VFI News Hamas Fired Missiles Next to Humanitarian Route, Israel Will Begin Its Own Weapons Manufacturing

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On Tuesday, August 13, the Hamas terrorist organization launched rockets from Gaza towards central Israel. Following the launches, the IDF reported that one rocket landed in the Mediterranean Sea and the other landed within Gaza. 

Hamas claimed that the rockets were of the M-90 model, a new model that was unveiled in December 2023 and has a reported range of 90 kilometers. 

On Wednesday morning, the IDF confirmed that these rockets were launched from the humanitarian route in Khan Yunis. 

Shortly after the launch, the IAF struck terror targets in the area from which the rockets were launched. The strikes were carried out adjacent to the launch site, outside of the humanitarian route. 

The IDF stressed: “The Hamas terrorist organization continues to deliberately embed its military assets used to carry out attacks against Israel next to humanitarian infrastructure and the civilian population inside the Gaza Strip.” (INN / VFI News)

“Dear God, we pray for the Israeli civilians all over Israel, that You would protect them from the rocket attacks and provide shelter for them in times of need. We also lift up the innocent civilians in Gaza who are being used as human shields by Hamas. We pray in Yeshua’s name that You protect them from harm, provide for their physical needs, and guide them to turn to You. We pray for an end to the war and we ask that You guide our defense forces every day into efficiently eliminating terrorists, retrieving our hostages, and minimizing the loss of human lives.”

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.

Israel will soon begin to manufacture heavy bombs for the Air Force to overcome supply delays and establish independence in weapons development.

Israel has drastically reduced its domestic military production capabilities and nearly everything that it had previously produced domestically—from uniforms to rifles to bullets, to artillery and tank shells—was shut down and the contracts moved to the US.

Until now, Israel purchased many of its munitions from foreign countries, with emphasis on the US, but now, according to the report, it has decided to develop and manufacture heavy-weight bombs for the Air Force, including one-ton bombs similar to the American MK-84, whose supply has been delayed for several months by direct order of the White House.

The development and production of the new bombs is expected to take between two and three years. Concurrently, the Ministry of Defense is expanding the domestic production of additional munitions, including tank ammunition (of which there is a shortage worldwide) and 155mm artillery shells.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday, August 13, approved more than $20 billion in new weapons sales to Israel, French media reported.

In a notification to Congress, the State Department said it had approved a sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel for $18.82 billion, which will begin to be delivered in 2029. Israel will also buy nearly 33,000 tank cartridges, up to 50,000 explosive mortar cartridges, and new military cargo vehicles. (INN /VFI News)

“Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12

The US has to be ready for what could be a significant set of attacks against Israel by Iran and its proxies, US National Security Communications adviser John Kirby told reporters in a virtual briefing on Monday, August 12, as international diplomats raced to avert a regional war.

“We have increased our force posture and capabilities in the region even in just the last few days,” Kirby said, adding that “we have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks.”

The most important step right now is making sure that “Israel can defend itself and that we, the United States, have in place the proper force to help them defend themselves,” Kirby added.

The US had led a coalition of five armies, including Israel, Jordan, France, and the United Kingdom, in April to defend Israel from an Iranian attack that included 300 missiles and drones.

It is presumed that it would activate that same coalition, but it prefers to avert that situation through an intense diplomatic effort to pressure Iran and Hezbollah to refrain from reprisal attacks against Israel. (JPost/ VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for protecting us from Iran and its proxies and for gifting us many invaluable allies during the months-long war. We are grateful for Your protection, provisions, and the reassurance You give us that we are not alone in facing the enemy. We pray in Yeshua’s name that the war will come to an end soon and that all of our hostages will return to their families.”

Very large amounts of Iranian academic research have been refocused to advancing issues relevant to nuclear bomb detonation, the Institute for Science and International Security’s president David Albright told Israeli media on Wednesday, August 14.

This is a potentially radical paradigm shift in how close a real Iran nuclear weapons threat could become, given that until now, defense officials and analysts always said that no matter how far along the Islamic Republic was enriching uranium, there would be time to stop it from getting the bomb seeing as it had not mastered key “weapons group” activities.

Albright told the Israeli news outlet that he will soon be coming out with a report that summarizes the analysis of over 150 Iranian “academic” papers related to computer modeling for simulations in connection with nuclear weapons as well as with neutron initiators.

Albright is not alone in sounding the alarm. The US’s annual intelligence estimate in July carried implied warnings and the IAEA has also repeatedly said that it is blind and concerned about Iranian weaponization.

As for Tehran itself, Iranian media just reported on Wednesday that three Iranian sources had confirmed progress concerning nuclear armament and detonation issues. (JPost / VFI News)

“Lord, we ask that You prevent Iran from materializing its nuclear plans and that it doesn’t achieve the further enrichment of its uranium. We pray in Yeshua’s name that a nuclear war will not erupt in the Middle East and that Iran will continue to use the nuclear power it possesses solely for civilian purposes and not for weapons manufacturing.”

Immerse yourself in the powerful worship song 'Kumi Ori (Arise Shine)' by Barry and Batya Segal. This song is directly inspired by Isaiah 60:1: 'Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.'

The Palestinian Authority will under no circumstances agree to Russia’s exclusion from the Middle-East peace process, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with Moscow’s state news agency. 

Russia “has always sought and is seeking ways for a peace solution” and is striving for “a just solution to the Middle East issue in accordance with international law,” Abbas claims. 

“And let’s not forget its role in the ‘Middle East Quartet.’ The United States has always wanted to exclude Russia from this process. Under no circumstances shall we agree to Russia’s exclusion from any Middle East settlement platform, because it takes a truly fair position on the Middle East issue based on international law,” he added. 

The PA leader is in Moscow on an official visit, during which he sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Russia is not currently involved in mediation efforts between Israel and the terror group Hamas, but hosted reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Abbas’s Fatah, in late February. (TOI / VFI News)

“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.” - Psalm 101:5

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told American officials that he fears being assassinated if he goes through with normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, American media reported. 

According to the report, bin Silman has raised the concern in multiple conversations with American Congressmen, invoking the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian President who was murdered in 1981, two years after he became the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel. 

He questioned what the US had done to protect Sadat from the Islamist extremists who killed him. Despite bin Salman’s concerns, officials said that he remains committed to achieving a normalization deal with Israel and the US in the long term. 

The author of the report speculated that the Saudi Crown Prince was using the threat of a risk to his life as a diplomatic tool so that the US would pressure Israel into making more concessions in a normalization deal, such as providing a path to the creation of a Palestinian state.  

Four Arab nations, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, have already normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, which had the tacit support of Saudi Arabia. (INN /VFI News) 

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” - 1 Peter 3:13-14

American Airlines has not reinstated its flights to and from Israel since the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza - and is not expected to do so until at least April 2025, Israeli media reported on Thursday morning, August 15. 

Similar to other airlines, American suspended its flights to and from Israel in October 2023. However, the airline has not yet reinstated any of its flight routes. 

Now, travel agents have told the Israeli news outlet that no flights are available from the airline until April 2025. The news outlet reached out to the airline for a comment but has not yet received a response. It also attempted to book a flight for December through the American Airlines hotline. 

In its last notice, American Airlines said it would resume flights at the end of October 2024. The hotline representative attempted to find a flight but was surprised to discover that none were available in the system throughout the coming winter. 

Attempts were then made to book a ticket through the airline’s website, but no direct flights were available there, either. (INN / VFI News)

A Jordanian man living in Florida has been arrested for causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to a solar energy facility and damaging multiple businesses over their perceived support for Israel, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Florida announced on Thursday, August 15. 

Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, is accused of breaking the front doors of multiple businesses in a rampage in June. He wore a mask while committing the vandalism and left behind warning letters stating his intention to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.” 

In late June, Hnaihen broke into a solar energy facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where he worked for hours to smash the facility’s solar panels, causing an estimated $700,000 in damages. He also cut wires and damaged critical electrical equipment. 

The FBI became involved in the investigation, and Hnaihen was arrested on July 11 and indicted by a grand jury last week. He is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility, and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted, 10 years for each threat, and 20 years for the sabotage of the solar energy facility.  (INN / VFI News)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - John 10:10

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

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