THE TIMES OF ISRAELHOMELATESTSECTIONS

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Israeli jets strike 34 targets in Gaza Strip

Air force hits Hamas, Islamic Jihad structures; 4 reported wounded; 2 rockets explode in Israel causing damage, hours after discovery of kidnapped teens’ bodies

BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF July 1, 2014, 4:11 am 16

A ball of fire is seen following an Israel airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza, on July 1, 2014. Israeli warplanes launched in the early morning hours of Tuesday, dozens of airstrikes on different targets in the Gaza Strip, including sites belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. (Photo credit: AFP/ SAID KHATIB)

The Israeli Air Force struck 34 targets in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, carrying out “precision strikes” against Hamas and Islamic Jihad structures, the IDF said in a statement early Tuesday.

According to reports, sites in Khan Younes, Rafah and Beit lahia were hit.

“Following over 18 rockets which were fired at Israel since Sunday evening, IAF aircraft carried out a precision strike against 34 targets in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.

Four people have been injured, according to Israel Radio citing Palestinian sources.

“The IDF will continue to act in order to restore the peaceful living to the civilians of the state of Israel. The Hamas terror organization and its extensions are solely responsible for any terror activities emanating from the Gaza Strip,” IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said.

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip early Tuesday landed in the Eshkol Regional Council, causing damage to several cars and a fire close to a packaging plant, which was quickly put out by emergency services.

Another rocket landed in the Sdot Negev region, causing no damage or injuries.

The air strikes and rocket attacks came hours after the bodies of kidnapped Israeli teenagers — Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gil-ad Shaar, 16 and Naftali Fraenkel, 16 — were found partially buried in a field near the West Bank village of Halhul, north of Hebron.

The teenagers were kidnapped on the night of June 12 at a hitchhiking post outside the settlement of Alon Shvut in the Etzion Bloc south of Jerusalem.

The bodies were found at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, bound and partially buried, in an open field in a hard-to-access area. The site is less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from where the teens had been abducted.

Israel is on the hunt for two Hamas men it says were behind the kidnappings, Marwan Kawasme and Amer Aby Aysha.

Since the start of Operation Brother’s Keeper to find them, 18 days of searches had seen the arrests of over 400 Palestinians, a majority of them members of Hamas.

On Monday, Hamas operatives launched a large volley of rockets which slammed into Israel, the first time in years the Islamist group has directly challenged the Jewish state, according to Israeli defense officials.

At least 16 rockets were fired at Israel Monday morning, most of them hitting open areas in the Eshkol region, the army said.

The security sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, assessed that Hamas had probably launched the barrage in revenge for an Israeli airstrike several hours earlier which killed one person and injured three more.

A member of Hamas’s militant wing was killed in the attack, Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said.

While Israel has maintained it holds Hamas responsible for all rocket attacks, officials have said that smaller groups, such as Islamic Jihad, are usually behind the rocket attacks, while Hamas squads generally attempt to thwart the rocket fire.

Hamas hasn’t fired rockets into Israel since Operation Pillar of Defense ended in November 2012, and has yet to take responsibility for this latest barrage.

The group fired hundred of rockets at Israel over eight days during Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, as Israel carried out punishing strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

A broken window from a rocket strike on Sdot Negev Monday morning. (photo credit: Sdot Negev spokesperson)

Officials said Monday’s rocket attacks, which appeared to deliberately target Israeli communities close to the border with the Gaza Strip, may have been intended to warn Israel against targeting Hamas operatives.

The army said in a statement that the Sunday night air raid was targeting terrorists “in the southern Gaza Strip, during​ their final preparations to launch rockets at civilian communities of southern Israel.”

“Hamas is responsible for the outrageous attacks originating from Gaza, and will be pursued as such,” IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said.

The air force attack on Khan Younis Sunday night came minutes after Palestinians in the coastal enclave fired a volley of rockets at southwestern Israel. The Iron Dome defense system shot down two of the projectiles — Grad rockets — over Netivot. There were no reports of injury or damage in the rocket attack.

Early Sunday morning, air force planes struck 12 sites in Gaza in response to rockets fired over the weekend. Two rockets hit the town of Sderot, close to the border with Gaza, late Saturday, causing a massive fire that destroyed a paint factory.

Bodies of Israeli kidnapped teens found, government confirms

Fox News
Published: Jun 30, 2014 17:07 PM UTC
Updated: Jun 30, 2014 17:07 PM UTC
Views: 185


Israel's nearly three-week vigil for three teens kidnapped in the West Bank - including one with U.S. citizenship - ended grimly Monday, with the discovery of their bodies just north of Hebron.

The search for Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar, 16 and Naftali Frenkel, 16, who were snatched while hitchhiking, ended even as Israeli forces were conducting raids in the West Bank, where Hamas operates. Frenkel holds duel U.S.-Israeli citizenship.

Israeli forces were massing Monday in the West Bank village of Halhul, just north of Hebron. Sources said the bodies were found in a shallow grave in an open field. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to speak on the discovery Monday.

The abductions outraged the Jewish state as well as the international community, and several vigils and rallies were held around the U.S. during the intensive hunt. Hundreds of Palestinians took part in the search, dubbed "Brother's Keeper."

The three youths disappeared as they were heading home from a West Bank religious school. Israeli officials said at the time that one of the teens called a police emergency line around 10:25 p.m. and said, "We've been kidnapped." They were not heard from again.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the kidnapping, and pledged help in the search but denied there was evidence linking Hamas to the crime. Hamas, which governs the Palestinian territories jointly with the PA, praised the kidnapping without claiming responsibility.

Netanyahu previously left little doubt as to who he blamed.

"Hamas terrorists carried out Thursday's kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers," Netanyahu said earlier this month. "We know that for a fact. Hamas denials do not change this fact."

Israeli forces searched more than 1,000 sites, rounding up Hamas and Islamic Jihad suspects as part of the operation. Last week, the Israel Security Agency identified two Hamas operatives from Hebron as key suspects in the kidnappings, Ammar Muhammad Abu Eisha, 33, a locksmith, and Marwan al-Qawasmeh, 29, a barber. Both men allegedly disappeared from their homes on the night of the kidnapping have not been seen since.

Israel Could Get Dragged Into ISIS’s War, Obama Admin Warns

"If ISIS threatens the survival of Jordan, the Obama administration believes, it would ask for help from two of the least popular countries in the Middle East: America and Israel."

Admirable video summary

Came across this video on Youtube. If you can stay patient through some repetition at the beginning of the video, it is a good summary of where we're at in God's countdown of this age.

One fulfilled prophesy that is missing from the video is the fact that the prophet Daniel's days prophecies (time, times, and half a time) were also fulfilled in the re-establishment of Israel on one day in 1948, and in the re-taking of the Temple Mount in 1967.

Regarding the blood moons of 1949, 1950, 1967 and 1968; and of this year and next, it is exciting that Daniel's days prophesies also point to the importance of re-established Israel in 1948, and the re-taking of the temple in 1967. I know I have somewhat minimized the importance of the 'blood moons" signs, however I think the Holy Spirit has been causing me to reconsider their significance in relation to all the many other signs we see today that this age is coming to a soon end.

Let's get the word out to those who are willing to listen,and who aren't merely scoffing at what is happening in our time. The Middle East is ablaze. How soon will Israel, the most hated country in the region, become the target of this raging fire - AND, most importantly, Israel's redeemer come to her rescue?

WW3 recipe - opposing sides of Islam at war and both probably have nukes

As first US advisers reach Baghdad, Iranians and Saudis airlift weapons to opposing sides in Iraq

"When the first of the 300 military advisers US President Barack Obama promised the Iraqi government arrived in Baghdad Wednesday, June 25, Iranian and Saudi Arabian arms shipments were already in full flow to opposing sides in embattled Iraq"

Iran Secretly Operates Drone Flights from Former American Base in Iraq

Amazing! Iran's drone looks exactly like the American drone that crashed in Iran

Iran Secretly Operates Drone Flights from Former American Base in Iraq: "Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to assist the Shiite-led administration in Baghdad against the advancing Sunni militants, while officially saying the US should not intervene in the current crisis in Iraq.

 However, in reality the US, Iran and Syria are on the same side fighting against the common enemy."

Not only is Obama doing nothing about Syria's use of chemical weapons and Iran's nuclear weapons, but Obama is now fighting with Syria and Iran in Iraq. Just watch, tomorrow Obama will be in Tehran joining in the shouts of 'death to America! Death to Israel!" outside one of the many mosques of the 'religion of peace and dismemberment'.

If the only God wasn't the God of Israel, I'd be worried.

Hosea 4:6a

New King James Version (NKJV)

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge

PM fears US hatching bad deal with Iran, summons his DC envoy, calls Putin | The Times of Israel: "Netanyahu also to dispatch top officials to try to prevent accord that would turn Tehran into a threshold nuclear power"

Netanyahu doesn't need to worry because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel is behind him. But he is worried because Hussein Obama is now allied with Iran and Syria in their fight against the Sunni sect of the "religion of peace... and dismemberment."

Former Vice President Dick Cheney predicts U.S. will face deadly, nuclear attack within decade
"The former vice president offered a prediction during a radio appearance that the U.S. will face a deadly terrorist attack within a decade — and a nuclear weapon could be used."

Iraq invaders threaten nuke attack on Israel
"The well-organized army of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, claims it has access to nuclear weapons and a will to use them to “liberate” Palestine from Israel as part of its “Islamic Spring,” according to a WND source in the region.

ISIS is also know as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. “Sham,” or “Greater Syria,” refers to Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and southern Turkey.

Israeli air raids killed 10 Syrian soldiers, NGO says | The Times of Israel

"At least 10 Syrian soldiers were killed in Israeli overnight air raids on positions near the Israeli-held Golan Heights, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Monday."

The Al Qaeda Juggernaut Is Still on the Move in Iraq

As IDF sweeps West Bank, Gaza residents prepare for war

"Coastal enclave widely accepts that Hamas was involved in the kidnapping and braces for a harsh Israeli response; Shin Bet said to threaten Gaza man allegedly linked to abduction with a missile strike"

Foreign policy fail

Blowback! U.S. trained ISIS at secret Jordan base: "JERUSALEM – Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, were trained in 2012 by U.S. instructors working at a secret base in Jordan, according to informed Jordanian officials...

The Jordanian officials said all ISIS members who received U.S. training to fight in Syria were first vetted for any links to extremist groups like al-Qaida."

With the God of Israel against him, Obama is continuing to make a mess of the Middle East. How many foreign policy failures can one president make within two terms? We're going to find out, I'm afraid.

Full Hamas, Jihad Islami mobilization in Gaza 

DEBKAfile June 17, 2014, 2:54 PM (IDT)

All the terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, led by Hamas which rules the territory and the pro-Iranian Jihad Islami, have declared full mobilization of all their forces and set up a common war room for operations against Israel.

Joel 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

3 “At the time of those events,” says the Lord,
    “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem (that time is NOW),
2 I will gather the armies of the world
    into the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will judge them
    for harming my people, my special possession,
for scattering my people among the nations,
    and for dividing up my land.
3 They threw dice to decide which of my people
    would be their slaves.
They traded boys to obtain prostitutes
    and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.

4 “What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon (Hezb'allah) and you cities of Philistia (Hamas)? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done.

Obama the dreamer allies with Israel's enemy - how blessed can that be? More storms and disaster coming America's way

Iraq crisis prompts reconciliation between Iran and the West - from Great Satan to the great rapprochement
"The collapse of Iraq has led Britain and the United States towards a historic rapprochement with Iran which could end 35 years of hostility."

Israel is fighting Hamas, allies of Iran, while the US Administration is forming an alliance with Iran's Ayatollah to fight the Sunni's in Iraq. Once again Obama and Kerry have picked the wrong side.

The significance of Babylon/Iraq in these days cannot be understated. The alliance of unGodly leaders in America and Iran acting together in Babylon is something to watch.

Isaiah 13

New Living Translation (NLT)

13 Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon...

6 Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
    the time for the Almighty to destroy.
7 Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
    Every heart melts,
8     and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
    like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
    their faces aflame with fear.

9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
    the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
    and all the sinners destroyed with it.
10 The heavens will be black above them;
    the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
    and the moon will provide no light.

11 “I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil
    and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
    and humble the pride of the mighty.
12 I will make people scarcer than gold—
    more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
13 For I will shake the heavens.
    The earth will move from its place
when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath
    in the day of his fierce anger.”

Netanyahu: We face a tough and protracted operation

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel is not only bending all its resources to recovering the three abducted teenage boys, but going after Hamas “with all our strength and resolve.”  He vowed that “anyone who harms us, will be harmed.” More than 100 Hamas activists have been detained and more operations are on the way, he said, without elaborating. “We are in the midst of a grave operation with grave ramifications,” he warned

The prime minister, defense minister and chief of staff gave televised statements before another evaluation of the Hebron operation at the Central Command headquarters.
Netanyahu called on the international community to join the US in condemning the kidnappings as a vile act of terror. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said: “Hamas is paying a heavy price for its act of terror and will pay more. We are undoubtedly on the way to a military operation.”
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said that the IDF, together with all Israel’s security services, will carry on “until we are successful” and is ready to function in all contingencies, whether in the north, the south, the center, by air or by sea.

The last of Babylon

ISIS’s destruction of Iraq: Impact on the Gulf littoral - Al Arabiya News
" Last week, ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani stated “Do not concede territory gained to the Shiites unless they walk over your dead bodies to retrieve it. March towards Baghdad. The Shiites are a disgraced people. God forbid that they become victorious over you. How can they when they are polytheists. Don’t stop until you reach Baghdad and Kerbala. Be prepared! Iraq will transform into a living hell for the Shiites and other heretics.”"

A religious war between the two sects of Islam is being fought in Iraq - ancient Babylon. Both sides, Iran and Saudi Arabia, have nukes capable of making Iraq a desolation.

Isaiah 13

New Living Translation (NLT)

13 Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:

2 “Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop.
    Call up an army against Babylon.
Wave your hand to encourage them
    as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
3 I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task.
    Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger,
    and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”

4 Hear the noise on the mountains!
    Listen, as the vast armies march!
It is the noise and shouting of many nations.
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.
5 They come from distant countries,
    from beyond the farthest horizons.
They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger.
    With them he will destroy the whole land.

6 Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
    the time for the Almighty to destroy.
7 Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
    Every heart melts,
8     and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
    like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
    their faces aflame with fear.

9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
    the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
    and all the sinners destroyed with it.
10 The heavens will be black above them;
    the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
    and the moon will provide no light.

11 “I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil
    and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
    and humble the pride of the mighty.
12 I will make people scarcer than gold—
    more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
13 For I will shake the heavens.
    The earth will move from its place
when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath
    in the day of his fierce anger.”

14 Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people
    and flee to their own land.
15 Anyone who is captured will be cut down—
    run through with a sword.
16 Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
    Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped.

17 “Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon.
    They cannot be tempted by silver
    or bribed with gold.
18 The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows.
    They will have no mercy on helpless babies
    and will show no compassion for children.”

19 Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms,
    the flower of Chaldean pride,
will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah
    when God destroyed them.
20 Babylon will never be inhabited again.
    It will remain empty for generation after generation.
Nomads will refuse to camp there,
    and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.
21 Desert animals will move into the ruined city,
    and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.
Owls will live among the ruins,
    and wild goats will go there to dance.
22 Hyenas will howl in its fortresses,
    and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon’s days are numbered;
    its time of destruction will soon arrive.

Netanyahu confirms: 'Our boys were kidnapped by a terrorist organization' | The Times of Israel

Netanyahu confirms: 'Our boys were kidnapped by a terrorist organization' | The Times of Israel: "“The pact with Hamas has led to very harsh results, results which are the exact opposite of advancing peace between us and the Palestinians,” said the prime minister.

 “All of the terrorist organizations – Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other terrorist organizations – are committed to the destruction of Israel and they draw encouragement from this pact. Their personnel are constantly trying to murder, attack and abduct Israeli citizens simply because they are Israeli citizens. Over the decades they have tried to perpetrate abductions and, to our regret, they occasionally succeed,” he said."

'Peace talks' are dead at the moment because Hamas does not seek peace but the elimination of Israel.

Ukraine rebels (aka Russian troops) shoot down military plane | World news | The Guardian

Ukraine rebels shoot down military plane
"At least 49 killed after transport jet brought down near Luhansk airport in major blow for Kiev"

Don't worry Kiev, O'bumbler is behind you...way behind you!

Meanwhile, while everyone's distracted by Iraq, Russia pulls a fast one...

Russia Has Sent Tanks to Ukraine Rebels, U.S. Says

By MICHAEL R. GORDON

Published: Jun 13, 2014 17:02 PM UTC

Views: 43

WASHINGTON - The State Department confirmed on Friday that Russia has sent tanks and other heavy weapons to separatists in Ukraine.

A convoy of three T-64 tanks, several BM-21 "Grad" multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles crossed the border near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne, State Department officials said. Reports and images of the weapons' presence circulated on Thursday, but there were conflicting claims about where they had come from.

"This is unacceptable," said Marie Harf, the deputy State Department spokeswoman. "A failure by Russia to de-escalate this situation will lead to additional costs."

A Western official said that intelligence about the movement of the tanks and other weapons into Ukraine was shared on Friday with NATO allies. Secretary of State John Kerry complained earlier this week about the flow of Russian arms to separatists in Ukraine in a phone call to Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.

The T-64 is an obsolescent tank no longer in active use by Russian forces, but still kept in storage in southwest Russia.

"Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area," the State Department said Friday afternoon. "We are confident that these tanks came from Russia."

"We also have information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed," the State Department added. "Internet video has shown what we believe to be these same rocket launchers traveling through Luhansk."

The Iran-Saudi war is expanding

As Iraq Islamists advance, Iran says it will enter fight | The Times of Israel: "“This is an extremist, terrorist group that is acting savagely,” Rouhani said live on state television, adding that Tehran will not “tolerate this violence and terror.”

“For our part, as the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran we will combat violence, extremism and terrorism in the region and the world,” said an agitated Rouhani."

Iran formally states intention to aid Iraqi Shiite regime. The whole Lion-Bear-Leopard area is about to go up in flames.

Arming because soon the war will be coming to America

MWRAPS by state

War Gear Flows to Police Departments - NYTimes.com: "“Somebody has to be the first person to say ‘Why are we doing this?’ ” said William Pollnow Jr., a Neenah city councilman who opposed getting the new police truck."

Good thing we have Hussein Obama protecting the West (?!)

After Mosul, Al Qaeda seizes 38,000 sq. km of Iraqi territory, division-size armored vehicle fleet:
Al Qaeda is taking over Iraq. Iraq is Babylon.

Mosul Seized: Jihadis Loot $429m from City's Central Bank to Make Isis World's Richest Terror Force: "The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (Isis) has become the richest terror group ever after looting 500 billion Iraqi dinars - the equivalent of $429m (£256m) - from Mosul's central bank, according to the regional governor...

Nineveh governor Atheel al-Nujaifi confirmed Kurdish television reports that Isis militants had stolen millions from numerous banks across Mosul. A large quantity of gold bullion is also believed to have been stolen."

Isaiah 13:

19 Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms,
    the flower of Chaldean pride,
will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah
    when God destroyed them.
20 Babylon will never be inhabited again.
    It will remain empty for generation after generation.
Nomads will refuse to camp there,
    and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.
21 Desert animals will move into the ruined city,
    and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.
Owls will live among the ruins,
    and wild goats will go there to dance.
22 Hyenas will howl in its fortresses,
    and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon’s days are numbered;    its time of destruction will soon arrive. 

A president who opposes a Palestinian state -- bad for Israel?
"President-elect Reuven Rivlin opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, a position that contradicts that of the incumbent president, and to some extent also clashes with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who at least publicly professes to support the idea of two states for two peoples."


Rocket from Gaza hits near southern community
"Some 140 projectiles fired by militants in the Gaza Strip have hit southern Israel since the start of 2014, according to the military."