The Second Gaza War: Urgent Request for Prayer
As you know, Israel has now entered into Operation Pillar of Defence in Gaza, on Israel’s south-west border. After months of continuous rocket fire from within Gaza by Hamas, with a particular escalation in the last week, Israel had no choice but to take action.
In a targeted air offensive, Israel removed the chief military commander of Hamas, Ahmed Jabari, on Wednesday. Jabari had masterminded all Hamas terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip over the last ten years, and was also directly involved in the 2006 abduction of Gilad Shalit. Israel is also targeting key military sites in Gaza.
Hamas has responded to these Israeli airstrikes by launching hundreds more rockets into the south of Israel, including some long-range missiles aimed at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. On Thursday, three Israelis were killed in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi.
Hamas is a Sunni Islamic terrorist group, funded and armed by Iran. Their founding charter rejects Israel’s right to exist, and pledges to destroy the Jewish state through military means.
The last war in Gaza, Operation Cast Lead in January 2009, caused damage to the military infrastructure of Hamas, but the terrorist group continued to fire rockets into Israel. Since the beginning of 2012 approximately 800 rockets or mortar shells have been launched from Gaza.
Normal life is simply impossible for those living in Israel’s southern towns near the Gaza border, with just 15 seconds to get to a bomb shelter when the sirens go off. As schools and city centers have had to close for days on end, Israel reluctantly decided to take action to put an end to this untenable situation.
As the battle rages, please join us in praying:
• That Operation Pillar of Defense would end quickly and with minimal loss of life on both sides.
• That the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas, and its military capabilities would be effectively removed.
• That people would search for God and find Him during these troubled times. Please pray especially that the Lord would transform our enemies into our friends, by pouring out His salvation on radical Muslims and the Islamic world.
• That this second Gaza war would not escalate, and that no other nation would get involved.
• That the nations of the world would respond in just and truthful ways, as most have been doing, accepting Israel’s right to defend itself.
• That the Body of Messiah in Israel, both Jews and Arabs, will continue to be a source of light and hope to all who fear. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
‘The Lord also will roar from Zion. And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
and the strength of the children of Israel’ (Joel 3:16)
Colin and Helen Mitchell
17th November 2012, Mount Carmel, Israel