VOA: Israeli Military Says Troops Conducted Ground Operation in Gaza Strip

Israeli Troops Launch Brief Ground Raid into Gaza Ahead of Expected Wider Incursion
It came after the UN warned it’s on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts. https://t.co/N34IlJBIeC pic.twitter.com/cROh7gwYTR

— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) October 26, 2023

COGwriter

Israel conducted a military operation on the ground in the Gaza strip:

Israeli Military Says Troops Conducted Ground Operation in Gaza Strip

October 26, 2023

Latest developments:

As Israel’s military confirms a single ground raid to strike “numerous terror cells, infrastructure” in Gaza, Netanyahu says Israel “preparing for a ground invasion.”

Biden expresses concern about hostages held by Hamas

About 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, says the death toll in Gaza had reached at least 6,546 people, the majority women and children, a number that some U.S. and Israeli officials question.

Israel’s military said Thursday it carried out a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, where for nearly three weeks Israeli forces have been conducting airstrikes targeting Hamas militants.

The Israel Defense Forces said its tanks and infantry “struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts” before returning to Israeli territory.

The IDF said the operation was done to prepare “for the next stages of combat.”

Israeli officials have pledged to ensure Hamas can no longer carry out attacks that threaten Israel following the Oct. 7 attack by the militant group that killed about 1,400 people. https://www.voanews.com/a/israeli-military-says-troops-conducted-ground-operation-in-gaza-strip/7327198.html

Israel is seemingly more optimistic about what it intends to accomplish as opposed to what will really happen.

While Israel will likely kill many more in Gaza, it is the Gazans who will one day end up with territory currently dominated by Israel.

Bible prophecy tells of calamity coming to Gaza and other lands:

17 Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the Lord had sent me: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people; 20 all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); 21 Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes; 26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

27 “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.”‘ 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “You shall certainly drink! 29 For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’ (Jeremiah 25:17-29)

Many of the lands above are listed as supporters of the final King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43) and/or part of a confederation that will be destroyed, that will involve Egypt (Ezekiel 30:3-8).

Some of those lands, Ashkelon (located 50 kilometres south of Tel Aviv, and 13 kilometres north of the border with the Gaza Strip), Ekron (modern Tel Miqne, which is 35 kilometers west of Jerusalem), and Ashdod (located 32 kilometres south of Tel Aviv, 20 km north of Ashkelon, and 53 km west of Jerusalem), are currently dominated by the nation of Israel.

Ashkelon, Tel Migne, and Ashdod are claimed to be part of Israel. They are not in the Gaza Strip (they are all north of it) nor part of the other Palestinian controlled region known as the West Bank. Therefore, it looks like the Palestinians will either control those cities again or be so numerous in it that they are the ones affected in Jeremiah 25. It is my current view that the Palestinians will gain land that the nation of Israel thinks it will continue to control. Since these are not lands currently considered to be ceded in a peace deal, this looks like losses from the State of Israel after the deal of Daniel 9:27 is broken (cf. Daniel 11:31).

The entire 47th chapter of Jeremiah is a prophecy about the Philistines, including Gaza:

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

2 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage, 4 Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines,To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the Lord shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor. 5 Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? 6 “O you sword of the Lord, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! 7 How can it be quiet, Seeing the Lord has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it.” (Jeremiah 47:2-7)

Problems were thus prophesied for Gaza–since there is a duality to some prophecies (e.g. Malachi 4:5 & Matthew 17:10-13), this prophecy Jeremiah recorded may also have future application. This prophecy also suggests that Israel will no longer control Ashkelon.

Amos specifically recorded a prophecy about Gaza:

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they took captive the whole captivity
To deliver them up to Edom.
7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.
8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will turn My hand against Ekron,
And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
Says the Lord God. (Amos 1:6-8)

Ezekiel had a prophecy against Edom (mentioned also above) and then the following about the Philistines:

15 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” 16 therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” (Ezekiel 25:15-17)

The Bible is clear that vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:9; Hebrews 10:30). Apparently (along with the Edomites, Ezekiel 25:15-17, Joel 3:19, Obadiah 8-11, and Psalms 137:7-9), the Palestinians are subject to judgment in the future for their vengeance. Zechariah 9:6 tells of punishment for their pride.

Isaiah seems to speak of this as well:

14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west;
Together they shall plunder the people of the East;
They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab;
And the people of Ammon shall obey them.
15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River,
And strike it in the seven streams,
And make men cross over dryshod. (Isaiah 11:14-15)

This seems to include not only those in Gaza, but possibly those in the West Bank (“the people of the East”) and beyond.

Related to Gaza and prophecy, we recently put together the following related video:

14:33

Gaza and Bible Prophecy

Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have claimed that all those in Hamas will be killed or eliminated. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen added that the plan is to make Gaza shrink. Where do those of Gaza and other Palestinians come from? Does the Bible show historical animosities between the descendants of Israel and those of the Gazans and the Palestinians? What does the Bible show that Gaza and Hamas mean? Do biblical prophecies in Amos and Jeremiah point to Gaza ending up with territories that Israel now controls? Can Israel lose territory? Will Hamas achieve some of its objectives? What does the 83rd Psalm prophesy? Might terrorism be involved? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.