JERUSALEM, Israel – The long-awaited ground invasion into Gaza has reportedly begun, and it comes as Israel faces a coordinated, global campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz released a statement Monday night saying, “Gaza is burning. The IDF is striking with an iron fist at the terror infrastructure, and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not relent and will not retreat – until the mission is complete.”
Yet, as the Israeli military enters Gaza City, Hamas may put the hostages in greater danger. On Truth Social, President Trump warned, “I have just read a news report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel’s ground offensive. I hope the leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing. This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don’t let this happen, or all ‘bets are off.’ Release all hostages now.”
Speaking to a group of visiting U.S. state lawmakers on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is also facing an organized campaign to delegitimize the Jewish State.
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The prime minister told the legislators, “We value and cherish your support, and there is an active effort to erode it. That effort to besiege Israel, not merely isolate it, as much as besiege Israel. That is orchestrated by the same forces that supported Iran – Iran’s effort to put a military siege on us and ultimately choke us.
He added, “We were able to break loose from that siege, and we will have to do several things to break loose from this siege that is organized by a few states. One is China, and the other is Qatar, and they are organizing an attack on Israel’s legitimacy in the social media of the Western world and the United States. We will have to counter it, and we will counter it with our own efforts.”
It’s why Jonathan Conricus, speaking on CBN News’ Faith Nation, said the support of the U.S. is vital as it begins its ground offensive.
“We heard stellar words of leadership from Secretary Rubio speaking on behalf of the President,” Conricus noted. “It is a sight for sore eyes for Israelis to get international support. Israel is very much dependent on the steadfast support of the American administration. And Israel finds itself in a crucial time here, where now Israel is making a very big move, a final, hopefully a final big move against Hamas in Gaza City.
Conricus continued, “And it needs international, but most importantly American support in order to get the job done. And the visit of Secretary Rubio, I think, comes at a crucial time, and it’s exactly the words and the deeds that Israel needs to be steadfast in order to have the stamina and the capacity really to fight this out and defeat Hamas.”
