VFI News Hamas Demands Release of High-Profile Terrorists Turkey Wants to Form Islamic Alliance Against Israel

In this episode of VFI News from Israel, we dive into the escalating conflict on multiple fronts. From Hezbollah’s latest barrage of rockets into northern Israel to ongoing battles with Hamas in Gaza and rising tensions in Judea and Samaria, Israel is facing unprecedented threats.

With over 100,000 Israelis evacuated and ongoing debates over how to deal with Hezbollah’s aggression, can Israel remain resilient?

We also explore the Israeli economy’s struggle amid the war, the debate over hostages, and the IDF’s response to Iranian-backed groups.

Get updates on the IDF’s efforts, the political landscape, and the humanitarian crisis affecting Israeli citizens. Will Israel stand strong, or is the situation spiraling out of control?

Stay informed about the war in Israel, Hezbollah, the IDF, and more.

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Hamas Demands Release of High-Profile Terrorists, Turkey Wants to Form Islamic Alliance Against Israel . . . https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hz2uZO3NviA

US officials have announced that they “indefinitely postpone” the presentation of the final “take it or leave it” ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, American media reported. 

According to the news outlet, the latest obstacle is Hamas’ “abrupt introduction” of its demand that Israel release high-profile terrorists even in exchange for humanitarian prisoners. 

The report quoted a senior administration official who said that last week, as negotiators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt worked through the final details of the “bridging proposal,” Hamas said that civilian hostages would only be released in exchange for terrorists serving life sentences and who have blood on their hands. 

Previously, the agreement had been that only IDF soldiers would be released in exchange for these terrorists. According to the American media outlet, US officials believe that several of the American hostages held in Gaza may be released in the first stage of such a deal, along with a “significant” number of the other living hostages. 

Meanwhile, Israeli officials said late on Saturday, September 7, that the US should have demanded more pressure be placed on Hamas from the mediators in Qatar and Egypt. They said Qatar should expel Hamas leaders living there and freeze the terror group’s bank accounts. (INN/ VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray for a deal through which our hostages will be released soon. We pray in Yeshua’s name that You guide our leaders into acquiring the necessary wisdom for this task, and our enemies into seeking peace with us. We pray for Your protective Hand to cover all the hostages and the ones who are suffering due 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.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, September 7, that Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel. 

He made the comment after describing what Palestinian and Turkish officials said was the killing by Israeli troops of a Turkish-American woman taking part in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in Judea and Samaria. 

“The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries,” Erdogan said at an Islamic schools’ association event near Istanbul. 

He said recent steps that Turkey has taken to improve ties with Egypt and Syria are aimed at “forming a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism,” which he said also threatened Lebanon and Syria. 

Erdogan hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Ankara last week. They discussed the Gaza war and ways to further repair their long-frozen ties during the first such presidential visit in 12 years. (JPost/VFI News)

“Lord, we continue to pray for peace in our country and region, and that all violence will end. We hope that there will be no more conspiracies against Israel and that we will be able to live and coexist with all of our neighbors. We pray that in any scenario, You will protect us from anyone wishing harm upon us and deliver us from our enemies. You are our rock, our fortress, our shield, and our Savior and we trust in You regardless of temporary circumstances. We thank You for being who You are, for having the will that You have, for being loving, just, and merciful.” 

In a heart-wrenching tale of endurance and tragedy, the families of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Uri Danino, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lobanov received a grim report from the IDF about their loved ones’ ordeal and ultimate murder in a tunnel in Rafah. 

According to the findings of the National Center of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir), these hostages were brutally murdered roughly 24 hours before IDF reached the site. 

Their bodies bore gunshot wounds and clear signs of severe neglect. It was evident that they hadn’t bathed for an extended period, and one victim had marks indicating they had been bound. 

Additionally, there were traces of earlier injuries sustained during their initial capture, which had been treated over time. 

The bodies of the six were not found lying side by side but scattered in clusters throughout the tunnel. It remains unclear whether any struggle occurred before the captors executed them. A report by an Israeli broadcasting network revealed the hostages were confined in an exceedingly narrow and cramped tunnel. 

Standing upright was a struggle and only two of them could lie down across its width at any given time. The tunnel lacked air vents, making breathing difficult. The captives had no access to toilets or showers, relying on water bottles for both drinking and rudimentary washing. (Ynet / VFI News)

“Abba Father, we come to You with a grieving heart to ask that You protect the remaining hostages from all pain. We pray fervently for their physical and emotional health and we ask that You shield them from any abuse and malnutrition in Yeshua’s name. We pray that You strengthen the families of all hostages, former and current, comfort them, give them Your peace that transcends all understanding, and become their refuge during this agonizing time.”

The Palestinian Mission to the UN submitted a draft resolution to be voted on next week at the UN General Assembly, demanding Israel implement recent decisions of the International Court of Justice under specific timelines and with the oversight of special monitoring mechanisms established especially for this purpose. 

The resolution calls, among other things, for the end of an Israeli presence in “the Palestinian territories” within six months, the IDF’s withdrawal from “the territories,” a halt to “settlements,” and the return of Palestinians to their land. 

It also calls on countries not to legally recognize Israel’s presence in “the Palestinian territories,” to enforce sanctions on Israeli officials, to cease the transfer of arms to Israel that could be used “in the Palestinian territories” and to avoid establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. 

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, commented: “If this resolution passes in the General Assembly, especially on the first anniversary of the October 7th massacre — the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust — it will be a reward for terrorism and a message to the world that the barbaric slaughter of children, the rape of women and the kidnapping of innocent civilians is a worthwhile tactic.”

“I call on the UN General Assembly to reject this disgraceful resolution outright, and instead adopt a resolution condemning Hamas and calling for the immediate release of all hostages,” he added. (INN / VFI News)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

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More rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon in August than in any previous month since war broke out almost a year ago, according to data published by the Shin Bet security agency on Thursday, September 5. 

The report said that 1,307 rockets were fired at Israel in August from the northern front, meaning Lebanon and Syria, amounting to just over 40 a day on average, with the vast majority coming from Lebanon. 

July saw 1,091 rockets, June saw 855, May saw 1,000, April saw 744, March saw 746, February saw 534, and January saw 334, according to the Shin Bet. 

Exact data was not immediately available for October, November, and December 2023, but the quantity was known to be smaller than in August. By contrast, only 116 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza in the last month, the report said. 

The mayor of Kiryat Shmona lamented Thursday that his largely evacuated northern border town had been badly battered by rockets fired by terrorists from Lebanon, with many homes being destroyed. 

He also asked why the lives of northern residents were apparently of lower value than those who lived in the center of the country, apparently referring to the IDF’s preemptive strike last month as Hezbollah was preparing to launch an attack on the Tel Aviv area. (TOI /VFI News) 

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” - Exodus 14:13-14

Eleven months after the start of the war, the country is in the midst of its worst-ever mental health crisis, Health Minister Uriel Buso said at the Enosh Mental Health 2024 Conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, September 4.

Buso announced that because “our reality has changed,” ministry assistance to HMOs to treat mental health issues will double to about NIS 600 million ($162 million) in 2025.

“We are experiencing the largest mental health event the state has known since its establishment,” Buso said. “A crisis that requires us, as a state and a society, to change perceptions and upgrade the public mental health system.”

He added that the ministry “has to focus on actions that create resilience.” Dr. Hilla Hadas, CEO of Enosh, organized the one-day conference because of the national emergency situation.

A broad swath of experts, including representatives from academia, government ministries, local authorities, the IDF, philanthropy, and mental health organizations, focused on the current state of mental health and well-being against the backdrop of the war, along with the urgent need to strengthen the mental health system in Israel.

“Today, mental health is the most important issue in the healthcare system,” said Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, Director-General of the Health Ministry. (TOI /VFI News)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:28-29

The BBC has been accused of breaching its editorial guidelines 1,533 times in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, with the UK outlet allegedly showing repeated bias against the Jewish state, according to a new report. 

Trevor Asserson, a British-born lawyer based in Israel, said a team of 20 lawyers and 20 data scientists analyzed 9 million words from the BBC using artificial intelligence to discover a “deeply worrying pattern of bias against Israel,” another British media outlet said. 

The research said the BBC associated Israel with genocide 14 times more than Hamas, with the publicly funded outlet allegedly downplaying the role of Hamas terrorism in the war. 

Along with accusing the BBC of showing bias against Israel in the war coverage, the AI-backed report also claimed that the Jewish state was ultimately presented as a “militaristic and aggressive nation” by the outlet. Meanwhile, the BBC allegedly failed to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization 12,050 times during the initial four-month period when the war broke out. 

The BBC’s Arabic Channel was also singled out in the report as one of the “most biased” outlets covering the war in Gaza. The BBC said it would “carefully consider” Asserson’s report, but the outlet also questioned the researcher’s methodology and use of AI. (NYP / VFI News)

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.” - Exodus 23:2

Meta’s Oversight Board, which reviews the company’s content moderation policies, recently examined three cases involving the phrase “From the river to the sea.” Some pro-Palestinian supporters see it as a call for freedom, while others interpret it as a threat to Israel’s existence. 

A Meta spokesperson expressed the company’s openness to the review process, saying, “We welcome the board’s review. Our policies prioritize safety, but we recognize global challenges and regularly consult outside experts, including the Oversight Board.” 

On September 4, 2024, the Oversight Board ruled that the phrase “From the river to the sea” should not automatically result in content removal on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) strongly opposed the board’s ruling, which determined that the phrase did not violate Meta’s policies on hate speech, violence, or incitement. 

The CEO of CAM, Sacha Roytman Dratwa, stated: “‘From the river to the sea’ is a slogan created with the sole vision of destroying the national homeland of the Jewish people. It is genocidal in intent and meaning.” (JPost / 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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