Gaza war update – surrender, and evidence

The past several days might have seen a turning point in the Fourth Arab-Israeli War. One week ago today (December 7), the Israel Defense Forces captured “dozens” of enemy soldiers near Jabaliya in Gaza. But that was only the beginning. As antisemitic commentators (left and right) continue to trumpet the narrative of “disproportionate response” and a “massacre of civilians,” more enemy soldiers continue to surrender. More tellingly, the IDF continues to find evidence that many who called themselves civilians, were not civilians. (At best they were sympathetic militia.) Even more tellingly, Gaza is losing civilian support as its government verges on collapse.

Timeline of surrender and evidence gathering in Gaza

As mentioned, soldiers of the Islamic Islamic Resistance Movement (Arabic Harakah al-Muqāwamah al-Islāmiyyah, abbreviated HAMAS) turned out not to be ready to die, weapons in hand, rather than surrender. Elements of the Shejaya Battalion surrendered to IDF elements near Jabaliya in Gaza. The Israelis stripped the men to their boxer-like shorts and confiscated their weapons, but did not execute them. (Source: Cullen Linebarger, The Gateway Pundit, quoting The Times of Israel.)

Mary McAuliffe, who calls herself a freelance journalist, dropped this thread. Her sympathies obviously lie with Gaza. But her photographs and video clips are likely authentic, even if her interpretation of them is suspect.

CNAV would remind Ms. McAuliffe: HAMAS would have killed IDF prisoners under similar circumstances. Nor did any IDF soldiers abuse those prisoners, sexually or otherwise.

Ynet News carried more pictures from the mass surrender last Sunday (December 10). Enemy-sympathetic media and commentators continued to insist that the men in those photos and videos were all civilians. But Ynet reported that at least one of them carried a Kalashnikov rifle. Russian small arms have been the weapons of choice for Arab armies since the 1967 Six-day War. The former Soviet Union supplied most of them.

Nor was this the most telling evidence. That actually began to come out the next day.

Evidence from a university campus

Richard Abelson, also of The Gateway Pundit, shared photographic evidence from the reconnaissance of the Al-Azhar University in Gaza. The lead photograph shows the cache the IDF found there. In the foreground one can see at least fourteen “banana clips,” which are typical Kalashnikov rifle magazines. The Israeli National News outlet Arutz-7 (pronounced “Arutz Sheva”) gives a more complete inventory:

Within the university campus, IDF troops located terror infrastructure, including an underground tunnel that ran from the university’s yard and continued to a school one kilometer away. Furthermore, numerous weapons, including explosive devices, rocket parts, launchers, explosive device detonation systems, and several technological assets were located and taken for an intelligence analysis and investigation.

This morning, Mr. Abelson shared more pictures, and another interesting report. Ismail Haniyeh, the putative head of HAMAS, suddenly is calling for negotiations. He is doing it from his luxury hotel in Qatar, as his troops continue to surrender. The IDF released video of their latest capture this morning:

In addition, the comedy show Eretz Nehederet (“Wonderful Land”) released this Saturday Night Live-like skit lampooning the HAMAS leadership:

But there’s more. Government in Gaza is collapsing – and with it the usual enforcement of morale typical of totalitarian societies. At noon today, Abelson released this story telling of “looting and chaos” in Gaza. He quotes the Jewish Press as describing the situation as “anarchy” and saying Gazans aren’t afraid of HAMAS as they once were. Police and first-response agencies are not functioning, and residents are fending for themselves. (Jewish Press also suggests that the surrendering HAMAS elements were actually deserters. That would explain the boasts that those fighters were supposed to be elite forces who would rather die than quit.)

Criticism of HAMAS by Gaza civilians

One civilian openly criticized HAMAS, in an unprecedented diatribe.

I want to convey my message to the Hamas government. May Allah take revenge on you and curse your forefathers. May Allah curse you, (Hamas leader Yahya) Al-Sinwar, you son of a dog. May Allah take revenge on you; you’ve destroyed us. We migrated from Gaza City to Khan Yunis and from Khan Yunis to Rafah. We were scattered, us and our family, our wives, our children. Give the Israeli hostages back, these dogs who are in your possession. Al-Sinwar is hiding underground with (Hamas terror leader Muhammad) Deif and all the disgusting ones like him.

The other reports coming out of Gaza might explain his attitude. HAMAS operatives would appear to be stealing humanitarian aid packages for themselves.

This 26-minute segment also shows more IDF operations.

Incredibly, HAMAS continues to enjoy majority support, both in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria (“The West Bank”). Arutz-7 has the details. A “Palestinian” pollster, Khalil Shikaki, took the survey:

A total 57% of Gazans and 82% of Judea & Samaria residents believe that Hamas was justified when it launched the October 7th terrorist attack. Only 10% believe that Hamas committed war crimes, and the large majority said that they had not watched the videos of the terrorists’ atrocities.

At the same time, 44% of Palestinian residents expressed support for Hamas, compared to only 12% in September.

Only recently has public criticism of HAMAS within the territory they govern even been thinkable. Much depends on when Mr. Shikaki actually took his survey. (Arutz-7 won’t say.)

Commentator Caroline Glick accused the Biden administration of “declar[ing] war on the Netanyahu government.”

Netanyahu now presides over a wartime unity government with elements of his pre-war ruling coalition and also elements from parties outside that coalition.

Mr. Abelson also points out that almost no one, among those who fled en masse out of Yafo in 1948, remains alive. The “refugees” of today are their descendants. The United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) ostensibly takes care of them. In fact HAMAS has been using UNRWA facilities – a fact the IDF learned when they moved in. Recently, Switzerland cut off all its funding of UNRWA – which the Biden administration has not done.

Antisemitism at home and abroad

Seemingly oblivious to this evidence, antisemitic demonstrators in America and abroad continue their propaganda offensive against Israel – and Jews everywhere. Two days ago, a Polish parliamentarian grabbed a CO₂ fire extinguisher and snuffed out the candles on the chanukiah that stood in the lobby. (Source: Kristinn Taylor, The Gateway Pundit.)

Apparently this member is “pro-Russia.” That might become relevant if, say, Ezekiel’s War (cf. Ezekiel chh. 38-39) breaks out soon.

Similarly, early Wednesday (December 13) some person(s) unknown destroyed a chanukiah in a park in Oakland, California. Ms. Taylor had the details of that story also. They left a threatening message at the scene – using unprintable language.

Note: the term menorah properly applies to the seven-member candelabrum that was part of the original Tabernacle and Temple furnishings. The correct term for the nine-member candelabrum of Hanukkah is chanukiah. (Source: Susan Marcus, Israeli Ministry of Tourism.)

Ms. Taylor also shared a story of a pro-HAMAS crowd that heckled guests of a Hanukkah ceremony at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. One can hear a female voice screaming, “We will kill you all! Occupiers!”

But inside the ceremony, White House spokesman John Kirby – a Gentile – was asked to light the Hanukkah candle for the day. No Gentile has ever had such an honor before.

He fooled around and found out!

Cullen Linebarger shared two stories, one two days ago and the other today, about an incident with possible supernatural implications. Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez launched into an impassioned diatribe against Israel, according to Yeshiva World.

We can perhaps hide from our conscience but not from history. They will not be silent, even if history remains silent. The truth will not be silent. If only you could be saved from the torment of history. You cannot be saved from the wrath of Allah. Salutations to you all.

His voice trailed off – and he collapsed where he stood. Medical staff applied cardiac massage, the usual method of Advanced Cardiac Life Support – and took him to hospital.

He remained in critical condition – and died today, according to The Daily Mail.

The Holy Bible is full of “fool around and find out” moments like this. Consider the abrupt outbreak of leprosy that struck King Uzziah when he dared burn incense in the Temple. (II Chron. 26:16-21.) Or the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira when they, having promised to bestow everything they had to a common believers’ treasury, held some of it back. (Acts 5:1-9.)

CNAV expects no better of leftists – but expects much better of those who profess the Christian faith. This incident should serve to remind people that God is not “through with national Israel.” Harold Camping said that, and had his own fool-around-and-find-out moment. After he predicted Judgment Day in 2011, and the day came and went with nothing happening, he suffered a stroke. He died, and his Family Radio empire died with him.

The evidence is accruing on the Israeli side, as if the atrocious nature of HAMAS’ acts wasn’t damning enough. People ignore it at their peril – along with the usual Muslim war cry: “First Saturday, then Sunday!”