VFI News Mom and Son Dead in House Fire; Hamas Proposes Vastly Different Deal from the Witkoff One

Mom and Son Dead in House Fire; Hamas Proposes Vastly Different Deal from the Witkoff One . . .

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The funeral of the baby Ravid Chaim Gez, who died two weeks after his mother Tze'ela, was murdered in a terrorist attack near Baruchin, was held on Thursday, May 29, at the Har Hamenuchot cemetery in Jerusalem. 

Hananel Gez, Ravid Chaim's father and Tze'ela's husband, who was also wounded in the shooting that ultimately claimed the lives of two members of his family, stated at the funeral:

"My dear Ravid Chaim, I stand here with a heart broken twice. What can one say? There is nothing to say. I was privileged to see Ravid Chaim yesterday in the NICU—he was so sweet. He opened his eyes for a few seconds, and he looked like an angel." 

The father then addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly: "Prime Minister, I am speaking to you now. Where are you? I asked you to come to the NICU and see Ravid Chaim, to look into his eyes. Tomorrow, will there be another attack? Another family like mine? Has this become normal? Is this our reality now?" 

Shaked, Tze'ela's sister, tearfully eulogized her nephew: "Our Ravid, such a beautiful child. From the moment I first saw you, you captured my heart. We waited so long for you, your mother waited so long for you."

"Usually, a baby is born to a mother who wraps him in love and hugs—but you didn’t get that. She wasn’t there beside you, to kiss you, to hold you." (INN/VFI News) 

“Dear God, we pray for Hananel Gez and his family and we send our heartfelt condolences to them. We pray that You comfort them during this indescribably difficult period. We pray in Yeshua's Name that You give them rest, Your yoke that is easy and Your burden that is light. We pray that You cause them to turn to You and Your Son and restore their grieved spirit.”

Hamas responded Saturday, May 31, to the US cease-fire proposal with a bevy of new conditions, which were swiftly ripped by special envoy Steve Witkoff as “totally unacceptable.”

The terror group’s demands effectively stalled negotiations on the 60-day truce by demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consider a permanent cease-fire after an initial release of hostages, along with the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas also demanded unrestricted humanitarian aid pour into the region.

If a permanent truce is not reached within 60 days, Hamas reportedly also wants to halt the Jewish State from resuming fighting. And they seemed interested in a longer timeline to conduct hostage and prisoner exchanges with Israel.

“I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward,” Witkoff posted on X. Without accepting the initial framework, Witkoff — whose plan didn’t include a permanent cease-fire or full withdrawal — cautioned that a lasting peace would remain out of reach.

The most recent cease-fire proposal pitched Thursday by Witkoff calls for a 60-day truce as well as the release of the 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased captives.

The deal would also prompt the release of 125 Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences in Israel and 1,111 more from Gaza who have been detained since the war broke out on Oct. 7. Another 180 bodies of dead Palestinians in Israel would also be returned under the terms of the proposal. (NYP/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we lift up in prayer our hostages and we continually ask for their release. You are the God of miracles; for You one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. We pray in Yeshua’s Name that You speed up the process so the hostages can be free and safe from harm. Please heal them, protect them, show them Your love and Your Son, and help us be content with Your perfect Will at all times.”

A Hamas commander who led the deadliest attack on Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip amid the war was eliminated in a drone strike during the last few days, the military and Shin Bet announced.

The IDF said Khalil Abed al-Nasser Mohammad Hatib commanded a Hamas cell in the terror group’s Maghazi Battalion, which carried out an RPG attack against troops operating near the Israeli border on January 22, 2024.

The RPGs hit two buildings that had been rigged up for detonation and a tank guarding the forces, killing 21 soldiers. It was the deadliest attack on Israeli troops amid the war.

The military says troops of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit identified the operative on Friday and called in a drone strike, killing him.

Further, on Sunday morning, June 1, Palestinian Arab sources reported that an Israeli strike near a humanitarian aid distribution center in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah resulted in at least 30 deaths and numerous injuries. These allegations were echoed by international media outlets, leading to widespread criticism of Israel.

Subsequently, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) released security camera footage from the aid distribution site during the time of the alleged incident. The video evidence revealed that no such attack occurred, effectively debunking the claims made by the Palestinian Arab sources. (TOI/VFI News)

“Dear Lord, we thank for who You are, we are grateful that You are love, mercy and justice. We know that You do not want anyone to perish and go to hell but for all to believe in Your Son and have everlasting life. Thus, we pray for every human on this earth, even the most wicked ones to not perish before they repent. We pray in Yeshua's Name that in Your mercy You will soften their hearts, cause them to realize Your Love and what Yeshua did on the cross for them. In Yeshua's mighty Name we pray, amen.”

US submitted its first formal nuclear proposal to Iran on Saturday, May 31, only hours after UN inspectors revealed a sharp increase in Tehran's stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, American media reported.

The proposal, described by officials as bullet points rather than a full draft, urges Iran to stop uranium enrichment and join a regional nuclear power consortium with the US, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab nations.

US President Donald Trump “has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, according to the American news outlet.

Despite talks, Tehran has steadily increased its uranium stockpile enriched to 60% — now at about 900 pounds — according to two IAEA reports obtained by the American news agency. Director Rafael Grossi warned this poses “serious concern,” especially since Iran is not a nuclear-armed state.

President Trump reportedly stopped Israel from launching a planned strike on Iranian nuclear sites in May. “I want it very strong where we can go in with inspectors, we can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody’s getting killed,” Trump said recently. (INN/VFI News)

“Dear God, we come to You to pray for protection from Iran and all its proxies. We pray in Yeshua's Name that all surrounding countries will want to have peace with us and that a nuclear war will be avoided. We thank You for Your protection so far, as well as for Your immense love and character and we praise Your Holy Name, for You are the only one Who is worthy.”

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.

For the first time, Syrians are openly calling for peace with Israel. In an interview with American media, journalist Furat Alali from Damascus said, "We want a future without wars. We want to live. People are not afraid to speak up anymore."

Her statement reflects a significant shift in the country’s political landscape, as many Syrians begin to openly discuss the prospect of peace with Israel. This change comes at a time when Syria and Israel are engaged in direct talks as British media revealed on Tuesday, May 27, marking a dramatic departure from the decades-long hostility between the two nations.

The British news outlet reported that Israel and Syria have recently held direct meetings focused on security issues along their shared border. These talks represent a major step in the relationship between the two countries, which have been adversaries for decades.

Sources familiar with the discussions have indicated that the U.S. has played a pivotal role in facilitating these talks, encouraging Syria’s new leadership to engage with Israel.

The discussions come after a shift in U.S. policy, following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The meeting signaled a break from decades of U.S. hostility toward Syria’s Assad regime and opened the door to potential normalization between Syria and Israel. (FN/VFI News)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” - Matthew 5:7-9

US President Donald Trump put Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice, and issued some harsh words to China and their ongoing trade negotiations during his 19th week in office.

"What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!" Trump wrote in a social post Tuesday morning, May 27.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia and former Russian president, responded in kind and issued his own words of caution to the US. "Regarding Trump's words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!" Medvedev wrote.

Further, Trump accused China of violating an initial trade agreement that Washington and Beijing were hashing out in May. Following those negotiations, both countries agreed that the U.S. would cut down its tariffs against Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, and China would reduce its tariffs against U.S. imports from 125% to 10%.

But Trump said that China hasn’t followed the terms of the agreement, without disclosing specifics. (FN/VFI News)

 “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” - Proverbs 11:2

The United States will not participate in a conference this month in New York City hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at promoting the recognition of a Palestinian state, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told American media in an exclusive interview in Jerusalem last week.

"It’s incredibly inappropriate in the midst of a war that Israel is dealing with to go out and present something that I think increasingly Israelis are steadfast against."

"Oct. 7 changed a lot of things. If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I have a suggestion for them–carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a Palestinian state. They are welcome to do that, but they are not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation. And I find it revolting that they think they have the right to do such a thing."

"I hope they will reconsider, but the U.S. will not participate. It simply will not be a part of such a ruse," he added.

Huckabee, commenting on recently reported tensions between the two close allies, noted there may be disagreements between the Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, but there should be no fear of a rupture in bilateral ties. (FN/VFI News)

Lebanon is making significant headway in dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the southern part of the country, according to a report published recently by an American media outlet.

The report states that the Lebanese army has successfully dismantled the majority of Hezbollah’s strongholds in the south. This development was made even more striking by the reported cooperation with Israeli intelligence services.

These operations are part of the new Lebanese government's broader efforts to enforce the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel last November, following a period of intense border clashes.

U.S. and Israeli officials cited in the article expressed unexpected optimism over the Lebanese campaign, describing it as a meaningful step toward maintaining the delicate truce.

"The state must hold exclusive control over all weapons throughout Lebanon," Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the American news agency. Salam added that his government has already completed approximately 80% of the mission to disarm non-state groups in the southern region.

A senior officer in the IDF noted, “We’re seeing areas where the Lebanese army is performing more effectively than anticipated. The IDF welcomes this development and hopes it continues.” (INN/VFI News)

 “These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.” - Psalm 50:21

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

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