July 16, 2006
Avner Boskey: (writing FROM Israel)
This is a short report of details of today's fighting, followed by a brief analysis, and then specific prayer requests.
Today (Sunday July 16) is the fifth day of the "bein hameitzarim" or "dire straits" period (see www.davidstent.org under the "words" section, Feb 21 2005 newsletter, also www.bobjones.org/articles/Basilisk%202002.htm), a period of extreme spiritual danger for Israel. This period lasts up to the 9 th of Av (Thursday August 3). It is a time of urgent heightened prayer for Israel and her survival.
Each of the five days of war has seen increased escalation between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel.
So far nearly 800 katyusha rockets have been fired into Israel. Over 500 Israelis have been wounded. Up until today 4 Israelis have been killed by the rockets.
Today (Sunday) has seen a rapid escalation. Close to 9:15 am five Fajr long-range Iranian built katyusha rockets were fired by Hezbollah at the Krayot Haifa industrial area. One hit a train repair warehouse, killing 8 and wounding 13. The explosive munitions on this rocket are stronger than all the other katyusha land attacks Israel has seen to this point. In this one attac k today more Israelis have died than in the past four days.
Hezbollah immediately announced on its al-Manar TV station that Israel should not responded 'stupidly', otherwise Hezbollah threatened that it would begin to target Haifa's petrochemical refineries . This area is adjacent to Israel's third largest city, and many Israelis live directly beside these refineries.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that this heavier rocket attack would have far-reaching ramifications on the northern border and for the entire area.
Over the past hour four developments have happened:
1. All Israelis living between Haifa and Tel Aviv have been warned to heighten awareness for the possibility of incoming Hezbollah missiles . The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has concluded (based on the Chinese-made Iranian C-802 missile attack against its Saar-5 missile boat on Friday night) that Iran has transferred much technology and weaponry to Hezbollah. This would include the Zilzal missile with a range of 160 km, and other missiles with a range of up to 200 km. These missiles would put much of Israel's population on the coastal plain within range.
2. General Udi Adam of Israel's Northern Command has strongly suggested to all inhabitants of southern Lebanon to move northward toward Beirut immediately. The cut-off time on this warning is 1 pm Israeli-Lebanese time, a warning of 90 minutes total. The warning was broadcast by Arabic radio and by Arabic leaflets . Adam stated that since these people are human shields for Hezbollah's katyusha attacks, Israel is about to strike back and would prefer that non-combatants leave the area for their own safety. He stated that the IDF's target is Hezbollah and that they will make every effort not to hit Christian areas or the Lebanese Forces (which are primarily Maronite Christian). The area delineated includes Bint Jbeil and Nabatiya.
This effort to avoid civilian casualties is typical of IDF policies during war. Most of the katyusha rockets are hidden i n living rooms and basements throughout southern Lebanon, as is Hezbollah's local command structure. General Adam's warning will cause an immediate flow of refugees toward Beirut, in the range of 200,000 to 300,000.
3. The IDF Home Command is forbidden local and foreign news media to give real-time specific locations of where katyusha rockets have fallen, in order to prevent Hezbollah gu nners (who are monitoring Israeli and world TV) from adjusting their sights and honing in on targets. All merchant marine boats in Haifa harbor have been encouraged to lift anchor and move out into the Mediterranean.
4. Iran has threatened Israel not to attack Syria, warning that if Israel does this the consequences will be unimaginable. Syria has just announced that if they are attacked, they will respond harshly. Syria is armed with hundreds of North Korean Scud-C missiles, many of them having chemical warheads of VX and Sarin gas. Their accuracy is within 15 meters (50 feet) and they can hit Beersheva and possibly even Eilat . All Hezbollah weaponry and training is coming from Syria and Iran, including real-time military advisors on location.
What next ?
Hezbollah will increase long-range rocket attacks on major Israeli cities like Tiberias, Hadera, and possibly even Netanya and Tel Aviv.
It is highly likely that the petrochemical industries in the Krayot area of Haifa will be targeted and hit . This would create an environmental problem of large proportions, and would necessitate the evacuation of many civilians from the adjoining areas.
Intense Israeli bombings of Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in south Lebanon is next , accompanied by insertion of Special Forces by sea, air and land.
A huge amount of refugees will flow toward Beirut.
There is significant danger that Syria and Iran will try to join the battle against Israel, hoping that this would trigger a global Islamic jihad against Israel and the West.
How to pray?
1. Pray for God to deflect Hezbollah missiles away from their targets. This happened in the 1991 Gulf War and it can happen again as we pray.
2. Pray for the safety of all Israelis targeted by Hezbollah rockets and missiles.
3. Pray for a revelation of Yeshua as Messiah and atonement to many in Israel right now.
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4. Pray for the protection of the many south Lebanese who are soon to become refugees.
5. Pray for those Hezbollah fighting against Israel to either be saved or to be totally crushed.
6. Protection for Israeli soldiers fighting, and especially for those Messianic Jewish believers presently involved in the war.
7. Pray for God to reveal and counter Syrian and Iranian strategies to the IDF generals, as He did in 2 Kings 6 in Elisha's day.
8. Ask the God of Israel to hook you up to His prayer request line – to download to you directly and in real time what needs to be prayed for. This is what Rees Howell experienced during WW II, in a time when there were no TVs, no cell phones and no interner.
In IHT 16th July 2006:
'At an underground parking lot in Beirut, some 2,000 families, many of them from the south, were camped out Sunday night after abandoning their villages. Hani Mudaid, from Mashrafieh, said: "I saw all the bad things of the war. It's very hard for me now to see my kids see them too."'
'Nasrallah promised Israel "new surprises" and said Hezbollah had "no choice" but to hit Haifa. "As long as the enemy acts without limitations or red lines, it's our right to continue the confrontation without limits," he said in a taped speech televised on Hezbollah's Al Manar television. Nasrallah appeared from the waist up to be unhurt, despite unconfirmed reports that he had been wounded in an Israeli strike on his bunker in southern Beirut.'
'In Iran, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called Hezbollah "a genuine Islamic movement whose progress should become an example for the Muslim world."'
