Riots and Rockets At the Gaza Border // FAI ONLINE

Gazan rioters set fires near the border fence with Israel on Saturday night (via @manniefabian on Twitter).

Over 100 incendiary balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory last night, causing at least 19 fires in the “Gaza Envelope,” the strip of Israeli land in range of short-range rocket attacks. Upwards of 1,000 rioters also approached the security fence on Saturday evening. Known as the “Confusion Units,” they lobbed explosive devices over the fence and burned tires, prompting Israeli military units to fire both non-lethal and lethal rounds, reportedly wounding six.

In response to the violence, Israeli warplanes destroyed a Hamas compound and underground facility in retaliatory airstrikes near Gaza City and Ashkelon. The IDF released a statement confirming the strikes, reaffirming its policy that it will hold the ruling Hamas faction responsible for all attacks on Israel that originate from the Strip. In response, Gazan militants fired two rockets towards the Israeli border town of Sderot. Both were intercepted successfully by the Iron Dome system, although falling shrapnel caused damage to a nearby home, and two civilians were reportedly injured.

CLICK TO BUILD

Partner with FAI as we build on the edge of the growing eye of the storm in the Golan Heights. Our Legacy Center will stand as a bastion of solidarity with a Jewish Jerusalem as well as a beacon of refuge and hope for the surrounding nations.

The escalation comes two days after the announcement of formal diplomatic ties between the Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a highly-anticipated deal that is expected to be the first of many between the Jewish State and her Arab neighbors. Hamas condemned the agreement on Friday, while its rival, the Palestinian Authority, recalled its diplomatic envoy from Dubai in anger. Israel agreed to forestall it’s annexation of portions of the West Bank as part of the deal, but no other concessions were made vis-à-vis the Palestinians, signaling a massive shift in Israeli-Arab dynamics.

We ask our FAI global family to join us in continued prayer for the people of Israel and Gaza, who have been terrorized by Hamas on both sides of the security fence for more than a decade. We ask for a divine shield around civilians and those standing to defend them, and for divine wisdom to be granted to Israeli authorities and commanders, as they continue to navigate an increasingly complex and treacherous time.

Maranatha.