Israeli cabinet reportedly approves plan to seize all of Gaza Strip–IDF looking to try to do so if remaining hostages not released by May 17th
Gaza Strip and Israel as shown on Wikipedia May 5, 2025
Israel is planning more military actions in Gaza. Here is a report from Euronews:
Israeli cabinet approves plan to seize all of Gaza Strip, reports claim
May 5, 2025
Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has taken control of further territory in the Strip, which now amounts to roughly 50% of Gaza.
Israel has approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, in a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel’s operations in the Palestinian territory and likely face fierce international opposition.
Israeli cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, according to AP, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
The new plan, which the officials said was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza, would also push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, which would likely exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were discussing military plans.
Sadly, the breaking of the ceasefire was NOT a surprise.
Shortly before he left office, US President Joe Biden declared that the ceasefire deal was how “permanent peace” would be attained in the region. In response to that, I posted:
Permanent peace will not come to the Middle East until AFTER Jesus returns. (Thiel B. Joe Biden announces Hamas-Israel deal and claims a “permanent” peace–but what about Daniel 9:27? COGwriter, January 15, 2025)
Related to that ceasefire deal, we put out the following related video:
Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27
Peace at Last! Peace at Last! World News Item: Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire! But will this ceasefire really bring about peace in the mid-east? There are three phases to the ceasefire agreement. Is it possible that both Israel and Hamas will abide by the conditions set forth in all three phases? Would their past performance be any indication of their future performance? Dr. Thiel sheds the light of Bible prophecy on these world events in addition to giving us insight into a future peace deal spoken of in the book of Daniel. A peace deal between the King of the North and the King of the South. Will that peace deal result in peace? If the cease fire between Hamas and Israel and the peace deal between the Kings of the North and South don’t bring about peace – what will?
Here is a link to our video: Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27.
Israeli Defense Forces are considering a major assault into Gaza:
Senior defense official: IDF to launch major Gaza op if no hostage deal by end of Trump’s Mideast visit
May 5, 2025
A senior Israeli defense official says the military will launch its major offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” if no hostage deal is reached with the terror group by the end of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the region next week.
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13 and May 16.
“Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots,’ whose objective is the defeat of Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages, was unanimously approved yesterday by the security cabinet,” the defense official says in a statement to reporters.
He says the IDF will “bolster its forces and operate with intensity to defeat Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating strong pressure for the release of all hostages.”
According to the official, “a central component of the plan is the extensive evacuation of the entire Gazan population from combat zones, including from northern Gaza, to areas in southern Gaza, while creating separation between them and Hamas terrorists, in order to allow the IDF operational freedom of action.”
“Unlike in the past, the IDF will remain in every area that is conquered, to prevent the return of terror, and will handle every cleared area according to the Rafah model, where all threats were leveled and it became part of the security zone,” he says, referring to an Israeli-held buffer zone. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/senior-defense-official-idf-to-launch-major-gaza-op-if-no-hostage-deal-by-end-of-trumps-mideast-visit/
So, there are Israeli plans to completely takeover Gaza.
However, prophetically, things will NOT turn out as many Israeli officials seem to hope.
In the October-December 2019 edition of Bible News Prophecy magazine, we had the following in an article about Gaza and the Palestinians:
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy
By Bob Thiel
The Palestinian-dominated areas of the West Bank and Gaza have been in the news a lot. A violent-prone group known as Hamas essentially runs the region called Gaza.
What will happen to Gaza? Does the Bible teach anything about the Palestinians? …
Bible Prophecy Tells About Gaza and Palestine
Zechariah had a prophecy of change coming to Gaza:
5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful; And Ekron, for He dried up her expectation. The king shall perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6 “A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7 I will take away the blood from his mouth, And the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he shall be for our God, And shall be like a leader in Judah, And Ekron like a Jebusite. 8 I will camp around My house Because of the army, Because of him who passes by and him who returns. No more shall an oppressor pass through them, For now I have seen with My eyes. (Zechariah 9:5-8)
Some (see Matthew Henry’s Commentary, etc.) believe that this was fulfilled in the past. However, as future prophecies tell of a time Gaza and the Philistines having problems (see below), the above could still have future fulfillment. …
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). …
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) …Also notice what Zephaniah prophesied:
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant. (Zephaniah 2:4-5)Though there was a partial fulfillment near the time this was written, the time has not yet been when there was no inhabitant in Canaan, hence this prophecy is for the future. Gaza will change and be forsaken!
Although Palestinians will one day end up with more land that Israel now dominates, Gaza will be forsaken. One way I suspect that this could happen would be if a regional war occurred directly involving Iran and likely nuclear weapons.
The Bible points to an Iranian-led force, with at least some Syrian involvement, that will cause great damage to Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:6-9).
Jesus told of a time of wars and rumors of war in Matthew 24–and this could be one of them–but it will NOT be the Great Tribulation as “but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).
However, the end is getting closer (cf. Romans 13:11). And if we see a certain deal confirmed this year (cf. Daniel 9:27), the countdown for the Great Tribulation will begin.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2025, 2026, or 2027? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? A short video is available titled: Great Tribulation Trends 2025.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
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