The Hamas militant group in Palestine continues to attack Israel, pushing Christian leaders all over the world to pray for peace.
For 10 days now, the Israel-Palestine conflict has raged on, killing people on both sides and causing millions worth of property. What began with Palestininan air strikes on Monday last week escalated into ground and air attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces, who successfully eliminated several Hamas militant leaders. Throughout the 10-day conflict, many Christian and world leaders have called for peace in Israel.
One of them is Franklin Graham, evangelist and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Yesterday, he took to Facebook to share a short yet succinct message: "The Bible tells us to-'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...' (Psalm 122:6)."
The 68-year-old Samaritan's Purse CEO also shared a report from Times of Israel, which detailed the current situation on the ground in the Middle Eastern country.
According to the report, an array of rockets were once again fired by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza into Israel, where an Israeli soldier and civilian were injured. About 230 rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday, the IDF said.
About 30 missiles failed to reach Israel and instead had detonated inside the Gaza territory. Up to 90% of the incoming Palestinian projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Other Palestinian rockets landed on open areas.
Mortar shells were also fired into the Kerem Shalom border crossing for the second time in two days. This border crossing was recently reopened to allow the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza by Israel's military liaison to the Palestinians called the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). The shipments were ceased due to the attacks.
"The terrorist activities of Hamas, which conducted launches, again and again, at shipments carrying civilian aid and medical equipment to the Strip first and foremost harms the residents of the enclave," COGAT announced. The Hamas military claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it was "in response for [Israel's] targeting of civilians and their homes."
For 10 straight days, the Hamas militant group relentlessly attacked and continued to attack Israel. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry has recently updated their death toll to 217, including over 60 minors. IDF claims that more than 120 of their dead were in fact members of Hamas, while 25 were members of the the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
However, not all of these deaths fall in the hands of the IDF. According to the Associated Press (via Breitbart), the Israeli military officials has identified a "mysterious explosion" that killed a Palestinian family of eight on the first day of the attacks on the Gaza Strip was in fact "caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli airstrike."
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said that the rocket was launched inside Gaza and landed in Gaza, killing "almost an entire family." He said, "this wasn't an Israeli attack."
What you're seeing:
Yet another rocket launched by terrorists that misfired & fell back into Gaza tonight.Why it matters:
The people of Gaza are endangered every time it happens. pic.twitter.com/rOhSal7nZH"” Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 20, 2021
Breitbart reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "determined to continue this operation until its aim is met," despite U.S. President Joe Biden's urge to de-escalate the conflict in Gaza. Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for the support of the U.S. but is committed to "[returning] the calm and security to [the] citizens of Israel."
