Week of July 14, 2026

Tens of thousands of weapons—seemingly about 160,000 per year—are smuggled into Israel across Egyptian and Jordanian borders by terrorist smuggling networks and Bedouin-organized crime gangs using drones. These weapons first enter Israeli space through Jewish-Arab mixed cities, then filter into Judea and Samaria. What was once an occasional occurrence has grown into a significant threat to Israel for two reasons.

First, not only do the drones carry up to 330 pounds of weapons, but they are also bought by terror and criminal groups within Israel and flown into Gaza, some carrying contraband. Hamas is stockpiling the drones, seemingly for another assault on Israel.

Second, Israel’s military is not yet prepared to address this problem. By the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF’s) own assessment, there are 10 to 100 drone smuggling attempts every single day across some 249 miles of Israeli border, specifically along Gaza, Sinai, and the Jordan Valley. The IDF has successfully exposed 15 smuggling cells and seized 300 drones over the past six months, mostly to or from Gaza. However, only 15 drone smugglers are currently in Israeli jails, and most of them are minors who will be swiftly released. Israel presently lacks the technology and necessary operational bandwidth to surveil and tactically prohibit drone flights and penetrate these organized crime syndicates.

“Imagine an attack, God forbid, along the lines of the massive and ruinous drone war underway between Russia and Ukraine, where an estimated 70% of the one-to-two million casualties over the past five years have been wrought by drone attacks,” warns David Weinberg of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy.

>Pray for wisdom, intentional collaboration, and strategic action for all levels of the IDF, and that technology professionals, lawmakers, and government agencies would address and resolve the looming threat of drone terrorism. Pray that drone smugglers would be caught, and that the people of Israel would be protected from intended harm.

Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his wife, Janet, paid tribute to the Bibas family of Israel by unveiling a memorial plaque dedicating an olive tree to them in a beautiful olive grove in Northern Israel. Yarden Bibas (the father) was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, and held by Hamas for 484 days. His wife Shiri, toddler Ariel, and baby Kfir Israeli were also kidnapped that day but were later brutally murdered in captivity.

The grove is part of Moshav HaYogev, meaning “the farmer” in Hebrew, and is located a few miles west of Afula near the biblical site of Megiddo. Olive trees there are “adopted” by supporters around the world who then receive olive oil produced from their tree, creating a lasting personal connection to the land. A non-Jewish Floridian dedicated this tree in memory of the Bibas family.

At the special ceremony, Ambassador Huckabee commented, “It is very sobering to meet a family who has gone through so much suffering. It is always a reminder to me that so many people in the world don’t understand what the people of Israel went through on October 7 and what they continue to go through.”

He noted that most Americans do not understand the level of the massacre by Hamas that day. He said the per capita equivalent for the U.S.—of the 1,200 Israelis murdered and more than 250 taken hostage—would be 40,000 Americans butchered and 10,000 taken hostage. “Imagine what the reaction would have been,” he said.

Pray for Yarden Bibas, his remaining family members, and all the families in Israel who lost their loved ones on October 7 or during captivity. Pray for the living hostages who came home. Pray for supernatural comfort, peace, and light from the Lord Himself in their lives—and for them to come face to face with the Man of Sorrows who has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, and atoned for all our sins. Pray for the healing of their hurts and the salvation of their souls, in Jesus’ name.

Just a few months ago, Hezbollah terrorists launched hundreds of rockets, and many missiles and drones, against Israeli troops and civilians in northern Israel from a strategic stronghold: the Beaufort Castle. This impressive stone fortress originally built by Crusader armies lies atop a steep bluff in a tactically-perfect position, commanding panoramic views of the Galilee in northern Israel and the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon.

Yet here, an even more strategic position was discovered recently. After the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recaptured Beaufort Castle and Beaufort Ridge in late May, soldiers began to search for, capture, and demolish nearby Hezbollah terror sites. Under the castle, they found an underground tunnel network planned and funded by the Iranian terror regime.

Troops reported finding “an exceptional quantity” of arms inside the tunnels, including “unique and highly valuable” weapons such as anti-aircraft systems and Iranian-made anti-helicopter mines, as well as previously unfamiliar Iranian weapons.

The tunnel had infrastructure for water and electricity, as well as numerous rooms and several living quarters—complete with showers, toilets, and kitchenettes. Hezbollah operatives could spend many months within the tunnel, with no need to leave. There was also what officers described as a fully equipped operating room for medical procedures.

“This operating room is at the highest level you can imagine, completely sterile, with machines and equipment—everything needed to perform a procedure right here inside this tunnel,” the Yahalom officer said.

The multi-level, highly functional underground tunnel network likely took between 10–15 years to build with funding from Iran. The army plans on destroying the facility.

Pray for IDF troops working in all areas of danger, and especially in southern Lebanon.

Recently, our Chosen People Ministries staff in Israel has had the joyous opportunity to disciple and walk alongside a number of new believers, as well as people who desire to dive deeper into their walk with the Lord. The questions, the conversations, and the time spent in God’s Word and prayer are priceless.

There have also been a few Israelis returning from abroad—places like New Zealand, Australia, and Japan—who have recently become believers. Our global network has connected us with the returning Israeli travelers to continue the dialogue about Jesus.

Please pray for these connections between our staff and those being discipled, and for their quality time while sitting together, talking about Jesus the Messiah, studying the Word, and applying it to our lives. It is a tremendous gift to walk with someone as they are being discipled! Pray for their walk with the Lord to deepen and for their love for the Lord to increase (including for the staff who are doing the discipling).

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