claim that Israel is “occupying” Palestinian land, something Netanyahu would prefer to avoid.
3. RISK OF TRIGGERING DECISIVE U.N. VOTE  FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE— As I’ve reported in recent days, the Palestinian leadership has asked for and been promised a vote in the U.N. General Assembly on November 29th for the world to declare an official Palestinian state. Before this week’s violent escalation by Hamas, the Palestinians were all-but-assured of a winning vote. Now there is some doubt. Some governments around the world are going to be hesitant to vote to create a Palestinian state when a major portion of Palestinian-controlled territory has fired more than 700 rockets and missiles at Israeli civilians. Netanyahu doesn’t want to take actions that could trigger more sympathy and support for the Palestinian state initiative.

Please continue to pray for Jews and Arabs on both sides of the conflict. The Lord God loves them both. He has a plan for them both. Let’s pray for peace and security. Let’s also pray for wisdom for leaders on both sides and for the Lord to comfort and heal the dozens who are wounded and the millions who are traumatized on both sides. Please pray for the believers here as they continue to love their neighbors and pray for and comfort their neighbors, and continue to preach and teach the Word of God. Please mobilize others to pray. Remember: at its core, this is a spiritual battle. The violence is a physical manifestation of a spiritual war that is going on in the heavenlies. We need you to be interceding for Israel and the Palestinians in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Over the past several years, The Joshua Fund has been privileged to provide funds for the purchase of much needed equipment for a medical center in the south where the rockets have been aimed. This morning we received word that the medical center has been placed on its highest state of emergency due to the rockets being fired from Gaza. Patients are being evacuated to other facilities, all elective procedures have been cancelled, and doctors and nurses are on site to handle the wounded. As of Thursday, the medical center was treating 20 injured patients and preparing for more. As you pray for the Lord to intervene, please also remember the doctors and nurses who are presently dealing with the wounded.

Here are the latest developments:

• “Jerusalem hasn’t been hit with rocket fire since 1970, when two Katyushas were fired from the Palestinian village of Batir,” reports the Times of Israel. “The M-75s (or Fajr-5 missiles, depending on the report) that landed in an open space south of Jerusalem on Friday, in Kfar Etzion, were labeled by Hamas as ‘surprises.’ This is Hezbollah terminology. In Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah’s hands, the psychological potency of his threats have often been enormous. During the first days of the 2006 Second Lebanon War he, too, promised surprises, and shortly thereafter on July 14 Hezbollah fired a C-802 surface-to-sea missile, striking and nearly sinking an Israeli Navy missile ship. Hamas, however, stripped of most of its long-range weapons and of its supreme commander, appears to be flailing (though not cowed, by any means). The “surprises” landed in open space approximately 8 miles shy of Jerusalem, the very extreme limit of Hamas’s rocket range. The rockets proved that Hamas is willing to fire at a city holy to Islam and at an area where many Muslims live but, as opposed to Hezbollah, it was unable to inflict damage.”
• “Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the IDF’s request on Friday evening to increase the maximum number of reservists it could enlist, seeking cabinet approval to mobilize up to 75,000 troops ahead of a possible Gaza ground operation,” reports the Jerusalem Post. “On Friday morning, as Operation Pillar of Defense continued for a third day, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz issued draft orders to 16,000 out the 30,000 reservists the cabinet approved Thursday. Most of the reservists called up thus far serve in the IDF’s Engineering Corps.”
• 10:31 P.M local time Friday — Head of Hamas’ anti-tank warfare was killed in Israeli air strike; IDF confirms that IAF planes bombed the building of Hamas’ Interior Ministry on Friday morning. (Haaretz)
• 8:50 P.M. — Commander in Hamas’ military wing, Ahmed Abu Jalal, was killed during IDF strike in central Gaza. The IDF says the attack targeted a terror cell that was about to launch rockets toward Israel (Haaretz)
• 8:45 P.M. — U.S. consulate in Jerusalem issues security message for U.S. citizens, urges Americans to “exercise caution and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security in light of the escalating level of violence in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank” (Haaretz)
• 8:40 P.M. — Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman: “Israel has two goals in the Gaza operation: to rehabilitate our deterrence ability and destroy long-range missiles. Once we attain these goals, we will end the operation.” (Channel 2)
• 8:20 P.M. — Since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense, some 520 rockets were fired into Israel, 190 of them on Friday (Haaretz)
• 6:13 PM — “We are sending a short and simple message: There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises,” AP quotes Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Hamas militant wing, as saying. (Times of Israel)
• Rumors of an Israeli F-16 shot down by Hamas have been aired on Arabic radio here, but the IDF denies it.

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• New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel)
• Please prayerfully consider helping The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and assist with those being affected by this new war in southern Israel — would you make a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund?
• Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made following statement to the foreign press: “In recent days and weeks, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in Gaza have made normal life impossible for over one million Israelis. No government would tolerate a situation where nearly a fifth of its people live under a constant barrage of rockets and missile fire, and Israel will not tolerate this situation. This is why my government has instructed the Israeli Defense Forces to conduct surgical strikes against the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. And this is why Israel will continue to take whatever action is necessary to defend our people. I want to remind you that, seven years ago, Israel withdrew from every square inch of Gaza. Now, Hamas took over the areas we vacated. What did it do? Rather than build a better future for the residents of Gaza, the Hamas leadership, backed by Iran, turned Gaza into a terrorist stronghold. They fired thousand of rockets at our cities, at our towns, at our civilians, at our children. They’ve smuggled thousands of rockets and missiles into Gaza, and they deliberately place these rockets and missiles in civilian areas: in homes, in schools, near hospitals. This year alone, they fired over one thousand rockets and missiles at Israel, including close to 200 rockets in the last 24 hours….I’m stressing this because it’s important to understand one simple point. There is no moral symmetry; there is no moral equivalence, between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza. The terrorists are committing a double war crime. They fire at Israeli civilians, and they hide behind Palestinian civilians. And, by contrast, Israel takes every measure to avoid civilian casualties. I saw today a picture of a bleeding Israeli baby. This picture says it all: Hamas deliberately targets our children, and they deliberately place their rockets next to their children. Despite this reality – and it’s a very difficult reality – Israel will continue to do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties…..”

• To read the rest of his statement, please click here.
• To track the latest developments, please click here
• Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and assist with those being affected by this new war in southern Israel — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.

“The United States Senate sent a message of solidarity to Israel on Thursday by unanimously passing a resolution that expressed firm support for Israel’s right to protect its people from terrorism on the second day of Pillar of Defense,” reports the Times of Israel. “Introduced by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), Senate Resolution 599 expressed ‘vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and recognizing and strongly supporting its right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism.'”

Israeli fighter jets hit terrorist missile launching pads and weapons depots in Gaza. (AP photo)

It is just after midnight on Friday morning here in Israel. To put it bluntly: Thursday was a very difficult day for Israelis in the south and Palestinians living in Gaza. Consider this: the Palestinians have fired nearly 700 rockets, missiles and mortars over the past 36 hours. The Israelis have bombed more than 70 terrorist sites in Gaza in just the past hour. Tonight, the big news here is that the terrorists have fired missiles at Tel Aviv, Israel’s biggest and most populated city. Air raid sirens have been going off. People are anxious. This is the first time Tel Aviv has been the target of missile attacks since the Gulf War with Saddam Hussein in 1991. What’s more, three Israelis were killed in a direct rocket strike earlier today, and 54 have been wounded. Now the IDF is calling up 30,000 reserve soldiers to prepare for what could be a massive ground invasion.

As I explain in Israel At War, the onslaught by Hamas and its allies in Gaza is being driven by Iran. It is the mullahs in Iran who arm, fund and encourage the Palestinian terrorist movement and no one is happier to see Hamas unleashing its evil fury on Israeli towns, villages and cities more that the Ayatollah Khamenei. The big question is this: How far are Israeli leaders prepared to go to shut down the Gaza threat, before they turn towards a possible war with Iran to neutralize Iran’s nuclear threat. Will this conflict go just a few more days? Or are we talking weeks. That’s not yet clear, though officials in Jerusalem are telling their people this is just the beginning.

Events here are dominating discussions wherever you go. I just had dinner with Israeli friends who kept the TV on for much of the evening to keep track of the latest developments, particularly the nearly unprecedented attacks on Tel Aviv. They know families whose fathers and sons are being called up to prepare for an invasion of Gaza. We’re all praying that doesn’t have to happen, but Israeli officials are warning this is just the beginning of “Operation Pillar of Defense,” not the end. “Difficult days are ahead,” said IDF spokesman Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai Mordechai. “We must be strong in both defense  and offense. At the end of the day we will be measured by what we have achieved; not by what we said we would achieve.”

Over the past several years, The Joshua Fund has been privileged to provide funds for the purchase of much needed equipment for a medical center in the south where the rockets have been aimed. This morning we received word that the medical center has been placed on its highest state of emergency due to the rockets being fired from Gaza. Patients are being evacuated to other facilities, all elective procedures have been cancelled, and doctors and nurses are on site to handle the wounded. As of earlier today (Israel time) the medical center was treating 20 injured patients and preparing for more. As you pray for the Lord to intervene, please also remember the doctors and nurses who are presently dealing with the wounded. Please continue to pray for Jews and Arabs on both sides of the conflict. The Lord God loves them both. He has a plan for them both. Let’s pray for peace and security. Let’s also pray for wisdom for leaders on both sides and for the Lord to comfort and heal the dozens who are wounded and the millions who are traumatized on both sides. Please pray for the believers here as they continue to love their neighbors and pray for and comfort their neighbors, and continue to preach and teach the Word of God. Please mobilize others to pray. Remember: at its core, this is a spiritual battle. The violence is a physical manifestation of a spiritual war that is going on in the heavenlies. We need you to be interceding for Israel and the Palestinians in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

That said, here are the latest developments you should know about:

• Air raid sirens went off repeatedly in Tel Aviv tonight. At least two — and possibly three — missiles were shot from Gaza at Tel Aviv. This is the first time since the 1991 Gulf War with Saddam Hussein that missiles have been fired at Israel’s largest city and commercial capital.
• As of 11pm Thursday night local time, Palestinian terrorists have fired at least 665 rockets, missiles and mortars at Israeli civilians since Wednesday morning. Hamas has fired 527. Islamic Jihad has fired 138. Remember: each rocket fired involves two war crimes — firing from innocent Palestinian civilians, and firing at innocent Israeli civilians.
• As of midnight Thursday, Israel has hit 340 targets in Gaza  since launching Operation Pillar of Defense on Wednesday, according to the Jerusalem Post.
• Israel hit more than 70 targets just between 10pm and 11pm local time on Thursday night.
• Israel’s “Iron Dome” system has shot down more than 100 rockets and missiles fired out of Gaza at southern Israel since Wednesday. A report at 11:41pm local time said the number is 130.
• 3 Israelis have been killed so far. “Three people — two men and a woman — were killed and an 8-month-old baby was critically injured Thursday morning after a rocket blasted into a four-story building in Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel. Six people suffered from shock,” reports the Times of Israel. “The names of the victims were cleared for publication late Thursday afternoon. Aharon Smadga, 49, Itzik Amsalem, 24, and Mirah Sharf, 26 will all be buried Thursday evening. Sharf was reportedly pregnant.”
• 16 Palestinians — including the top commander of the Hamas military wing — have been killed.
• 54 Israelis have been wounded.
• Some 200 Palestinians have been wounded (primarily because Hamas stores its weapons and missile launchers in and near schools, mosques, hospitals, apartment buildings, and other civilian areas)
• The IDF is in the process of calling up 30,000 reservists to prepare for a possible ground operation into Gaza.
• 10:41 PM local time — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon notifies Israeli government of an upcoming visit to Jerusalem, Cairo, and Ramallah, to take place on Tuesday, following the escalation of the situation in the Gaza Strip.
• 7:35 PM — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says President Obama condemns the rockets fired at Israel; “there is no justification for these cowardly acts.”
• Egypt sending PM to Gaza, denounces Israel assault

—————————

• New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel)
• Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and assist with those being affected by this new war in southern Israel — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Come with The Joshua Fund and me to Israel for the 2013 “Prayer & Vision Tour” and the 2013 Epicenter Conference — click here for more details and to register
• Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg

(Netanya, Israel) — UPDATED: We urgently need Christians around the world to pray for peace and to mobilize your family, friends and churches to pray and fast. The  situation here is rapidly going from bad to worse. It is nearly midnight here, and the battle between Hamas and Israel has been intensifying hour by hour throughout the day.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terror organizations — backed by Iran — are firing rockets, missiles and mortars at innocent civilians in Israel, along the southern border. Each act is a war crime. The Iranian-backed terrorists are also firing from behind innocent civilians in Gaza, often from hospitals, mosques and schools. Thus, each act is actually two war crimes. In just the past several hours, the terrorists have fired more 50 times at Israel. That’s more than 100 war crimes. Since Saturday, they have fired at Israeli civilians more than 200 times. That’s more than 400 war crimes.  Yet the world is paying very little attention and doing little to stop the terrorist attacks. Israel, therefore, is moving swiftly to defend herself. 

Please pray for the Lord to intervene and stop the violence. Pray for wisdom for the leaders to know how to bring calm and security. Pray for the Lord to protect and comfort those injured and traumatized on both sides — Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs — because the Lord loves both. Please pray for the Christians living in the crossfire to be brave and courageous as they ride out this terrible storm. Pray, too, for the believers to humbly serve those in need, provide humanitarian relief as needed, encourage and comfort with their neighbors with the Word of God, and to point people to the only Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can track events most closely by following me on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg, but here are the latest developments.

CONTEXT: Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. Israel withdrew all its forces from Gaza in 2005. Yet Israeli towns along its southern borders have been hit with hundreds of rockets and mortars in recent months, while the world has remained silent. More than 1 million Israeli civilians have been under constant threat of attack. Schools are closed. Businesses are closed. People are living in fear. Children can’t sleep. It has become an unsustainable situation. So on Wednesday, the IDF killed of the top Hamas military commander — Ahmed Jabari — who had masterminded myriad attacks on Israel, had been in charge of the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and oversaw the firing of thousands of rockets and mortars at Israel. See video of the airstrike that killed Jabari. The Israeli Air Force on Wednesday also bombed at least 20 terror facilities in Gaza. Hamas terrorists vowed revenge, saying Israel has “opened the gates of Hell” and that it plans a massive retaliation.

• 12:15 AM local time — I’m listening to a Hamas official being interviewed live on CNN international who is justifying the rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza because Israel is “an occupier.” But Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza.
• 11:54 PM local time — Iron Dome battery intercepts Gaza rocket over Ashkelon (Haaretz)
• 11:39 P.M. — National Security Minister Avi Dichter in Be’er Sheva: We have no intention to end this round of fighting and suffer more hits in the next. During Operation Cast Lead we didn’t have Iron Dome batteries. This time, we do (Gili Cohen)
• 10:52 P.M. local time — Security Cabinet authorized the IDF to draft reservists and expand Gaza operation (Barak Ravid)
• 10:17 P.M. — Summary of Gaza rocket fire toward Israel’s south: 60 rockets were fired on Wednesday from Gaza at Israel’s south; 48 toward Be’er Sheva, Dimona and Ofaqim; 12 toward Ashdod, the Lachish area and Sha’ar Havegev Regional Council; Iron Dome batteries intercepted 17 rockets (Haaretz)
• 10:12 PM — Netanyahu and Barak hold press conference to announce “Operation Pillar of Defense” and says IDF preparing to massively escalate. “Today we sent a clear message to the Hamas organization and to other terrorist organizations, and should the need arise, the IDF is prepared to broaden the operation,” Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with Defense Minster Ehud Barak. “We will continue to do everything to protect our citizens.” Netanyahu blamed Hamas for escalating its attacks against civilians, and added that Israel was “not prepared to make peace with a situation in which Israel’s citizens are menaced by the terror of rocket fire. “No country would agree to such a situation; Israel is not prepared to reconcile itself to such a situation,” said Netanyahu.
• 9:41 P.M. — United States Embassy in Tel Aviv issues security message for U.S. citizens in Israel, advises them to pay close attention to news reports and follow civil defense guidance provided by the Home Front Command (Allison Kaplan Sommer, Haaretz)
• 8:55 PM — “Sirens wailed in the city of Beersheba Wednesday night as residents across the city took shelter from incoming rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. The attacks came in the wake of the assassination of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, which marked the commencement of Operation Pillar of Defense against terror targets in the Gaza Strip. The Iron Dome system downed some 17 rockets over Beersheba and towns surrounding the Gaza Strip. All in all, over 50 rockets were launched by Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday evening  including 17 long-range Grad rockets that were fired at Beersheba….Residents within range of rocket fire from Gaza were requested to remain within 15 seconds of a shelter. School was called off for Thursday throughout the south, including in Beersheba, Ashdod and Ashkelon. The police raised alert levels amid fears of terror attacks.” (Times of Israel)
• 8:38 P.M. — Benjamin Netanyahu: The IDF is ready for action; we will continue doing everything in order to protect our citizens. If necessary, we will expand operations (Haaretz)
• 7:42 P.M. — President Shimon Peres speaks to U.S. President Barak Obama on the phone, says Israel is not interested in raising the height of the flames, but for five days, rockets have been fired toward us and mothers and children are unable to sleep in peace at night. Ahme Jabari stood behind many terrorist activities (Barak Ravid)
• 5:36 P.M. — IDF Spokesman: Israeli military ready for ground operation in Gaza, should there be need for an incursion (Barak Ravid)
• 5:26 P.M. — Palestinians say Hamas military wing chief in Rafah, Raed al-Atar, killed in IDF strike (Haaretz)
• 4:06 P.M. — Top Hamas commander Ahmed Jabari in car hit by Israeli airstrike (Haaretz)
• New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel)
• Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and prepare for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Come with The Joshua Fund and me to Israel for the 2013 “Prayer & Vision Tour” and the 2013 Epicenter Conference — click here for more details and to register
• Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg

With the IDF killing of one the top Hamas military commanders — see video of the attack here — and the IAF bombing of at least 20 terror facilities in Gaza, Hamas terrorists say that Israel “has opened the gates of Hell” and that it plans a massive retaliation. At the moment, there are unconfirmed reports that the Israelis are calling up military reserves and making preparations for a possible ground invasion of Gaza. Developing….

(Netanya, Israel) — Night is falling here in the Holy Land. I was just emailing with a former U.S. presidential candidate about the latest developments here in Israel, and I thought I’d share the same information with you. 

Short version: it’s been a challenging week.

Here are 8 developments you need to know about.

1. Syria and Israel have fired at each other multiple times for the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
2. More than 160 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israeli towns in the southern tier by Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorists in Gaza since last Saturday, and more than 40 Israelis have been wounded.
3. Under pressure from Egypt, Hamas is being told to stop firing rockets — and in the last 24 hours or so the rocket fire has slowed significantly. That said, four rockets were fired at southern Israel today (Wednesday), apparently by terrorists operating in the Sinai Peninsula.
4. BREAKING NEWS: On Wednesday afternoon, news broke that a top Hamas military commander was just killed in an IAF air strike. Now Israelis in the south are awaiting a possible new barrage of rockets from Gaza in retaliation. Still, Israeli officials believe they need to reestablish a deterrence factor by assassinating top Hamas leaders and thus raising the cost of rocket attacks. The IDF is preparing for the possibility of a major ground operation into Gaza, though it’s not yet clear Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet will feel that is necessary or wise. [UPDATE: “Shortly afterwards, the IDF struck over 20 underground rocket launchers belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in an airstrike,” reported the Jerusalem Post.]
5. Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership which has lost control of Gaza is moving towards unilaterally declaring a state. It is seeking a U.N. General Assembly vote recognizing the state. At this point, the U.N. vote is set for November 29th, which is the anniversary of the U.N. Partition Plan vote in 1947. Such a unilateral step would be in violation of the Oslo Accords signed by the PLO and Israel which disallows unilateral actions such as this. [UPDATE: “Palestinians, supported by foreign activists, were demonstrating in dozens of places across the West Bank on Wednesday ahead of the 24th anniversary of their declaration of independence on November 15,” reports the Times of Israel. “Hundreds of protesters took part in the disruptions, during which Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli cars and tried to block roads, leading to clashes with Israeli security forces, who dispersed the protesters using tear gas. Several demonstrators were detained….Two Israelis were lightly injured north of the settlement of Efrat after protesters pelted their vehicle with rocks. Demonstrators also threw rocks at Israeli vehicles near the West Bank settlement of Tekoa and tried to block a road south of Hebron….The US consulate cancelled all non-official travel by US government employees to and through the West Bank on Routes 1, 90, and 443, as well as travel to Jericho and Bethlehem, due to the ongoing demonstrations.”]
6. The Obama administration is pressuring Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas not to take unilateral steps, including with a personal phone call by President Obama to Abbas.
7. Some media reports here say the Israelis are threatening to topple Abbas if he takes such unilateral actions in defiance of signed agreements.
8. If this all weren’t enough challenges, a new IAEA report due out this week will indicate that Iran is steadily moving its nuclear program into deep underground facilities and that there are now 2,700 centrifuges to enrich uranium located in the Fordow facility, close to the religious city of Qom.

As I note in my recently released e-book, Israel At War: “The corridor between Tel Aviv and Tehran is the most dangerous corridor on the planet. And make no mistake: Iran is already at war with the State of Israel. The radical mullahs in Tehran declared war against the Jewish state in 1979. They have been killing Israelis and other Jews ever since. Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior advisors are engaged in a high stakes diplomatic, financial and covert war to neutralize the Iranian nuclear threat before the mullahs — driven by an apocalyptic, genocidal End Times theology – get the Bomb and the means to deliver it.  Now the question is: Will Netanyahu soon order his nation into a full scale, all-out war with Iran that could set the entire Middle East on fire?”

All that said, it should be noted that God is sovereign. As we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in obedience to Psalm 122:6, the Lord continues to protect the people of Israel, and He loves all the inhabitants of the land, Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, Palestinian Arabs, Christians and Muslims. What’s more, while there are serious tensions on the Gaza and Syrian borders, most of Israel is very safe. Tourism this year is at an all-time high. Indeed, the number of tourists coming into Israel in September was an all-time record. I’ve been here since Friday speaking at a pastors conference and I’ve never felt in danger. The challenges are real, but keep them in context that most Israelis and Palestinians are going about their daily lives without fear or interference. But please keep praying for peace, for wisdom for the leaders here, and for the followers of Jesus Christ to be a blessing to all the people here.

Thanks. Lord willing, I’ll continue to keep you updated as best I can.

• New e-book – Israel At War: Inside The Nuclear Showdown With Iran — now available on Kindle, Nook, other formats for $2,99 (includes sneak preview of material from forthcoming Damascus Countdown novel, as well)
• Help The Joshua Fund care for the poor and needy in Israel, teach the Word of God in the epicenter, educate and mobilize Christians around the world to bless poor and needy Israelis, train pastors and ministry leaders in Egypt, strengthen the believers in Syria, and prepare for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Come with The Joshua Fund and me to Israel for the 2013 “Prayer & Vision Tour” and the 2013 Epicenter Conference — click here for more details and to register
• Follow Joel on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg

With tensions between Israel and Iran running high, Israeli President Shimon Peres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week. “During the private meeting the two men discussed the Iranian threat, the ongoing situation in Syria, ways to restart the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians as well as the strategic relations between the two countries,” reports the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “At the end of the meeting President Peres said, ‘It was a positive and efficient meeting and it is clear from the discussion that Israel’s future and security is important to President Putin.'”

Now the Weekly Standard has picked up on a report in the Russian media that President Obama is planning a state visit to Moscow, as well. “Russian president Vladimir Putin claims President Barack Obama is planning to visit Russia, the outlet RIA Novosti reports. US President Barack Obama has confirmed plans to visit Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Russian president’s spokesman said on Tuesday,’ the Russian outlet reports. ‘Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Obama made the statement when Putin called a second time to congratulate the US president on his reelection.’ RIA Novosti quotes Putin’s spokesman as saying, ‘Obama thanked [Putin] for the congratulations and the invitation and confirmed his readiness to come to Russia at a date to be agreed by the two sides. … Putin wished his US counterpart success in forming his new team’he said, adding that the two presidents confirmed their interest in ‘progressive development of bilateral relations in all spheres, including the economy.’ The White House has not announced plans for Obama to visit Russia since winning reelection. During the campaign Obama famously got caught on a hot microphone passing along a message to Putin. ‘This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility,’ Obama told then Russian president Dmitri Medvedev. ‘I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir,’ Medvedev responded in the overheard conversation.”

• What is the War of Gog and Magog and the coming Russian-Iranian alliance against Israel?

As of 10:30pm local time here in Israel, more than 160 rockets and mortars have been fired at southern Israel.  Supposedly, the Palestinian terrorists have agreed to a cease fire or a truce, but rockets have continued to be fired at Israeli towns like Sderot in recent hours. Meanwhile, “the IDF fired into Syria on Monday for the second time in as many days, after a Syrian mortar shell landed in the Golan Heights,” reported the Jerusalem Post. “The events played out in a similar sequence to those on Sunday, when an errant Syrian shell elicited an Israeli warning shot at the Syrian military for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. On Monday, however, the IDF said its tanks shot “at the source of the fire in Syria,” and scored a “direct hit,” taking out two mortar launchers….Syria has been in the midst of a brutal civil war for over a year, and the IDF has been instructed to prevent the battles from spilling over into our territory. At Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel was closely following events along the Syrian border, and was prepared for all possibilities on that front. Sunday’s scuffle came a week after three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights on Saturday afternoon, and remained there for several hours into the evening. Please keep praying for peace and security to be restored. Pray for those wounded on both sides of the conflict (there were some 40 Israeli injuries over the weekend). Please pray for wisdom for the Israeli government to know best how to respond. And please pray for followers of Jesus Christ on both sides to be able to love, care for and bless the people who are suffering, wounded and traumatized by the sudden spike in violence. On behalf of all of my colleagues with The Joshua Fund, thanks so much. To learn more about The Joshua Fund, please click here.