JERUSALEM, Israel – America is putting big pressure on Israel not to invade the last stronghold of Hamas, the city of Rafah. However, a top evangelical is warning the U.S. could find itself in big trouble if it opposes Israel too harshly, and thousands of Christians are coming to the Holy Land to help Israel in its hour of need.
Israel's defense minister in Gaza and the U.S. secretary of state in Washington promise that a new maritime corridor will allow massive amounts of aid to go straight from the Mediterranean Sea to Gaza's starving civilians. It will bypass Hamas and criminal gangs who have hijacked much of the aid brought overland and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant points out Israeli troops will guard it.
He added, "That will facilitate the delivery of supplies to civilians and not to Hamas. Every action of this kind weakens Hamas and strengthens our control."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared, "This corridor will enable the distribution of up to 2 million meals every single day, as well as medicine, water, and other critical humanitarian supplies."
As for Hamas, many nations, including the U.S., strongly oppose Israel invading Hamas' last stronghold of Rafah. The terror group may think Israel will buckle to international pressure and leave Rafah alone.
Not so, says Gallant.
"There is no safe place for terrorists in Gaza. Even those who may think that we are delayed will soon see that we can reach any place. We will eliminate Hamas," Gallant insisted.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Israel will give Rafah's civilians plenty of time to get out of harm's way.
The IDF says it is creating "humanitarian islands" in the middle of Gaza where displaced Palestinians can go for refuge.
Still, Blinken is demanding Israel retool its war goals and make guarding the lives of civilians in Gaza its top mission – not wiping out Hamas and preventing future October 7th-style massacres.
"Protecting civilians, getting people the assistance they need. That has to be job number one," Blinken said.
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Tony Perkins heads up the Family Research Council, an evangelical think tank in Washington. On a trip to Israel this week, Perkins warned the U.S. had better watch out for how much it opposes Israel in this war because he believes America's fate may be on the line.
In an interview at CBN News' Jerusalem bureau, Perkins said, "I think America's future is intertwined with Israel's future. When you look at where America has gone in the last 60 years, as we've moved away from the Word of God, the ways of God, I think the only reason God has sustained America is because of our stand with Israel, and that we've been a bulwark for this land we're standing on."
Perkins believes much is at stake for the U.S. when it comes to Israel.
"Not only our most strategic ally here in the Middle East from a military standpoint, from a political standpoint, but from a spiritual standpoint," Perkins claimed.
One big problem for Israel is how many of its young workers and farmers had to leave their jobs and their fields to go fight in the war.
Yet, pro-Israel Christians from around the world are showing up to pick the crops and do other jobs those Israelis had to leave behind.
Anne-Marie Farine, a volunteer from Switzerland, stated, "It’s an honor to serve this land, and to be near you, to cry with you, to pray with you, to hope with you, to believe with you. And, yes, I stand here with all my faith in the God of Israel, that Shomer Yisrael (Guardian of Israel) that he doesn’t leave his people and that he will have full victory in this war against evil.”
No matter how many nations turn against Israel because of the war, these Christians say they won't.
“I know the whole world hates Israel. And I want to say, and we want to say, as a group, we love Israel. And we stand behind you," said Ganni Van Veen, a volunteer from The Netherlands.
Gitten Oholm, a volunteer from Sweden, remarked, “I am so glad to be here to say that there are thousands of people in Sweden that support and love Israel.”
War worries have slashed the number of daily visitors to Israel from 15,000 to just 3,000. And these faith-based volunteers make up one-third to one-half of those visitors.
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