VFI News Fri, June 09 — Turmoil in Israel in the Aftermath of the Death of a Palestinian Toddler | VFI News

In this week's episode, we delve into the latest developments in Israel and the Middle East. Join us as we uncover Israel's strategic joint training with the U.S. military, as they meticulously prepare for all potential future scenarios, including the daunting possibility of a full-scale land invasion and an outright conflict with Iran.

Additionally, we bring you the news of a global day of prayer held at the sacred Temple Mount, which has sparked intense controversy among Ultra-Orthodox and religious members of Jewish society. Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of the region's most critical events. Watch now!

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Hundreds of Palestinians gathered Tuesday, June 6, for the funeral of a 2-year-old boy who died this week after he was mistakenly shot by Israeli troops during a shootout in the West Bank.

On Thursday, June 1, Mohammed Tamimi and his father were hit by gunshots as Israeli soldiers returned fire at Palestinian gunmen who had shot at the settlement of Neve Tzuf. It appeared that “as a result of the gunfire by the [Israeli] forces, two Palestinians were hurt,” the military said in a statement.

Tamimi’s mother, Marwa, 32, told the media during the funeral that soldiers had fired on her husband while he was in the car with their son. She said he had gone out to move his car because he feared it would be damaged by nearby Israeli soldiers.

“My husband started the car and my son was next to him, and the shots were fired at him when he turned on the car’s lights,” she said. “They [Israeli soldiers] fired at them for a while, and they could not get out of the car… so I hid inside [the house].”

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement after the shooting that the pair was likely hit by mistake, adding that it “regrets harm to [non-combatants] and works to prevent such incidents.”

The father, Haitham Tamimi, was taken by Palestinian medics to a hospital in Ramallah, and the toddler was rushed to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan by a military helicopter in critical condition. The boy succumbed to his wounds at Sheba on Monday, according to the hospital.

Shortly after the funeral Tuesday, several Palestinians were wounded during clashes with the Israeli military near the nearby village of Nabi Saleh. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told Israeli media that “a violent riot developed near Nabi Saleh,” prompting troops to use riot dispersal means and live fire in some cases. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we pray that You will comfort the family of the toddler who died and we offer our sincerest condolences as well. We pray that hostilities are minimized throughout Israel and that young children will not be used as human shields so that such horrifying deaths do not occur again. We pray for the protection and wellbeing of all children and innocent that reside in Israel.”

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 serious incident that unfolded on Saturday morning, June 3, and resulted in three dead soldiers is one of the worst attacks to occur on the Egyptian border in two decades.

Israel has complex borders, and it is never possible to prevent every scenario. One aspect of the incident is the diplomatic side. Egypt claims the officer who crossed did so in pursuit of drug smugglers.

Clearly, this is a sensitive issue now and that is a reminder of other times that we have seen our complex borders and relations challenged. In April, a Jordanian member of Parliament was stopped for smuggling weapons. He was then released back to the Jordanian authorities for investigation.

Dr. Udi Balanga, an expert on Egypt from Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Middle Eastern Studies, describes the Sinai Peninsula that borders Israel as the “Wild West” which is full of terrorist organizations that continuously challenge the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“The peace is very very cold; there is almost an ocean of ice separating between the peoples,” Balanga said. However, “the relations between the regimes are excellent strategically and there is close security cooperation.”

Also, a question arising from the incident is whether the IDF failure during this episode was tactical, and mostly limited to the unusual particular circumstances, or strategic, exposing a much greater threat that has been ignored until now.

The details that have come out so far include that there was a small border opening that was poorly secured, but that was done on purpose to make it easier for IDF forces or maintenance workers to quickly get through to complete a short and specific mission. (JPost / VFI News)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant brushed aside Iranian claims that it had developed a new hypersonic missile Tuesday, June 6, saying Israel would always have a solution to counter it, as tensions remained high over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran claimed earlier on Tuesday that it had created a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 15 times the speed of sound. Iranian officials did not release any footage of a successful launch of the new missile, called Fattah, or “Conqueror” in Farsi.

“I hear our enemies boasting about weapons they are developing. To any such development, we have an even better response — whether it be on land, in the air, or in the maritime arena, including both defensive and offensive means,” Gallant said during a visit to the military’s Northern Command, amid a major drill.

“We will know how to protect the citizens of Israel, and how to strike our enemies with a crushing blow if, God forbid, they start a war against us,” he said in a video statement. Gallant met with senior military officers leading the drill in northern Israel, as part of the Israel Defense Forces’ two-week-long “Firm Hand” exercise.

The drills are focused on a potential multifront war with Iran and its terror proxies across the Middle East, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah. Gallant warned that “if Hezbollah makes a mistake and starts a war against Israel, we will hit it hard, and send Lebanon back to the stone age.” (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for enabling our security forces to be alert at all times. We are humbly grateful for Your protection and we trust that most attacks can be eliminated by our expertly trained defense professionals.”

The alleged attack by the Israeli Air Force in Aleppo, Syria at the beginning of May targeted sites belonging to a secret Iranian unit operating in Syria, according to media reports in Saudi Arabia on Monday evening, June 5.

The sites were used by the Iranian Unit 18340, which operates in Syria secretly, as weapons factories to produce precision missiles, as per the reports.

In Unit 18340, Iranian and Syrian officers work together under the command of the Iranian Jawad Soleimani. The unit also assists the "Syrian Corps" within the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force to produce, supply, and test new weapons.

In the attacks in May, one Syrian soldier was killed and seven other individuals were injured in airstrikes targeting the Aleppo International Airport and other sites nearby, according to Syrian state media. The strike came a day before a planned visit to Syria by the president of Iran.

The Aleppo International Airport was temporarily closed due to the damage caused by the airstrikes. Footage reportedly from the area showed that a fire broke out at the scene. According to Lebanese media, the airstrikes also targeted sites near as-Safirah. (JPost / VFI News)

“The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.” - Psalm 7:16

Families affected by hostilities face a lengthy and challenging road to rehabilitation, in addition to significant economic distress. Many lack the financial resources to go out for entertainment—much less plan a bar or bat mitzvah for their children. Over the past five years, we have partnered with the representative organization for victims of the hostilities in Israel, and have co-sponsored a special event just for children affected by terror—a bar & bat mitzvah celebration. Without a doubt, our generous donors have given these dear children and their families an experience that will be etched in their memory for many years to come.

US and UK naval forces responded to a distress call from a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman after Iranian fast-attack boats began harassing the ship on Sunday, June 4, according to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Three fast-attack boats assessed to be from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with armed personnel approached the ship and began following it at a close distance on Sunday afternoon.

US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) and UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster (F 229) both received the distress call, with Lancaster launching a helicopter to provide surveillance and the US 5th fleet directing a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the incident.

After about an hour, the fast-attack boats departed and the commercial vessel transited the Strait without further incident. "US 5th Fleet remains vigilant and is bolstering defense around the key strait with partners to enhance regional maritime security and stability," said the 5th Fleet.

According to the Fleet, Iran has harassed, attacked, or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels over the past two years. (JPost / VFI News)

“The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right.” - Proverbs 21:7

A nuclear attack might be one of the biggest and scariest threats facing humanity, and will probably stay that way for the coming year. Even so, in the US, a medical experiment was recently carried out that aims to prevent the harmful effects of radiation on the body in the case of a nuclear attack.

Possibilities of prevention and treatment of radiation damage are very limited today, so a drug that can efficiently remove radioactive contamination from the body would be a milestone in the defense against a poison that until today, is thought to be unstoppable.

HOPO 14-1 is an experimental medicine that might, if the experiment succeeds, protect and treat victims of nuclear fallout by binding (which is also called chelating) and expelling contaminated heavy metals from the body.

It is supposed to be effective against uranium and other substances that are used in nuclear weapons, like "dirty bombs" (conventional bombs with added nuclear waste or radioactive substances) or ballistic missiles. The medicine might also be effective against lead poisoning.

The first clinical trial on humans will include 42 participants, who will be treated with various doses to determine the safety of the medicine. The results will be published in 2024. As of now, HOPO 14-1 doesn't have FDA approval and isn't available even in an emergency. (JPost / VFI News)

“Lord, we thank You for not only protecting us from nuclear radiation but also assisting us in finding a cure in case there is a nuclear war. We are grateful for the tireless scientists that consistently make invaluable contributions and strive to end human suffering.”

When asked about the ingredients that make Hadassah Medical Center’s Oncology Department one of the best in the world, Hadassah Director General Prof. Yoram Weiss points first to the staff, “Our priority is having the best clinicians, the best researchers, and the best educators, which informs our financial decisions.”

Also, to maximize the potential offered by new technologies and Israeli innovation, Hadassah has created additional tools, “For example, we have established a Proton Center, the first in the Middle East, in cooperation with a start-up called P-Cure,” Prof. Aron Popovtzer, director of the Sharett Institute of Oncology said.

Regular radiation works through particles known as photons, he explained. A treatment based on photons is very powerful in curing the disease, but at the same time causes many unwanted side effects.

“Protons work in a different way, thanks to a specific feature that they present called ‘Bragg peak’”, Popovtzer added. “This property allows the radiation beam to stop abruptly after it reaches its target, which means significantly limiting the toxicity of the treatment.”

Hadassah’s Proton Center, which is running several clinical trials sponsored by P-Cure, offers other unique features: instead of receiving treatment while lying down, the patient sits up and this allows the physicians to angle the radiation beam even more accurately.

The hospital is also working on offering cancer patients the possibility to undergo Alpha radiation, as opposed to regular radiation, in partnership with a company called Alpha Tau. Among others, the initiative is supported by the Health Ministry. The hospital is already administering this innovative treatment to some cancer patients. (JPost / VFI News)

“This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” - Proverbs 3:8

The Israel national soccer team will be playing against Uruguay in the semifinals of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, which is being hosted in Argentina.

The announcement of Israel's match against Uruguay was confirmed once the Latin American team defeated the United States on Sunday, 2-0 in the quarterfinals - with goals scored by Uruguayan players Anderson Duarte and Joshua Wynder, despite ESPN statistics showing that the USA held possession of the ball for two-thirds of the game.

Israel had their quarterfinal match on Saturday, June 3, where they achieved a historic victory over Brazil 3-2 in overtime. The other semifinal match is between Italy and South Korea, meaning that if Israel wins their Thursday game, they will play against one of those two teams in the finals.

Regarding the blue-and-white’s match on Saturday, Dor Turgeman, the Israeli who scored the winning goal, spoke about the murder of the three IDF soldiers at the Egyptian border, saying that he and his team wanted to "dedicate this win to their families and the entire country. We hope that this gives them a bit of comfort."

Israel's win over Brazil had Israelis all over the country celebrating, with politicians President Isaac Herzog, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (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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