VFI News Israel Exposes Hamas Wartime Buildup as Iran Threatens Its Leaders

$25 billion lost. Half a trillion projected by December. The Hormuz closure isn't just a Middle East story — it's hitting your wallet, your food supply, and your job right now.

This week on VFI News, we're covering one of the most underreported consequences of the ongoing Iran-Israel-US standoff: the catastrophic economic impact of the continued Strait of Hormuz closure.

We compare what's unfolding right now to the 1973 Arab oil embargo — and the parallels are alarming. Reuters reported this week that 279 major international corporations, including ExxonMobil, Shell, McDonald's, Whirlpool, and Toyota, have collectively lost $25 billion. Whirlpool's CEO is comparing this to the 2008 global financial crisis. Some projections put total global losses above half a trillion dollars by December if the strait stays closed.

We also look at the humanitarian disaster unfolding inside Iran — water shortages, extreme heat, a collapsing currency, and millions of internal refugees — and why the regime still refuses to negotiate seriously with the US.

Finally, we offer a practical, faith-based response: what each of us can do right now to prepare, from prayer to planting a garden, no matter where you live.

If this update was valuable to you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it — and subscribe to VFI News for weekly updates from inside Israel.

🙏 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem — and for all those suffering in this conflict.

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IDF troops recovered a Hamas military document in the Gaza Strip in early 2025 revealing that the terrorist organization exploited the ceasefire to train new fighters for a possible renewed war with Israel. Revealed on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the document outlines a compressed seven-day training course for 121 new recruits in Hamas’s Shejaia Battalion. The curriculum covered weapons training, battlefield first aid, counter-drone instruction, and lessons drawn from the October 7 massacre.

The program was built around a tight schedule, apparently reflecting Hamas’s concern that the ceasefire could collapse at any moment. Recruits were trained to use Israeli weapons, including M16 rifles and Tavor assault rifles, and were drilled on attacking tanks and armored personnel carriers from both short and long range. The document also detailed combat footage meant for later distribution on social media as part of Hamas’s psychological warfare against Israel, alongside operational lessons from October 7 and procedures for protecting information security.

One central finding was the effort by Hamas commander Izz ad-Din al-Haddad to rebuild the organization’s operational frameworks at the platoon, company, and battalion levels after suffering heavy losses and damage to its chain of command. Recruits also underwent ideological and religious instruction, including an oath of loyalty to Hamas’s military wing that emphasized obedience, equipment protection, and information security. Israeli assessments indicate that the same recruitment and training model may have been repeated across additional battalions during pauses in the fighting.

(JPost/VFI News)

Dear Lord, we lift up the soldiers of Israel who uncovered these plans, asking that You grant them wisdom, vigilance, and protection as they stand guard over the nation. We pray that every scheme devised against Israel during this fragile time would be exposed and brought to nothing. Strengthen the hearts of Your people against fear, and turn the hearts of those committed to violence toward repentance. In Yeshua’s Name we pray.

Iran’s parliament will soon vote on a bill that would reward anyone who kills US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper with a sum of €50 million, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s National Security Council, told state television on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The legislation, titled “Reciprocal action by military and security forces of the Islamic Republic,” is one of several measures aimed at formalizing the regime’s standing threats against world leaders.

“We believe the vile president of the United States, the ominous and disgraceful Zionist prime minister, and the CENTCOM commander must be targeted and subjected to reciprocal action,” Azizi declared, framing the move as retaliation for the killing of Iran’s former supreme leader. “This is our right,” he asserted. “Just as our Imam was martyred, the president of the United States must be dealt with by any Muslim or free person.”

Mahmoud Nabavian, an Iranian Shia cleric and member of parliament, confirmed that the vote was on its way. He claimed that threats had been made against Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and warned that Tehran’s response to any such killing would be “devastating.” The proposed bounty stands among several pieces of legislation through which the regime has moved to cast its threats against world leaders in official terms.

(JPost/VFI News)

“The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” – Psalm 37:12-13

A 22-year-old Israeli man was assaulted by a group of men in London’s Golders Green neighborhood before dawn on Monday, May 18, 2026, in an attack the Metropolitan Police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime. Officers reached the scene within six minutes of being summoned and spoke with the victim, who was taken to a hospital with injuries to his face and back. No arrests had been made by Monday night.

The victim was identified as Shalev Ben Yakar. He recounted that he had stepped outside his apartment late at night to speak with friends from South America without disturbing his roommates. When a group of five or six men overheard him speaking Hebrew, they set upon him.

The assailants chased Ben Yakar through the streets, shouting in Arabic, before catching up to him. They dragged him across the road, tore his clothing, and beat him until he nearly lost consciousness. Police confirmed that no suspects had yet been detained as the investigation into the hate crime continued.

(JPost/VFI News)

Our Heavenly Father, we lift up Shalev and every Jewish person targeted simply for who they are, asking that You bring healing to his body and comfort to his spirit. We pray for the Jewish communities of London and across the diaspora, that You would be their shield and refuge in the face of rising hatred. Grant wisdom and diligence to the authorities investigating this attack, that justice would be done. Soften the hearts of those consumed by hatred so that they turn from their ways, and in Yeshua’s Name we pray for Your peace to rest upon Your people.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories who is widely known for her hostility toward Israel, has drawn alarm after publishing a social media post that paired antisemitic rhetoric with a revision of Holocaust history. In the message, posted to her Facebook account, she urged the German people to absolve themselves of the burden of guilt and historical responsibility for the crimes of the Nazi regime. The post marked a sharp escalation of the rhetoric for which the envoy has become known.

She argued that modern Germany’s effort to atone for its past through steadfast support for Israel does not stem from sincere remorse, but from what she described as a “historical superiority syndrome” that has never been confronted. That support, she said, functions as a “convenient mask” worn to regain acceptance within the international community. Albanese did not stop at Germany, going on to disparage the Jewish people in terms that read as plainly antisemitic.

She further claimed that Germany does not respect Jews who are not Zionist and that it conducts itself as a “socially disturbed state” that enacts discriminatory laws, urging German citizens to free themselves of any obligation toward Israel. Her remarks combined a denial of Germany’s historical responsibility with open hostility toward both the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

(INN/VFI News)

“The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” – Proverbs 12:19

Discover the captivating tale of Shavuot, an ancient Jewish holiday steeped in history and meaning. Join us on a journey through time as we explore the origins, customs, and significance of Shavuot, also known as the Festival of Weeks. Don't miss this illuminating exploration of Shavuot, sure to leave you with a renewed appreciation for this cherished Jewish festival.

Major American Jewish organizations are urging the swift passage of new bipartisan Senate legislation designed to protect Jews and Jewish institutions from antisemitism. Known as the Jewish American Security Act, the bill is sponsored by Republican Senator James Lankford and Jacky Rosen, a Jewish Democrat from Nevada. It would direct the federal education department to adopt a civil rights strategy to combat antisemitism and would require social media platforms to disclose more about how they handle antisemitism online.

At the center of the legislation is a proposed $1 billion in security funding for houses of worship and other at-risk nonprofits, a leading demand in a six-point security plan that Jewish Federations of North America has been advancing in Congress. The bill was unveiled on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, as hundreds of Jewish advocates traveled to Washington, D.C., to press for the allocation. The sum would triple the amount Congress appropriated in 2026 for security at houses of worship.

“Jewish Americans are being targeted, attacked, and killed simply because of who they are,” Rosen, a former synagogue president, said in a statement. “This alarming trend demands a comprehensive, bipartisan approach that addresses both the seeds and the impacts of this vile hatred.” Backers are pressing for the bill’s quick passage as Jewish communities across the country confront a sustained rise in antisemitic threats and violence.

(JPost/VFI News)

Hundreds of members of Antwerp’s Jewish community gathered on Monday, May 18, 2026, for a rally of protest and prayer at the Machsike Hadass study hall after local mohels — ritual circumcisers — were indicted. The gathering was led by Rabbi Aharon Schiff, the rabbi of the local community, who framed the charges as a grave threat to Jewish religious life in the city.

“A terrible decree has befallen the city,” Rabbi Schiff told those assembled, praising the mohels as devoted men who travel even during the Passover holiday to faraway places to perform the mitzva of circumcision. “Everyone knows that our mohels are G-d-fearing and righteous people,” he said. He recalled that the community had once faced a decree against ritual slaughter and now confronts one against circumcision, a commandment for which, he noted, generations have sacrificed their lives.

Following the address, the congregation recited Psalms, praying for the success of the mohels and for the withdrawal of the charges. The indictments have unsettled the community, which fears for its freedom of worship and its ability to carry out circumcision in the traditional manner. Rabbi Schiff acknowledged that the move could fairly be called antisemitism, even as he urged his community toward self-reflection.

(INN/VFI News)

Dear God, we lift up the Jewish community of Antwerp as they face charges that threaten their freedom to live out their faith, asking that You grant them courage and unwavering trust in You. We pray for the mohels who have faithfully served their community, that You would vindicate them and that the indictments would be withdrawn. Move upon the hearts of the judges and officials involved, that they would uphold true justice and the freedom to worship. Strengthen Your people in every nation where the practice of their faith is under pressure, and in Yeshua’s Name we pray that they would know You are near.

The Republic of Somaliland will base its embassy in Jerusalem, the African nation’s newly appointed ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, announced on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. “The Embassy will be opened soon,” Hagi wrote, adding that Israel, in turn, will open an embassy in the Somaliland capital, Hargeisa. The reciprocal move, he said, reflects the “growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation” between the two peoples.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the announcement, thanking the Somaliland president for his decision to establish the embassy in Jerusalem. “The opening of the embassy in Jerusalem will be another significant step in strengthening relations between our countries and nations,” Sa’ar said, pledging to work toward implementing the decision soon. He noted that the move would make Somaliland’s the eighth embassy located in Jerusalem.

The announcement followed a state ceremony on Monday, May 18, 2026, at which Hagi presented his credentials to President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. Herzog welcomed the first-ever ambassador of Somaliland to Israel, calling the occasion the beginning of an important new partnership between the two countries. He said the partnership would open the way to cooperation across a range of fields for the benefit of both peoples and the wider region.

(JPost/VFI News)

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 12:3

A mysterious ancient tunnel carved into the bedrock has been uncovered near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in southern Jerusalem, revealed during salvage excavations ahead of the construction of a new neighborhood. The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the find on the morning of Thursday, May 14, 2026, on the eve of Jerusalem Day. The passage is expected to run roughly 50 meters long, five meters high, and three meters wide.

“We were excavating in relatively rocky and exposed terrain when suddenly we discovered a natural karstic cavity,” said excavation directors Dr. Sivan Mizrahi and Zinovi Matskevich. “To our amazement, as the excavation progressed, this cavity developed into a long tunnel.” After descending a set of ancient stairs from the surface, the archaeologists reached the hewn opening of the tunnel, which had been filled with debris over hundreds or even thousands of years. They noted that parts of it remain collapsed, so the tunnel has not yet given up all of its secrets.

The age and purpose of the tunnel remain unknown, the directors explained, since not even the smallest datable find was recovered inside it. What is clear is that whoever carved it invested tremendous effort, careful planning, and considerable resources. The tunnel sits only a few hundred meters from two significant ancient sites — an Iron Age public building from the First Temple period in the Arnona neighborhood and Tel Ramat Rachel, where remains span from the Iron Age through the Islamic period.

(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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