Israel Announces ‘New Phase’ in War, Emphasizing Northern Front

With ‘capabilities not yet activated.’

by Christine Williams | Sept 20, 2024

Israel’s war for its own survival against the terror group Hamas has expanded since last October 7 to include the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, Hizballah in Lebanon, and intensifying skirmishes in Judea and Samaria. As a second wave of hacked pager blasts, aimed at Hizballah, rocked Lebanon — killing at least 20 and injuring 450 – Israel has announced a “new phase” in war on the northern front.

The use of their own people as human shields by Hamas and Hizballah has racked up casualties. It is a common practice among jihadists, rooted in the doctrine of Islamic martyrdom:

Let those who sell the life of this world for the next fight in the way of Allah. Whoever fights in the way of Allah, whether he is killed or victori- ous, on him we will bestow a great reward. (Quran 4:74)

In Muhammad’s words:

I would love to be martyred in Allah’s Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred. (al-Bukhari 2797:15)

“Nobody who enters Paradise will (ever like to) return to this world even if he were offered everything on the surface of the earth (as an inducement) except the martyr who will desire to return to this world and be killed ten times for the sake of the great honor that has been bestowed upon him.” (Sahih Muslim 20.4635)

Israel cannot afford to stop defending itself from obliteration because of the jihadis’ use of human shields. Anti-Israel western leaders are, as always, operating in the full knowledge that their own citizens are also fair game for jihad attacks, since the war on Israel is about Islamic expansion. Their treasonous conduct has encouraged Iran and its proxies. Hamas has made no secret of its expansionary goals. (See also HERE.)

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy was correct in his warning that if Israel loses the war with Hamas, Europe is next, as well as the US and Canada.

Given the steady stream of global propaganda against Israel, and the willingness of activist media and anti-Israel politicians to lap it up, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office released a statement (Courtesy Israel Government Press Office):

The fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acceded to every American proposal for releasing the hostages despite the ultimatum from elements in the coalition completely refutes the claim that he has torpedoed any deal whatsoever due to political considerations.

On April 27th, the Prime Minister conveyed to the mediator a framework for releasing the hostages, which Secretary of State Blinken defined as being a very generous proposal. On May 31st, the Prime Minister agreed to the US proposal, and on August 16th, he agreed to the American “final bridging proposal.”

On June 12th, Secretary of State Blinken said that Israel had agreed to the proposal while Hamas had not. On August 28th, the Deputy Director of the CIA said that Israel was showing a seriousness in the negotiations that the leader of Hamas would have to respond to. On September 9th, US Special Envoy to the Middle East McGurk said that there was no hostage release deal only because of Hamas’s refusal. On September 9th, even Benny Gantz admitted that, “Hamas has not accepted the framework for months and the world is expected to back Israel.”

The false claims in the media against Prime Minister Netanyahu echo the propaganda of the Hamas terrorist organization and invert reality. Prime Minister Netanyahu has already brought about the release of 154 hostages, 117 of whom are alive, and will continue to utilize all means to release the hostages.

Whoever wants to assist in the effort to release our hostages needs to pressure the murderer Sinwar and not the Prime Minister of Israel.

Expect anything in the “next phase” of this war. Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi has stated: “We still have many capabilities that we have not yet activated.”

Israel has justly defended itself in the face of the threat of obliteration. October 7 has not only spring-boarded the Palestinian jihad to new support globally, it has also revealed the extent of the infiltration of pro-Hamas activists and antisemites in politics and media.

Christine Douglass-Williams is Associate Editor of Frontpage, regular writer for Jihad Watch, a nine-time award-winning journalist, past Canadian government appointee to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the Office of Religious Freedom; author of “The Challenge of Modernizing Islam” and “Fired by the Canadian Government for Criticizing Is
lam”.