Earthquake in Turkey, Syria Is Deadliest in More than a Decade, as Deaths Pass 21,000

Friday, February 10 — The Disaster Continues | VFI News

Israel Sends Aid to Turkey & Syria After Earthquakes

Assad Bombs Earthquake-Hit Rebel-Held Area, As Rescuers Try to Save Syrian Civilians

Already Devastated by Earthquake, Turkey Faces Increased Threat of Terrorism

IDF Sending 230-Person Field Hospital to Turkey, Expanding Israeli Aid

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Israel Shaken by Earthquake Centered 24 Miles North of Jerusalem

Exclusive – America First Legal Suing Biden Administration for ‘Enabling’ Palestinian Terror

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei Grants Amnesty to 'Tens of Thousands' Detained in Protests

Persecution of Christians Skyrockets Worldwide as 360 Million Oppressed

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Get a glimpse into the humanitarian efforts by Israel to assist Turkey and Syria after recent earthquakes. 

This video explores the impact of the earthquakes on the geopolitical landscape, including the potential for Turkey to enter into a deeper recession. 

Stay informed and understand the significance of these events and their potential impact on the region. 

Watch now to learn more about Israel's aid efforts and the shifting geopolitical landscape.

The earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed more than 21,000 people, making it the deadliest seismic event in more than a decade. 

Turkey’s disaster management agency said the country’s death toll passed 8,500. The Syrian Health Ministry said the death toll in government-held areas has climbed past 1,200, while at least 1,400 people have died in the rebel-held northwest, according to volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets. 

More than 30,000 people have been injured from the Monday morning 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and the death toll is expected to continue to rise as rescue workers search for survivors underneath the rubble. 

The quake is the world's deadliest seismic event since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude quake off the northeast coast of Japan triggered a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people.  

Neither Turkey nor Syria provided figures for the number of people still missing Wednesday, February 8, as Pope Francis asked during his weekly general audience for prayers and demonstrations of solidarity. 

The quake toppled thousands of buildings, and frigid temperatures and ongoing aftershocks have complicated rescue efforts. Search teams from more than two dozen countries have been sent to help Turkey's emergency personnel, and the country has received numerous promises of aid. (FN / VFI News)

“God, we pray for Turkey and Syria as they face this unimaginable disaster. May all missing people be found alive and families become reunited . We send our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ loved ones, and hope that the death toll doesn’t rise anymore.”

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.

The Syrian government bombed an opposition-held area of the country in the immediate aftermath of Monday's catastrophic earthquake, the UK has said. 

MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned President Bashar al-Assad for launching a 'truly callous and heinous attack' on the town of Marea, found in Syria's north-west that was struck by the earthquake. 

Marea sits around 70 miles south of the Turkish town of Pazarcik, which is close to the epicenter of Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake. 

Responding to the MP's statement, UK Foreign Secretary slammed the Assad regime for the 'completely unacceptable bombing'. 

'Sadly it speaks to a long-standing pattern of behavior by the Assad regime, a regime that we condemn, have sanctioned and will continue to bring about sanctions — working with our international friends and partners — to try to prevent behavior like this occurring again,' he said. 

The statements came after the White Helmets organization had issued a plea to diplomats, calling on them to pressure Damascus to ensure that there is no bombing in the areas affected by the quake. 

The Syrian Red Crescent, meanwhile, appealed to Western countries to lift sanctions and provide aid as Assad's government remains a pariah in the West, complicating international cross-border relief efforts. (DM / VFI News)

“God, we ask for the protection and safety of Syrian citizens, who deserve to mourn their victims, heal swiftly, and rebuild their lives in peace after the tragedy that was inflicted upon them.”

As Turkey deals with the consequences of the deadly earthquakes that struck the region on Monday, February 6, another potential hazard looms over the country: the security threat posed by the earthquake’s effect on the Turkish-Syrian border. 

“The whole focus of Turkey and its allies is on how to respond to the devastating earthquake and its consequences,” Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost, professor of political science at the University of Lincoln, UK, and Üsküdar University, Istanbul said in an interview. 

Turkey’s singular focus on responding to the earthquake could create favorable circumstances for terrorist organizations attempting to penetrate the border. 

“All the Turkish state’s capacities are mobilized to address the earthquake-related issues. This is not a moment to be missed by extremist organizations,” Khelghat-Doost said. 

“Any event, including natural disasters, that can divert the attention of a nation to a topic other than securing its borders is very much welcomed by extremist organizations such as ISIS.”

 Khelghat-Doost noted that the Islamic State (IS) group similarly used the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to reorganize and amass power. (JPost / VFI News)

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” - Psalm 91:5

The IDF announced late Tuesday night that on Wednesday, February 8, it will be sending 230 medical professionals to Turkey to establish a field hospital. 

The new delegation will complement the 150-soldier delegation sent late Monday night-early Tuesday morning to assist with search and rescue efforts. 

The new medical delegation will be led by IDF Col. Elad Edri and will include a mix of doctors, nurses and paramedics, including some from the Health Ministry. 

A statement indicated that all members of the delegation would receive the appropriate vaccinations for avoiding transmitting diseases globally. (JPost / VFI News)

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” - 2 Corinthians 9:11

Over the last few years, we donated 5 ambulances and 3 medi-cycles to MDA (Magen David Adom). And so far, over 30,000 emergency responses have occurred with these vehicles. Saving lives and saving people is what it is all about. Now, Vision for Israel is proudly adding two new vehicles to the list of donations: a bloodmobile and a mobile intensive care ambulance. Thanks to you, our generous faith-led donors, 30,000 people have been able to receive medical assistance.

A 3.5-magnitude tremor occurred at 11:14 p.m. local time and was centered around 24 miles north of Jerusalem, according to Israel’s Energy Ministry’s Seismology Division. 

The Home Front Command said the earthquake warning system dubbed Teruah was not activated because the tremor did not pose a danger to residents. No significant damage was reported. Arab reports say that cracks have formed on dozens of buildings. 

Massive earthquakes in Israel are mentioned in many prophetical accounts about the end of days. According to these accounts, these earthquakes will be so severe as to cause geographic changes in the Temple Mount, requiring the construction of an entirely new city, and bringing about the prophecy in Zechariah. 

A sinkhole that appeared in the courtyard of an Arab-owned house in the Ras al Amud neighborhood of Jerusalem adjacent to the Mount of Olives offered a glimpse of the biblical narrative coming to life.

Israel has experienced heavy rains for the past week and the cause of the sinkhole is unknown. Israel’s Jordan Valley and Dead Sea are part of the Syrian-African Rift Valley, which stretches from Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley to Mozambique in Southeastern Africa.  (I365N / VFI News)

“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.” - Zechariah 14:4

America First Legal (AFL), a conservative group founded by former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller which aims to fight against “lawless executive actions and the Radical Left,” is pushing to hold President Biden accountable for his financing of Palestinian terrorism. 

In December 2022, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) announced his filing of a lawsuit against the current administration “to stop them from breaking the law,” after then-President Donald Trump signed the Taylor Force Act into law. 

The Act, named for an Army veteran killed by a Palestinian terrorist while visiting Israel in 2016, seeks to prevent tax dollars from financing terrorism by prohibiting U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) while it continues to pay stipends to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons and families of the deceased. 

Slamming the president’s “failed foreign policy,” Jackson accused Biden of “actively stabbing our greatest ally in the back,” noting that Democrats are “ecstatic” over the betrayal of the Jewish State. 

“Israel has the right to exist in security, free from violent assault, and the United States should do everything we can to uphold that right and oppose all who threaten it,” he added. 

According to a Friday communiqué, the necessity of the group’s lawsuit is “unfortunately illustrated by the recent heinous actions” committed by Palestinian terrorists who, on January 27, “increased their terrorist attacks on innocent Israelis, all with the blessing and celebration” of the Palestinian Authority (PA). 

In addition, the group noted, “an official in the Fatah movement, which runs the PA, praised the terrorists, announcing, ‘We greet and bless these heroic operations in Jerusalem by the heroes of Jerusalem.’” 

AFL, highlighting the PA’s “long history of committing acts of terrorism,” noted that the recent attacks “follow a significant increase in terrorist activities with 2022 being the greatest number since 2006.” (BB / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for sending us powerful allies who recognize the terrorist attacks against Israel, and are not afraid to defend our rights and protect our nation.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday, February 5, reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for “tens of thousands” of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown. 

The decree by Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the Supreme Leader does before the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the demonstrations. 

State media reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran.

 However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters, noted American media. 

More than 19,600 people have been arrested during the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been tracking the crackdown. At least 527 people have been killed as authorities violently suppressed demonstrations, the group said. (INN / VFI News)

Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List brings much-needed attention to courageous Christians around the world who suffer because of their faith. 

Released on January 17, the annual World Watch List is a ranking of 50 countries where severe persecution and discrimination against Christians prevail. 

According to the report, more than 360 million Christians face severe persecution and discrimination for their faith. The number of Christians who have been killed for their faith has also risen by 80% in the last five years. 

The majority of these killings – 90% – have occurred in Nigeria. As militant Islamist groups use violence to advance political and ideological objectives, persecution against Christians is most severe in the north, though enforced islamisation is gradually spreading toward the south. 

One-in-five of the world’s persecuted Christians live in Africa, and according to the report, "Violence against Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa has reached new heights." 

While in Asia, the Chinese Communist Party’s model for controlling Christian communities is expanding to other countries. According to the report, "Countries as diverse as Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Malaysia have headed down this same authoritarian path, joining Central Asian states like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia." (FN / VFI News)

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” - Proverbs 3:3

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