Hamas and Islamic Jihad Reject a New Truce Proposal

Hamas and Islamic Jihad Reject Egyptian Truce Proposal | VFI News #hamas #israelnews #gaza

Hamas Rejects Egyptian Proposal to End War with Israel, Refuses Free Elections in Gaza

Netanyahu's Christmas Message: Unite with Israel in Battle Against Barbarism

Israeli Arabs in Germany Spoke About Hamas as a Terrorist Organization

Chief Rabbi Lau Calls on Pope to Retract Israel-Hamas Comparison

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Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups operating in Gaza have rejected an Egyptian-led truce proposal with Israel that would see the militants relinquish power in return for an end to the war, sources say. 

The terrorists, who conducted the October 7 massacre in Israel, have refused to take part in one of the biggest conditions laid out by negotiators in Cairo on Sunday, December 24: an end to Hamas’ reign in Gaza by forming a Palestinian parliament and holding free elections, according to two Egyptian security sources. 

The terrorist organizations instead reiterated that the only thing they’re ready to discuss is a prisoner swap that would see more than 100 Israeli hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 

But a Hamas official who was in Cairo during the negotiations added that even a new prisoner swap would only take place once Israel has withdrawn from war-torn Gaza. Further, while previous peace talks have included exchanging one hostage for every three Palestinian women and minor prisoners, leaders of Islamic Jihad are now demanding a different approach even on that. The terror group has claimed that the only fair exchange would be all the hostages for all the prisoners, according to Egyptian sources. 

There were about 5,250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails before the war, but that number has nearly doubled after thousands more were arrested in conflicts along Judea and Samaria since October 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association.

In terms of who would govern the Palestinian region after the war, a senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said: “Who will lead the Palestinians is an internal Palestinian issue. The people must elect their own leadership. No one has a right to dictate, not the Americans, Israelis or anyone else.” (NYP / VFI News)

“God, we pray for the release of all Israeli and foreign hostages currently being held by Hamas. We pray that You assist our leaders and military personnel in prioritizing our hostages and that You would bring an end to this war.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his Christmas greeting this year to condemn Hamas and call on the Christian community to support Israel in its battle against terrorism. 

“Christmas is supposed to be a time of goodwill to all men and peace on Earth,” the prime minister said in a video he posted on X. “Well, we don’t have peace on Earth, not in our part anyway, and we certainly don’t see the goodwill to all men.”

“We’re facing monsters, monsters who murdered children in front of their parents and parents in front of their children, who raped and beheaded women, who burned babies alive, who took babies hostages,” he continued. 

“This is a battle, not only of Israel against these barbarians but of civilization against barbarism.” Netanyahu thanked the Christian community for its prayers and promised to assure them that “as we stand together, we will also prevail.” “We shall win this war and secure our common values and our common future.” 

Netanyahu also said, that before there is peace between Israel and the Palestinians, “Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be demilitarized, and Palestinian society must be de-radicalized.” (JPost / VFI News)

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” - 1 John 4:7

A delegation of Israeli Arabs from the NGO Atidna spent eleven days in December in Germany raising awareness about Hamas as a terrorist movement and the values of a multi-religious democratic Jewish state. 

Atidna—a word that combines Arabic and Hebrew to mean “our future”—is an innovative grassroots organization that seeks to build a “partnership with Arabs and Jews” who view themselves as citizens of a “democratic and Jewish state,” Amit Deri, the CEO Partner of Atidna, told Israeli media. 

The twenty-person delegation organized their annual trip to Germany before the October 7 war and decided not to cancel it due to the pressing need to explain the nature of the Hamas terrorist movement. 

Etaf Shtewe, the Israeli-Arab project and community manager for Atidna, said Atidna members were “wearing shirts of the organization with Hebrew and the Israeli flag” in public. She said, “People were really interested and asking questions.” One question was: “What is your position on the war?” 

Shtewe said the group told Germans “about Hamas as a terrorist” organization. The delegation, Shtewe stressed, told the Germans they met that “they are Arabs and proud of who they are and to be part of Israel.” However, Shetwe added that there was resistance from German Arabs in Berlin. Many German Arabs rejected Atidna’s mission and are “against the existence of the State of Israel.” (JPost / VFI News)

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1

Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau addressed a letter on Sunday, December 24, to Pope Francis, in which he called on the Pontiff to retract comments made during a conversation with President Isaac Herzog last month in which he appeared to accuse both Israel and Hamas of “terrorism” in the ongoing war that started with the Hamas massacre of over 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7. 

During the conversation, Pope Francis said that it is “forbidden to respond to terror with terror.” “I heard your statement following the attack on two women who were in the church compound in Gaza. I too am very sorry for their unnecessary death, my customary opinion on killing and death. However, I wish to comment on one statement that was made: ‘terror.’ This statement, made in reference to the occurrence, is incorrect and even outrageous,” Rabbi Lau’s letter began. 

The Chief Rabbi stated: “The State of Israel embarked on a just war in the face of attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen that threatened the very existence of the State. Islamic terrorism, which crosses almost all international borders, has reached our home.” 

“The murder, rape, vandalism, and abuse suffered by civilians, the incessant calls for the destruction of Israel, and the abduction of hundreds of innocents into captivity, including children, women, men, and the elderly, forced upon us a war for our existence. A war for our survival. Our life. Our desire to grow our crops in peace and live with our neighbors in dignity.” 

“An unfortunate mistake did indeed take place, a mistake that sadly resulted in the accidental death of the two women in the churchyard in Gaza. This, however, does not turn us into terrorists. It was not us who initiated the attacks with the stated purpose of murdering, pillaging, humiliating, and killing civilians. On the contrary, we are doing everything possible to prevent and reduce harm to civilians.” (INN / VFI News)

“God, we pray for the safety of all citizens residing in Gaza and we ask that You extend Your gracious shield of protection over them. We are deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives on both sides and we offer our condolences to those mourning their dead. We pray that You protect all innocent civilians.”

Explore the remarkable achievements of Vision for Israel in 2023, a year marked by both tragedy and triumph. From strategically placed safety shelters to equipping defense squads, providing ambulances, and supporting rescue organizations, our collective efforts have touched countless lives in the face of adversity. Join us in reflecting on a year of faith, action, and unwavering support for the people of Israel, as we continue to make a difference in the lives affected by crises.

An intelligence source recently revealed part of a detailed report on Unit 400, which consolidates Iran’s extensive overseas terrorist activity and is part of the Quds Force, which is directly controlled by the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Part of the report reveals some of the Iranian operatives who are behind these efforts: 

1. Ali Reza Tajiq. An Afghan-Iranian citizen. Born in 1991. Works in Quds Force Unit 400. Tajiq was involved in a failed attack in Georgia in 2022 and, since then, has been under international surveillance. 

2. Hosein Rahmani - born in 1979. Operative in Quds Force Unit 400. Rahmani is actively involved in enlisting Afghans. 

3.Hosein Rahban- DOB: August 23, 1977. He was revealed in the past to have been in charge of the team that attempted to carry out a terror attack in Georgia and has since then been under surveillance. 

4. Hamed Abdullahi — commander of the unit for approximately a decade. Responsible for failed terrorist bombings in Thailand and India. 

A London-based, Iranian opposition-affiliated newspaper revealed that Quds Force Unit 400 of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps was responsible for the 2022 failed assassination of Itzik Moshe, an Israeli citizen in Georgia who established an Israel advocacy group in Europe. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we pray that You protect us and all citizens of the world from terror. We pray that You continue to equip us with strong and discerning defense forces that can detect and thwart potential terrorist attacks. We thank You for making the names of such terrorists known to us so that our forces can actively search for them.”

A University of Minnesota associate professor who has denied that Hamas-led terrorists committed rape and sexual violence during their devastating onslaught on October 7 in Israel is a candidate for a senior position at the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department, according to a Friday, December 22, report. 

Sima Shakhsari, who works at the Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, said she had not seen evidence of Israeli victims of rape and sexual violence while testifying last Thursday to the university review panel, part of the application process for the associate dean role at the office, Jewish media said. 

“Of course, any person who has been raped — I am a rape crisis counselor, I believe the survivors. I am yet to see Israeli rape survivors of Hamas come and speak,” Shakhsari said. 

The Palestinian terrorists’ widespread sexual assault on October 7 and their use of rape as a weapon of war have been widely documented amid a mounting body of evidence. 

Investigators have begun building several sexual assault cases against terrorists who rampaged through communities in southern Israel on October 7, citing eyewitnesses, video evidence, testimony from captured terrorists, and photographs of victims’ bodies that all point toward systemic sexual violence. 

Shakhsari argued during her application review that it was racist to claim the Palestinian terrorists committed the acts, comparing it to false accusations of rape against men of color in the United States. (TOI / VFI News)

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” - Proverbs 10:11

Former hostage Yaffa Adar said that while in Hamas captivity, she found strength by singing the music of famous Italian singer Andrea Bocelli in her head. After hearing her story, Bocelli wrote a letter to the 85-year-old grandmother, expressing his gratitude and inviting her to a public or private concert of his, as his guest, all expenses paid. 

Bocelli originally heard the news when members of his team were in the middle of lighting Hanukkah candles. They all started crying when they heard and he wrote Adar this letter: “Dearest Madam Yaffa, I wish I could give you a hug. I would like to thank you for the emotion that your story aroused in all the people who had the privilege to listen to it, and especially in me, as, quite incredibly, I am part of it!” he wrote. 

“I truly would never have thought that my humble voice, this great gift I undeservedly received from the heavens could one day turn out to be so important. There is no award, no applause, no honor or recognition that is worth as much as your words, which I assure you, I shall never forget,” Bocelli said. 

“Thanks to you, from now on I shall sing with renewed enthusiasm, with renewed faith, with new energy. I hope to be able to meet you one day and sing, just for you, whatever you may wish, so as to erase, as far as possible, the painful memory of terrible days, which I cannot even imagine.” (JPost / VFI News)

“Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.” - 1 John 2:10

Israel witnessed a spectacular series of archeological discoveries in 2023 that revealed the presence of Yeshua and the Jewish people’s more than 2,000 years of unbroken presence in the Holy Land. 

1 - The Pool of Siloam. “The Pool of Siloam’s excavation is highly significant to Christians around the world,” American pastor John Hagee, the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, told American media earlier this year. 

“It was at this site that Yeshua healed the blind man (John 9), and it is at this site that 2,000 years ago, Jewish pilgrims cleansed themselves prior to entering the Second Temple. The Pool of Siloam and the Pilgrimage Road, both located within the City of David, are among the most inspiring archeological affirmations of the Bible.” 

Adding to the excitement, another important excavation disclosed some eight steps descending into the Pool of Siloam in the ancient city of David (now in the heart of Jerusalem), where Yeshua healed the blind man. The unearthing of the steps, according to experts on Christianity, affirms the truth of Scripture. 

2 - Rare Biblical-era coin found. A second significant archaeological find, announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority in July, was the discovery of a rare silver half-shekel coin from the time of the first Jewish revolt against the Romans over 2,000 years ago in the Judean desert. 

For biblical scholars, archeologists, and Israelis, the excavation of the coin is sensational because it is engraved in ancient Hebrew with the words “Holy Jerusalem.” The coin is dated to 66/67CE. 

Hagee told the American news outlet, “With each archeological discovery in Israel, two known facts are reemphasized: The Word of God is true, and the Children of Israel are the indigenous people of the Holy Land… Tragically, in a world comfortable with Jew-hatred, the concept of alternative facts, and the belief that TikTok trumps objective truth, I do not expect the international community will see the light of truth anytime soon.” (FN / VFI News)

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.
 
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