The situation in Gaza
This week the IDF recovered the bodies of Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein, who were killed on 7th October and their bodies taken to Gaza. They were found in Khan Younis on Wednesday night, as Israeli forces continued to push deeper into the city. Now entering its 20th month, the war has left Khan Younis in ruins.
Israel blocked aid into Gaza early March, because Hamas was misusing the aid. It was later discovered that Hamas has been stockpiling huge amounts of food.
Israel allowed aid to come back in, managed by the Israel- and US-backed-Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This week, several mainstream news outlets announced that Israel had fired into crowds in Gaza, killing many. Later, it has become clear that this was a false report. The Washington Post retraced its earlier report, acknowledging the falsehood. On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee rebuked American news outlets for disseminating false reports provided by Hamas:
“Drone video and first-hand accounts clearly showed that there were no injuries, no fatalities, no shooting, no chaos,” he said. “It is Hamas that continues to terrorize and intimidate those who seek food aid. The only sources for these misleading, exaggerated and utterly fabricated stories came from Hamas sources, which are designed to fan the flames of antisemitic hate that is arguably contributing to violence against Jews in the United States.”
Today, the GHFG announced that all its aid distribution sites in Gaza are once again closed and a reopening date will be announced later, urging residents to stay away from these sites “for their safety.”
It seems that Hamas is gradually losing control in the Gaza Strip. Yaakov Lappin reported this week in JNS:
“As the Israel Defense Forces’ Operation Gideon’s Chariots continued to exert relentless pressure against Hamas across the Gaza Strip, multiple Israeli security observers and former defense officials assessed that the terrorist organization is facing unprecedented strategic distress, with its command structure decimated, its military capabilities severely degraded, and its iron grip on the civilian population showing significant signs of erosion.”
“It is Hamas that continues to terrorize and intimidate those who seek food aid.”
U.S. sanctions ICC judges
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it imposed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, marking the first time that the United States has used that punitive tool against justices at the independent tribunal.
Judges Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia will be sanctioned for their role in investigating Israel and the United States. These ICC judges have been involved in ICC proceedings against U.S. and Israeli leaders. Neither Israel nor the USA is party to the court’s Rome Statute.
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on any ICC official attempting to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute U.S. citizens or the citizens of any U.S. ally that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction, or signed onto the court’s Rome Statute, including Israel. The White House named Karim Khan, the court’s prosecutor and a British national, as the first target of those sanctions for his role in investigating Netanyahu, Gallant and Israel’s alleged commission of “war crimes” in Gaza. Since then, Khan has taken indefinite leave in May amid an investigation into whether he committed sexual misconduct.
United Nations pushes forward with Palestinian statehood
The United Nations will hold a High-level international conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York on June 17-20, 2025. Chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, the aim of the Conference is “to help end the occupation and materialize the independent and sovereign State of Palestine.”
This UN-sanctioned State of Palestine is the culmination of a carefully orchestrated campaign over several decades − primarily by the Islamic, Arab and African groups of UN member states, supported by some European and other states − to destroy the Jewish state, and replace it with an Arab/Islamic state “from the river to the sea”.
“This UN-sanctioned State of Palestine is the culmination of a carefully orchestrated campaign over several decades to destroy the Jewish state.”
The UN is demanding that –
- Israel’s “presence” in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory” be brought to and end, meaning that all Jews must be removed from the Old City of Jerusalem − including the Temple Mount − and Judea and Samaria. The UN does not mention that Jews have lived in this area continuously for thousands of years (except during Jordan’s illegal occupation 1948-1967) and that it contains many important Jewish and Christian holy sites;
- the “State of Palestine” be recognized. The UN does not mention that Palestine will be an Islamic Palestinian state, governed by Sharia law, in which Jews and Christians will have dhimmi (second-class) status, and that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups sponsored by Iran and Qatar will likely take control of that state; and
- all Palestinians have a “right of return”. The UN does not mention that this means the Jewish state of Israel will be eliminated and replaced by an Arab-majority state.
It is not yet known what the outcome of this High-Level conference will be. Neither the General Assembly nor this conference has power to make binding decisions or impose conditions on Israel. However the conference is undoubtedly intended to place more political and economic pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians.
Let us continue to pray this week for the release of all the hostages, and an end to Hamas’ brutal regime. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and that Jews and Arabs may live in peace together in the land. Let us pray moreover for the coming of the Prince of Peace.
The West turns against Israel
Melanie Philips: The Jewish people need to relearn a painful and essential lesson—that they are responsible for their own protection.
> Read more..
Macron weighs sanctions on Israel amid Gaza war criticism
French president says decision coming “in days” as Brazil’s Lula accuses Israel of “premeditated genocide” in joint press conference.
> Read more..
Creating a judenrein Islamic Palestinian state will not bring peace
Andrew Tucker, Director thinc.: This France-Saudi push for this Palestinian state is illegal, one-sided, unrealistic, and extremely dangerous. It will lead to anything but “the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine.”
> Read more..
‘Hamas can no longer operate as an organized military framework’
Former Israeli defense officials tell JNS that the terror group is losing its grip on Gaza’s civilians.
> Read more..
SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK: Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eye and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
