Hezbollah Continues to Attack Israel’s North
The Iron Dome battery deployed near Ashkelon (Source: Flickr/Israel Defense Forces)
As Hezbollah launches more rockets in its daily attacks on Israel’s north, last Thursday saw a massive volley of over 100 rockets, missiles, and attack drones.
In an attempt to test the Iron Dome’s capabilities, Hezbollah launched nine attack drones within a minute on a particular northern city. The Iron Dome took out seven of them, and two fell in open areas. Hezbollah claimed this attack was the largest barrage of rockets it has launched against Israel since October 7. The terror group says this attack was their response to Israel’s recent killing of a senior Hezbollah commander. Some rockets the Iron Dome did not intercept fell in open areas, starting fires in the Golan Heights. High school students nationwide were taking their final exams at the time. Students in the north had to seek shelter twice during their exams, adding to their stress.
Please pray the conflict in the north de-escalates and officials find a peaceful solution.
Israeli Special Forces Conduct Top-Secret Rescue Mission
Superintendent Arnon Zamora (Source: Israeli Police’s Instagram)
In a dramatic operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified on May 12 the location of the four recently rescued hostages. Israeli forces sent undercover units to the location to gather information and surveillance. Without raising suspicion, Israeli soldiers posing as families rented a house near the hostages. Disguised as locals, they went to the outdoor market and interacted with the residents. By early June, the Israeli government approved the rescue plan.
On June 6, commandos stormed the apartment where Hamas terrorists held Noa Argamani. Within six minutes, they had her securely in a truck waiting outside. Simultaneously, Superintendent Arnon Zamora and his commandos stormed the nearby apartment where the terrorists held the other three hostages. The soldiers came under fierce gunfire by thirty Hamas terrorists within the apartment. After a forty-five-minute firefight, they rescued the hostages and brought them to the waiting helicopter. Zamora was fatally wounded and is hailed as a hero.
Please pray for the hostages as they recover and process their return home to Israel and their families. Pray also for the family of this fallen soldier as they grieve the loss of their loved one.
Eleven Soldiers Killed in Battle Over the Weekend
Eight Israeli soldiers killed in a blast in southern Gaza’s Rafah on June 15, 2024: L-R top: Sgt. Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist, Sgt. Itay Amar, Staff Sgt. Stanislav Kostarev, Sgt. Shalom Menachem; bottom: Staff Sgt. Orr Blumovitz, Staff Sgt. Oz Yeshaya Gruber, Cpt. Wassem Mahmoud, Sgt. Yakir Ya’akov Levi
The nation of Israel mourns the deaths of eleven soldiers who died over the weekend in Gaza and along the northern border. The nation held funerals all over the country. Eight of the troops were from the Combat Engineering Corps 601st Battalion and were killed when enemy combatants hit their tank and it exploded. One soldier was Druze and lived in northern Israel. The Druze people speak Arabic, are not Muslim, have their own religion, and are loyal to Israel.
Wassem Mahmoud, 23, was a deputy commander who “led his soldiers in the Combat Engineering Corps since the outbreak of the war, he didn’t give up, he kept his head held high, he pushed on and continued to fight even after he was wounded,” said Druze leader Sheikh Muakfak Tarif. Hamas fighters injured Mahmoud while fighting on October 7, but he returned to battle and did not tell his family he had been in the hospital. Rather, he preferred to “stay at the front, out of complete faith and identification with the goals of the war, to protect the southern border and prevent terrible massacres like what happened in the Gaza border communities on October 7,” Tarif added.
Please pray for the hundreds of people who are mourning the tragic deaths of these young, brave soldiers who are protecting the land and people of Israel.
Believers in Jesus Gather for National Shavuot Picnic
Shavuot (also called Pentecost) falls fifty days after Passover and is a holiday with much meaning and significance rolled together. It is the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. It is also an agricultural holiday bringing in the first spring harvest and showing God’s abundant blessings. Finally, as believers in Jesus the Messiah, we see in the New Testament Shavuot is the day when the Holy Spirit came to dwell within the early believers (Acts 2). So, we remember both the giving of the Torah and the giving the Holy Spirit!
Therefore, what a great time for a national gathering of believers! Every year, hundreds of friends, families, congregations, and visitors gather from all over the country for a large picnic with worship, prayer, and joyous reunions. There was a time many years ago when everyone in Israel knew each other . . . now there are so many believers not everyone knows each other. Regardless, united through Jesus, everyone had a joyous time.
Praise God for Israelis who have found Jesus, their Messiah! Please pray for many more to accept this marvelous gift of salvation!
