Global SITREP A10-25: Operation Gideon's Chariots

One of several massive Israeli strikes in Gaza, this one in Jabaliya.

UPDATED 16 May 2025: This SITREP begins essentially as a continuation of the last segment of SITREP A9-25, "Israel's Military Conquest of Gaza," and nomenclatured as "Operation Gideon's Chariots" by the IDF. As noted, this Operation might have had a preemption during this past week (12-16 May) had the Gaza terrorists of HAMAS and the PIJ made significant moves toward releasing all remaining hostages (dead or alive). This did not take place during the stipulated 'Window of Opportunity" during the American president's visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

Israel is seven hours ahead of the US meaning that the Israeli Cabinet-approved Operation Gideon's Chariots commenced several hours ago with massive airstrikes all across Gaza in preparation for the IDF introduction of massive armor and infantry movement into the enclave. The objective is to capture and occupy completely the whole of Gaza and eliminate all terrorists within it. As you might expect this operation entails a long-term plan and IDF presence in Gaza. This will not be a typical "in and out" IDF operation. This is a military conquest in the truest sense of the word.

IRAN 

Also as noted in SITREP A9-25, this past week was Iran's final opportunity to secure a nuclear agreement with the United States. As President Trump departed the UAE he spoke to this, telling assembled media: 

"Iran has an American offer regarding the nuclear program and needs to move fast or something bad will happen."

The obvious question here is, how fast? Perhaps as fast as it takes for Trump to return to the White House Situation Room. Clock ticking.

21 May 2025: The IDF Operation Gideon's Chariots continues apace with more than one hundred fifteen targets in Gaza struck in the past 24 hours. IDF naval and ground forces are press their assaults against terrorists above and below ground level with hundreds of the enemy killed in action. Thus far the IDF has sectioned Gaza into several distinct parcels of land and creating buffers between each of them to preempt any possibility of terrorist enemy force's ability to reinforce and/or rally. At the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza IDF reservists and civilian activists blocked access for aid trucks to enter the strip, vowing to halt aid shipments while HAMAS and PIJ hostages continue to be held in squalor and depraved conditions. IDF CoS MG Eyal Zamir revealed yesterday that a new phase of this operation is just beginning that will showcase increased firepower, maneuver combat that will clear and destroy all infrastructure and opposition encountered.

Most astute observers are noting that the prospect of continued US-Iran nuclear talks progressing are all but exhausted leading to some global media reports suggesting that a unilateral Israeli operation to strike Iranian nuclear sites may be imminent. The Iranian Twelver regime opines that these reports are simply psychological operations (PSYOPS) intended to frighten them. Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that President Trump's 60-day ultimatum for successful negotiations "or bad things will happen" expired several days ago. The ultimatum was no bluff and certain member of the regime's elite in Tehran understand this implicitly. This has created internal division with some expressing the view that the regime's days are finitely numbered due to kinetic external threats and internal rebellion.

UPDATE 30 May 2025: Eschatology Today has had issues with the actions of President Trump during his recent Middle East trip, in particular the catering to the interests of Islamic nations, Sunni and Shi'a, on the Arabian Gulf. These issues were overcome due to the strong conviction that the LORD God has put our president in a position of power in the furtherance of His sovereign will in these 'last days.' However, in recent days the underlying and extremely secular rationale behind the Trump Administration's agenda has become quite transparent and explicit with respect to Syria which is now led by the supposedly reformed Al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed Al-Sharaa (al-Jolani). 

As recently noted in the comments section of this SITREP, the current U.S. intelligence assessment is that the Syrian "transitional government" is in a precarious situation given the existential pressures facing it. The Alawite-Ba'athist regime of Bashar al-Assad fell earlier this year, but the military threat posed by former regime members and their foreign allies may yet result in a catastrophic, full-scale civil war and collapse of the "transitional government" in Damascus. 

Students of prophetic Scripture should understand precisely what this means as it presents the possibility of an uncontrollable civil war in Syria which involves Israel. Isaiah 17 speaks to the ruination of Damascus and the collapse of the Syrian state. Such a result need not necessarily occur due to a nuclear strike upon Damascus, but by an intense civil war that also consumes the entire country. The prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 49:23-27) also laments the destruction of Damascus. These prophecies foretell of a coming all-consuming war for Syria and great destruction inflicted upon Israel as well. 

Thus, it appears as though the Trump Administration through its overtures to Syria as it exists today may be an attempt to preempt the assessment of US intelligence agencies. Nevertheless, what the LORD God has spoken through the prophets will take place and the American administration's efforts to forestall will come to nothing. It is written!

Current military situation in Syria.

The above enlargeable map indicates former Al-Assad regime insurgent strongholds as red colored dots and elipses. The strikes in Tartus and Latakia tonight were directed at missile storage depots.

Mark of the Beast tech is here. E-Tattoo.

Global SITREP A9-24: The End of HAMAS and The War in the North Part IV

10 May 2024: Israel will do what Israel must do. Eliminating the primary jihadist threat of HAMAS and its Islamic Jihad allies in Gaza is the first priority of what must be done. The IDF will expand its military operations far beyond the eastern section of Rafah and in so doing annihilate the remaining for or so "battalions" of the terrorists in southern Gaza over the coming days or even weeks. The thing is that despite all pressures and intimidations thrown at Israel by the leftist Biden Administration and Globalist allies, the IDF is now fully engaged in the battle in southern Gaza and will in the coming weeks remain engaged in the search and destroy mission of terrorist arsenals (i.e. continuous demilitarization) hidden underground throughout Gaza. This time, finally, "Never Again" actually means "Never Again." Then the IDF will move against the terrorists in the north and will do so according the Scripture that results in a finality of Israel living peacefully, secure within the borders and none outside making them afraid... at least for a short while when the country will recover from these wars.

We make special note of the fact that signs in the sun, moon and stars are occurring now and throughout this year - as we've discussed previously. We've attained the level of technological development (increased knowledge) that would have made observation of these phenomena with the human eye impossible in the past. Wars and rumors of war, even of the nuclear variety, continue unabated. Global tectonics are driving seismic activity to higher levels that before. Global pestilences, plagues, famines are a constant concern as well. As the Lord said, fear not, these things must take place, and then the end will come. Marana'tha!

Global SITREP A3-24: Gaza Endgame

GAZA ENDGAME

FINAL UPDATE 29 February 2024:  The final update to this SITREP is to correlate the 19 February SITREP A3-24 initial entry and the comment made five days ago (24 February) at 5:17 AM. 

The combination of these two stand as a significant development concerning Psalm 83:2-4 where the so-called "inner ring" of Israel's enemies have been called together to consult together against the people of Israel in the capital city of the Ezekiel 38-39 nation known as Magog. 

The consultation of Israel's enemies is now in progress in Moscow having commenced this morning, 29 February 2024. This coincides with the IDF ultimatum for the terrorists to surrender all of the remaining hostages, or their deceased bodies, within ten days time, that is, no later than 10 March 2024, or a full-scale IDF incursion into Rafah will be executed. The military goal of the Rafah operation is to locate and liberate those "sheltered ones" (hostages) and eradicate the remaining four brigades of HAMAS and its allied terrorist forces. 

Sundown on 10 March also marks the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. As the remnants of the terrorists who had no regard whatsoever and began their slaughter and capture of Israeli women and children on Simchat Torah, so too are there calls for the IDF to show no restraint anywhere in Gaza, or Lebanon for that matter, during Ramadan. 

On Tuesday, 27 February Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant went public with the intelligence and resulting situational assessment of the terrorists plan to turn the month of Ramadan, with emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, into phase two of their war plan against Israel that began on October 7, with amplification of this plan being provided by Iran and Hezbollah. 

Again, be wary of disinformation being disseminated in all media with global reach; deceit and deception are running rampant as we can all see these days. 

Elbit Hermes-450 UAV

26 February 2024: Eschatology Today assesses that a significant series of actions took place earlier today (afternoon in Israel) in the airspace over Lebanon and on the ground in the Hezbollah-heavy Bekaa Valley. Hezbollah used a surface-to-air missile (SAM) to shoot down an IDF reconnaissance drone (Hermes 450 image above). 

The initial action in the morning was the detection of an unidentified type of aircraft entering Israeli airspace in the Galilee region. A David's Sling interceptor shot the intruder aircraft out of the sky with parts of the wreckage landing near a synagogue in the town of Alon Tavor (between Afula and Kfar Tavor). Alon Tavor is the site of a three-generator 600 megawatt power generating station serving northern Israel and adjacent metal industrial plant. These are obvious high value co-located targets for Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's Bekaa Valley, Northern Lebanon

This was followed by the IDF's Hermes-450 UAV conducting its surveillance mission over Lebanon and its subsequent shoot-down by a Hezbollah SAM. The Hermes 450 wreckage came down on Lebanese territory. Immediately thereafter IAF strike aircraft were launched and began systematically attacking Hezbollah's Aerial Defense Array in northern Lebanon's Bekaa (Beqaa) Valley seen in the map above. 

The assessed significance of the Bekaa Valley airstrikes is that they recall to memory the IDF's June 1982 "Operation: Peace for the Galilee" of forty-two years ago. Most folks born in 1982 or afterwards almost certainly have little, if any, knowledge of this cross-border war and the loss of life which ensued. The "Peace for Galilee" operation was executed to remove the threat of cross-border bombardment from southern Lebanon on Israel's border communities. Sound familiar? 

This time it's not the PLO bombarding northern Israeli towns from southern Lebanon, but Iran's primary and very heavily-armed proxy Hezbollah. As the IAF (F-15I Ra'am and F-16 Sufa with Cobra and Defender attack helicopters) took control of Lebanese skies IDF ground forces invaded along three south-to-north access routes destroying all enemy bases and logistics in their path. And this time it's not Syrian SAM sites defend the Bekaa, but Hezbollah's Iranian-supplied SAMs, which some say may now eclipse the Syrian SAM systems which constituted the deadliest SAM environment on planet earth at that time, even more so than in Russia itself! 

Syrian and possibly even Russian air defense sites in Syria could tango with the IAF during this coming engagement. It can be expected that the Israel Defense Forces have fine-tuned the coming engagement so as to methodically degrade and ultimately decimate the enemy before them, probably to the Litani River and beyond if not all the way to the Bekaa Valley.

19 February 2024: SITREP A3-24 Gaza Endgame is intended to be a gap-filler for the next 20 days or so. March 10 is according to Israeli military command is the deadline upon which HAMAS and its associate terrorist organizations must unilaterally release all hostages (dead or alive) or face the IDF entering Rafah in full force. During this 20-day or so interim we'll attempt to capture important developments as Israel stands against the world in denial of the creation or recognition of a "Palestinian state" within its borders, and the threat of war with Hezbollah and/or enemies based in Syria. 

Global SITREP C4-22: Expectation of a Crescendo - Part II

French paratroopers make a combat jump into Estonia

UPDATE 27 June 2022: NATO announced today that the size of its Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) will increase in size eight-fold from 40,000 troops to 320,000 troops. This increase is unprecedented in the history of NATO and a direct response, albeit belated, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

NATO SECGEN Jens Stoltenberg used diplomatic-speak in saying the eight-fold increase is due, in part, to NATO entering into "an era of strategic competition." Horsefeathers! It's brute force being called up to meet head on with the brute force and not-so-subtle sabre rattling of the Russian Federation. 

It is also not really surprising that this announcement was made today, just three days prior to the promised date (June 30th) of Russia's announced retaliation for the NATO "blockade" of its Kaliningrad enclave wedged in between Poland and Lithuania.

And Russia isn't the only strategic threat NATO is addressing with this expanding RRF as Communist China's threats to NATO and its partners in the WESTPAC region also are rapidly approaching critical mass. If any doubt arise concerning the prophetically important aspect involved one need only refer to Daniel 11:44. Yes, the world is that close, and getting closer with each passing day.

25 June 2022: Yesterday saw the SCOTUS render its decision to overturn an abomination that has plagued this nation for nearly 50 years. And we can make no mistake about it - this was a decision made by God Almighty, and we had a part in it in the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump to be President of the United States. No Democrat so elected would ever have made the reversal of Roe v. Wade a critical item on his/her agenda. In fact, neither Ronald W. Reagan nor the father-son tandem of George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush made a commitment to follow through on their campaign pledges to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Donald J. Trump made such a commitment and he followed through with it as the opportunity to nominate and seat truly conservative SCOTUS justices (Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett) was placed before him by our God. These three joined Justices Thomas and Alito, and therein lies the 5-4 decision victory for the sanctity of human life created in the image of God. Yes, God made the decision and He chose Donald J. Trump to effect its execution, even though the evil opposition was successful - at least and perhaps just temporarily - in removing him by illegal and unlawful means. Today and going forward, all churches who worship God can rejoice as one Church in Christ Jesus. 

This is a tangible reminder that our Sovereign God is in complete control; His Divine will has been done. As Christian Americans it will be our duty, fully armored by God, to maintain it by our votes in November, should we still be here to do so. Marana'tha!

24 June 2022: In yesterday's edition of Arutz Sheva's (7INN) briefs section was found a very interesting article by Rabbi Nachman Kahana. This article informed about the ancient Israelite practices following the Exodus from Egypt and how each breaking down of an encampment had four Levites chosen to carry the Holy Ark to the next encampment site. At this time the Holy Ark led Israel into the battles to secure the Promised Land. 

Going forward, and following the destruction of the Second Temple, it became customary to construct batei knesset (synagogues) according to the basic design of the interior of the previous Temples. According to rabbinic tradition (and opinion) the Aron HaKodesh housed Torah scrolls just as the first two Temples had the Holy of Holies (Kodesh Kedoshim) within which was the Holy Ark that contained the broken pieces of the first Tablets, the two whole replacement Tablets and a Torah scroll. To this day the Torah scrolls are contained in a symbolic Ark which is adorned "with esthetic and artistic accessories because they are sanctified entities and the closest objects Israel has today to the Temple (Bet Hamikdash) and the Holy Ark." 

IDF Major Ronen  Aharon is the commander at the HQ of the military rabbinate near Ramle, Israel. It is here that one will find hundreds of Torah scrolls, many donated to Israel's Ministry of Defense, that are being meticulously prepared for delivery IDF unit, from the northern border to the Sinai where the original Torah was received. This is being done in accordance with Israeli military law for every active and called-up reserve unit of the IDF. As in the image above, the highly revered Torah that each unit receives lead that unit into its deployment. As Rabbi Kahana makes clear, cost is no object in this endeavor. The IDF goes henceforth into battle led by hundreds of meticulous copies of the Holy Torah.

Israel Mapping Hezbollah's Military Sites

23 June 2022: With a hat-tip to our brother-in-Christ Chuck, Eschatology Today is pleased to present Part II of our "Expectation of a Crescendo" series SITREP. Additions to SITREP C4-22 will be added as we move forward or as they happen.

The information presented here can be found, and is free to all, at the website of the ALMA Research and Education Center. Consider a donation to the site if you are so led, as I have been. Mostly, I feel led due to the deterrence (and angst) the ALMA organization is causing and creating within the upper ranks of the terror organization. Much of that is due to simply the content published online and the effect it has been having. Especially the publishing of details about Hezbollah's military installations and sites in southern Lebanon. 

To be sure, much of this is very likely known to the intelligence services of the IDF, but there are likely aspects of the OSINT that have added to the overall intel picture the IDF possesses about Hezbollah's military sites. We've reported here many times over that the IDF's brass have stated abundantly that in the coming war Hezbollah will cease to exist. The prophecy of Joshua 13 would appear to foretell that coming reality in geographic detail.

Global SITREP F3-21: Zero Hour - Part II

Russia's Khmeimim Air Base, Syria

UPDATE 17 December 2021:  Eschatology Today's decade-old interpretation of Jeremiah 49:34-39 indicating a coalition of nations acting against the Twelver regime's nuclear weapons program, much to the delight of Israel, is once again on the front, high-heat burner with the collapse of the Vienna negotiations. 

As became clear this past week there is no hope for a return the the all but dead 2015 JCPOA agreement whose funeral will be attended by Caolition airstrikes on Irans known nuclear sites and several others previously known only in intelligence circles or fleeting references by former Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu.

7 December 2021: Very early in the very early hours this morning the IAF conducted a precision air strike on the port facility at Latakia. In Eschatology Today's analysis this strike could have profound repercussions for one major reason and one minor reason. 

The minor reason is the proximity of today's IAF strike to Russia's Khmeimim Air Base which lies just 5 miles southeast of the Latakia port facility. This is a very sensitive area when it comes to Israeli air strikes in Syria. Not the least of which is the IAF air strike in 2018 when wildly firing Syrian air defenses shot down a Russian patrol aircraft killing all crewmen aboard. Russia blamed Israel for causing the shootdown, characterizing its air operation as reckless endangerment of its forces in Syria. As a result the S-400 Air Defense System was deployed (see map above) to Khmeimim AB in addition to S-300, S200 and other short range air defense systems. 

The important thing here his Israel has repeatedly struck targets in Latakia port, and every one of the strikes here since 2013 has been against Iranian missile and weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Such is the case with today's air strike. A containerized shipment of missiles was recently offloaded from the Iranian cargo ship MV Artabaz which had transited directly from the Iranian port at Bandar Abbas. 

It's no secret that Russia's preference is for Iranian forces to get out of Syria. Russia has looked the other way in recent months when Israel turns Iranian weapons shipments into scrap metal within hours of their arrival in Syria. The assessment is that Russia views the Israeli strikes as serving its interest in removing Iran, and because Iran has taken advantage of the location of the base in Khmeimim to clandestinely transfer war materiel into Syria. This is the minor reason of concern.

The major reason of concern is that Syria's Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, has just completed a visit to Tehran where he assured the Twelver regime that Syria would defend Iranian military forces in his country. In less than 12 hours Israel promptly put the lie to that Syrian promise, at least thus far it has, with today's strike upon Iranian missile containers on the dock at port Latakia destined for transfer to Hezbollah. Should Syria be foolish enough to make good on its promise to retaliate directly against Israel with rocket or missile strikes of its own - then this situation will take on the acutely prophetic prospect of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27 fulfillment. 

Iranian weapons burning at Port Latakia, Syria this morning.

Updates as they occur. Check the comments for other info.

 5 December 2021: The details surrounding Israel's success against the Twelver regime's nuclear progress in recent months was revealed last Thursday by The Jewish Chronicle dot com. 

Photo Credit: Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Details can be found at TheJC website. In sum, the article reveals that a team of 1,000 Mossad analysts, technicians and many subject matter experts assisted greatly by 10 Iranian dissident scientists were responsible for the July 2020, April 2021 and June 2021 attacks on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities, chief among them the A1000 centrifuge hall at Natanz (image above). 

In the months since then Iran has restored those interrupted capabilities and now, as we've discussed recently, has embarked upon the path to breakout nuclear weapons capability by further enriching the 60% HEU to 90% weapons grade HEU. This is now apparent even to the Western nuclear negotiators in Vienna who on Friday suspended further talks with the Iranian delegation which has been playing them for fools while pushing hard to manufacture their nuclear weapons.

What is also clear is that prophecy found in Jeremiah 49:36 where the  prophet quotes the Lord saying "Against Elam (Iran) I will bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven..." Eschatology Today has long interpreted this phrase to indicate coalition warfare against the Iranian nuclear threat, and still ultimately hold to that interpretation. 

However, as TheJC article makes very clear Israel has embedded in Iran a very large and capable force which has been repeatedly assaulting Iranian nuclear activities for two years with more and greater assaults coming in 2022. In this Israel has surrounded Iran nuclear prize from within Iran itself; the Israeli and Iranian dissident cohort has struck from every direction on the compass.

The coming attack, either this month or next in 2022 will be a full-scale assault at the heart of Iran's nuclear program. With the Vienna talks halted, and as we've stated recently, their is nothing further to restrain finishing the job of denuclearizing the mullahs in Tehran. We've hinted at this for some time now and perhaps you'll recall past SITREP'S that spoke of the new IDF military doctrine known as Israel Victory. Well, Israel Victory has now come to Iran in a way few imagined. 

The Iranian regime is frightened, and to not expect them to lash out with their proxies in Syria, Hezbollah, HAMAS in Gaza and Judea and Samaria and even in Yemen simply makes no sense. They will lash out in a desperate attempt to salvage the Shi'a eschatology from certain oblivion. That lashing out will without question trigger the full-assault the IDF has been preparing for these past months, with or without allied military participation.

There will be updates to this SITREP, probably sooner rather than later.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP G10-21: IDF Defense Ministry Compromise

US B-1B Lancer and IAF F-15I "Ra'am"

21 November 2021: In the past two days news in primarily Israeli media began to emerge of a potentially massive intelligence and security breach within the private residence of Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz. An apparent lack of background checking by the Shin Bet security service appears to have allowed a common criminal, Omri Goren Gorochovsky, a repeatedly jailed bank robber, to work as a domestic cleaner with complete access in the Gantz residence. 

Gorochovsky, according to Shin Bet, had contacted an Iranian cyber operation known as Black Shadow (a/k/a 'Moses Staff') with an offer of classified intelligence and the installation of malware into Gantz' home computer in exchange for cash payment. The contact with Black Shadow via Telegram occurred after Israeli media openly reported on the groups attempts to penetrate Israeli security in October. It is reported that until Gorochovsky's discovery by Israeli counter-intelligence his access and activities inside the Gantz private residence had been continuous since April 2019. Now it appears, as one might expect, a cover is being laid over the three years of Gorochovsky's spying activities, the full extent of which might not ever be revealed.

Considering all that has taken place in Israel, and in its relations with the US, and pending almost certain military action against the Iranian nuclear program as the above image attests, the incredible damage that have occurred in the revealing of classified planning for such a strike, the nations involved and details of the same are incalculable. It is also recalled that Gantz' personal cellphone was hacked by Iranian intelligence in 2019. Personal details (PII) on hundreds of IDF soldiers were released, IDF deployments including that of an entire combat brigade, have also been released, so there is no question that a massive security breach had taken place. If Gorochovsky's activities are not solely responsible for this security breach, then there are other well placed moles within Israel's defense establishment. We'll see how this develops if more revelations are forthcoming.

 

Global SITREP C6-20: Eyes on Lebanon

 

Hezbollah's Beirut Missile Sites

4 October 2020: With the IDF's very public releasing of intelligence this week (GPS image above) on Hezbollah's precision missile manufacturing sites in residential neighborhoods of Beirut, it isn't, pun intended, "rocket science" to assess that precision Israel Air Force strikes on these locations are an imminent probability.

Poor Beirut, as if it hasn't had an abundance of of massive explosions and fires of late, it's problems have compounded thanks to Hezbollah's stupidity. Following the IDF intel release, which PM Netanyahu had promptly revealed to the world during his U.N. address, Hezbollah organized a rather hasty tour for media through the neighborhood buildings and structures which had been identified, as if to show Israel's intel was bogus. 

To the contrary, the video tour validated the Israeli intel as beyond reproach as specific machinery and dual use technologies (lasers, hydraulic and manual metal benders) for precision rocket manufacturing were clearly identified in the Beirut residential neighborhoods of Janah, Laylaki and Chouaifet. The Hezbollah factories are located under apartment buildings adjacent to a mosque, gas station and a medical facility.

Hezbollah did not deserve this advance warning of Israel's intelligence gathering successes and detailed knowledge of its activities, yet it serves as the clearest warning possible to the people in these Beirut neighborhoods and Hezbollah itself of exactly where the next IAF air assault will occur. 

Given recent history since 4 August in Beirut one can understand how the local population feels about Hezbollah and its Iranian masters activities underneath their homes, wives and children. We will probably read about the IAF knocking on the roofs of these structures as a final warning for the people to move, or for them to dismantle the factories themselves before Israel does.

Our eyes remain on Beirut, and elsewhere.

Global SITREP A9-20: Big Operations Coming and Ongoing

Merkava Mk4 MBT

UPDATE BELOW 24 February 2020: All indications point towards the IDF launching major military operations to fundamentally if not radically change the situation in Gaza. Such an operation could easily expand to operations against other military adversaries in the north.

Exact execution date/time is unknown, but it is close, possibly even within a week or so after the new election. The Likud currently leads in polling data, so PM Netanyahu may believe he has a free hand to do what has been promised for so long in the near term.

Map from Global SITREP C10-18  07SEP20`8

28 February 2020: Based upon the prophecy in Jeremiah 49:23-27 Eschatology Today has multipleblog posts anticipating a mjaor escalation in the fighting in northwestern Syria (Idlib Province) for the better part of two years. 

This morning an emergency meeting of NATO, under Article 4 of the NATO charter, will occur at Turkey's request following an airstrike last evening by the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) on Turkish armed forces in Idlib. The SAAF strike killed 33 Turkish soldiers. In retaliation Turkish airstrikes have been pounding a broad range of Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions and depots for hours on end, with the Turkish defense ministry estimating the neutralizing of at least 300 SAA troops, and other foreign sources estimating only a couple dozen SAA troops have been killed in the ongoing retaliation. 

Thus, the crisis between Turkey and Russia/Iran-backed Syria has reached an unprecedented level of escalation. Additionally, multiple intelligence reports confirm that two Russian naval frigates armed with Kalibur-NK cruise missiles have deployed the Mediterranean Sea from the RussianBlack Sea Fleet. One Russian lawmaker has directly threatened the Turkish forces. The cruise missiles almost certainly would be used against Turkish forces. Ironically, the Turkish forces in Idlib are there under an agreement with Russia to defend ethnic Turks from the SAA. Turkey and Russia are no where near being allies, even Iran is predicting a Turkish defeat in Syria.

In southern Syria last night there was a significant engagement between IDF attack helicopters and "Syrian" troops in the area between Hader and Quneitra on the Golan. The "Syrian" troops could be a mix of SAA, Hezbollah and IRGC-QF troops who are well-known to disguise themselves in SAA uniforms. There were two separate IDF heliborne strikes yesterday. In the first a high-level Hezbollah officer, Imad Tawil, was reportedly killed; in the second several of the "Syrian" troops were severely injured. These troops have been busy establishing forward combat positions on the Golan for IRGC-QF operations against Israel.

New developments today may resolve some of the ambiguities in current OSINT reporting. Watching closely...

Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAV

UPDATE 10 March 2020: The crisis discussed above can now be understood in very clear terms. The all but full-scale war in Idlib, which had a good chance of pitting Turkey directly against Russian forces in Syria, resulted in an unambiguous Turkish victory. 

The hundreds of Syrian tanks and armored vehicles that were destroyed in and around the town of Saraqeb owe their miserable fate largely to the Turkish drone imaged above, the Bayraktar TB2. The relatively cheap drone was instrumental in not only halting the Syrians in their tracks but in getting Vladimir Putin's undivided attention. This resulted in the Erdogan-Putin summit and ceasefire agreement of last Thursday. Putin's attention was piqued by the fact that Turkey has sold several of the Bayraktar TB2 drones to Ukraine which could easily be turned loose on pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine to devastating effect.

Skirmishing in Idlib is sporadic, but these are nothing like the pitched battle of two weeks ago which destroyed the Syrian Army day and night without cessation. Russia could have intervened directly, but the cost over a small province such as Idlib was obviously not something Putin would go all-in on. So, for the moment a fragile ceasefire remains in place. Hundred of Turkish Army reinforcements have flooded into Idlib during the present lull. And that's all this is, a lull in the fighting.

Global SITREP B3-19: The Gaza Op and Syria Strike

The Chief of staff at the briefing for commanders and combatants in the Southern Conference area, Friday, 29 March 2019.

UPDATE 30 March 2019: The lines are all in battle array; orders given (image above). Warning from the factions in Gaza; Israel responding "Don't do it."  HAMAS had included in its final set of demands the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. Shots have been fired this morning and a critical head wound to a Gazan combatant occurred east of Jabalia in the northern part of the strip. Other injuries reported in other sectors as 1 PM Israel Daylight Time (IDT) approaches. High explosive/high yield IEDs were thrown at IDF troops. Heavy gunfire by IDF against groups of enemy combatats attempting to breach the security fence at Gaza and Rafah (northern and southern strip). Use this detailed map for location data.

Occasional volleys of tear gas are being used by IDF troops to keep Gazans from getting to close to the 20-foot tall security fence. The 300-meter no go zone adjacent to the fence in side Gaza is being strictly enforced. The level of violence on the border varies sector by sector.

With this as the current status, there will be near real-time updates during the day...

Screen capture of IAF strike on IRGC-QF depot near Aleppo 27MAR19

28 March 2019: SYRIA - As noted in real-time comments to this SITREP last evening, a major air strike was launched around midnight IST by Israel on an IRGC-QF weapons depot in an indistrial area northeast of Aleppo known as Sheikh Najjar. Reports vary claiming 7 to 10 Iranian soldiers were killed in the strike. The initial strike and secondary blasts of detonating ordnance rocked the entire region for hours afterwards, cut power to Aleppo city and caused general chaos according to Syrian rebel sources which recorded the event on cell phones and posted to social media in near-real time.

Immediately after the strike the airspace over the Golan Heights east of the Jordan River was closed when Israel issued a NOTAM to all air traffic above 5000 feet. This air region is part of the Tel Aviv FIR (Flight Information Region). Israel's air defenses are on full alert status.

GAZA - The terror coming out of Gaza continues unabated. IED-laden balloons, grenades and even IED-drones are being sent over the security fence into the Negev and Eshol Regional Council areas this morning. Reports (coming from Gaza) of an agreed upon truce are being taken with an enormous dose of salt; one would have to be mentally unstable to believe anything the Gaza jihadists have to say. The Egyptian shuttle diplomacy mission returned to Israel with the factions response to the Israeli ultimatum on total disarmament and inspections. No one is holding their breath, even as IDF forces continue to flow southwards.

This is the fourth "war" in the Gaza region since HAMAS' takeover of the strip in 2007. The Israeli public is overwhelmingly calling for a permanent resolution to the Gaza terror; Israeli civilians in this region are at the breaking point with their rage against the terror and inaction by the Natanyahu government. The Natanyahu government's continued existence hangs in the electoral balance in the voting scheduled for 9 April.  

IDF armored troops ready their Merkave Mk.IV 'Barak' Main Battle Tank
These AI-enhanced tanks were designed for urban insurgent combat in Gaza.

IDF armor in ready position at one point on the Gaza border today.

26 March 2019: This is as near to a real-time SITREP as has ever been done on Eschatology Today. Collection activity continues in real-time as this is being prepped for posting.

The IDF has had hundreds of its armored forces in ready assault positions around Gaza for most of the day today, even as more armor and tracked heavy artillery are seen on Israel's highways streaming south as recently as 7 PM EDT this evening. 

The current status is that PM Netanyahu, IDF general staff and cabinet ministers remain in a highly classified security assessment meeting. At the conclusion of the assessment it is expected the order will be given for ground operations to commence inside Gaza. In addition to the battalion of heavy artillery that has been mobilized and sent south, the 35th Airborne Regiment has also been ordered to deploy to Gaza.  

The last HAMAS rocket launched into Israel about two hours ago; it was shot down over Ashkelon by an Iron Dome interceptor. Nothing more than shrapnel landed on a residential house. The IAF has been active for some time this evening striking dozens of HAMAS and other identified targets.

Meanwhile, Syria has requested a U.N. Security Council meeting on the Golan Heights, and rumors of Hezbollah threats to intervene on HAMAS behalf continue to percolate.

Global SITREP E2-18: IDF Operation Northern Shield

FINAL UPDATE 16 December 2018:  Comments that were made yesterday and early this morning are going to constitute the final update for this SITREP.

The shoot down of the Russian IL-22M (NATO Name: Coot-A) ELINT aircraft (See: Global SITREP D1-18: The End-Game in Syria?) in mid-September did indeed launch the "end-game" in Syria. In fact, that critical event has become the direct impetus for the literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 38:7 NKJV, which reads:

"Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them."

Here are the details of which Eschatology Today is now fully aware. One week ago a senior IDF military delegation, led by IDF Operations commander Major General Aharon Haliva, and his staff traveled to Moscow to meet with his direct Russian Federation military counterpart.  

Now understand this, most published media accounts, including and especially Israeli media, about this allegedly high-level face-to-face meeting are disinformative at best. These reports deliberately obscure the true net results of what took place. There is one exception that Eschatology Today located yesterday, and that report was published by YNet News yesterday morning.

The senior Russian officer did not meet with MG Haliva. In fact MG Haliva and his staff were snubbed completely by the Russians. The Russian officer who did meet with MG Haliva was his subordinate stand-in, Major General Vasily Trushin. This thing here is that MG Trushin, who is about to retire, has no direct connection to the Russian military operations in Syria. According to an un-named IDF official, MG Trushin is the only Russian military officer to have any regular contact whatsoever with Israel since the Coot-A shoot down by Syrian forces. As reported by Ynet News, 

"Furthermore, the Russians set the date for the meeting knowing full well that their chief of military operations, chief of staff, defense minister, and a large part of the Russian military brass would not even be in the country during Haliva’s visit."

 These details are critically instructive about what the IDF delegation actually returned from Russia with. And that is nothing more than a continuation of discussions on "security coordination" in Syria through which zero of substance is accomplished. Israel, as represented by the IDF, was snubbed in the most overt, in-your-face manner possible by Russia. Israel's best efforts at diffusing tensions with Russia, which are not Israel's fault but Syria's, have been repeatedly rejected. Moreover, the Russians have given the Iranian military forces in Syria, including Hezbollah, the freedom to disguise themselves by flying the Russian flag wherever they may be operating. 

This is essentially Russia fulfilling in real-time the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:7 in guarding them from Israeli military attacks and allowing Iranian and Syrian forces to soon fire upon Israel from their positions flying the Russian flag. What takes place next, preemptive or not, is eminently predictable as we know from several of the ancient Hebrew prophets God-breathed texts.

14 December 2018: The case for direct linkage of several major prophecies (i.e. prophetic dominoes) is becoming easier with each passing day. Take Isaiah 17 for example. There's some intel circulating in the past few days, especially since the alleged IAF strikes on Kisweh and Harfa of a week ago (AFP image above), that the IRGC-QF has deployed Hezbollah units in a continuous line along the Syria-Lebanon border, and then in a semi-circular ring around southern Damascus. 

In addition to these deployments IRGC-QF has deployed its Shi'a militias in front of the Hezbollah positions facing the Golan and Israel. The thinking that goes with this intel is that Iran is preparing to open a broad front against Israel from both Lebanon and Syria, with the initial intent of slicing off the Galilee region, or a good chunk of it, from Israel. Simultaneously the terror in Judea and Samaria and from Gaza is intended to encircle Israel with conflict on all sides. 

The current Eschatology Today assessment holds that Israel will continue to act preemptively as discussed in this SITREP, probably with its regional allies and without so much as a peep of warning, to continue thwarting the Iranian war plans. Think: modern maneuver warfare on steroids, in-depth and well behind enemy lines. It's just a matter of time; yet sooner rather than later.

12 December 2018: There are a handful of updates gleaned from OSINT in the past few days to keep us all ahead of the curve. The events may seen to some to be a world away and no great concern to us. However, as you will soon see, that is not the case.

1. Most of the civilized world is aware, ad nauseum, thanks to media hyping, of the brutal Saudi killing of journalist Adnan Khashoggi. Yet most are completely in the dark about two Iranian murder plots to be executed on foreign soil. One, thwarted in the nick of time last month by Danish intelligence, involved an Norwegian-Iranian who planned to murder an Iranian dissident in Denmark. The other was exposed last July after Austrian intelligence arrested an Iranian diplomat who was leading a plot to bomb an annual meeting of Iranian dissidents in Paris. President Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani attended that meeting. So, behind the scenes, those in power in the West are well aware of the malignant nature of the Iranian Shi'a Twelver regime in Tehran.

2.) Iran has within the past day officially acknowledged the test launch of their Khorramshahr MIRV ICBM. This test has set the EU, specifically the UK, Germany and France, firmly against the Islamic Republic, because they now realize Iran could today hit the heart of the EU with MIRVed warheads, possibly nuke warheads unless Iran's clandestine nuclear program is halted. This reality scares the EU's governing body, and not due to any regard for the prophetic text of Jeremiah 49:34-39. Their anxiety is instead due to Iran's flagrant violation of what they do hold as sacred - UNSCR 2231, a/k/a Annex B of the 2015 JCPoA. These two items have had a cumulative effect upon Western leaders lead us directly to the third and most important part of this update. 

3. There is a growing realization among the Western intelligence community, especially in Israel, that the largely down-played Iranian Shi'a Twelver apocalyptic worldview did not suddenly cease to exist with the fall from power of Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Rather it is very much alive and well within the Ayatollah, his clerics and the current Iranian president Rouhani. Western intelligence now believe in the reality that Iran is planning a "massive regional war" in furtherance of the Twelver objective of hastening the arrival their al-Mahdi figure. Put another way, our guys now believe their guys are serious of creating an apocalypse in the Middle East. The intel folks assess the sum total of all Iranian actions, covert and overt, from the Hezbollah tunnels to Gaza, to Lebanon, to the Gulf and even to Central and South America, all have the common objective of being preparations for war.

One last note, and this one really brings it home. It's been revealed that the "Hezbollah tunnel operative" seen recently on an Israel robot video camera has been identified an an Iranian known by the pseudonym "Azaladin." This Iranian is known to have trained with Mexican drug cartels on the U.S. southern border. Kinda puts a new light on what President Trump said on live TV yesterday with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer regarding who we've captured, who we've seen, and who's still there, as well as the urgent requirements of our own border security. We need to forcefully tell the politicians to stop playing politics with our national  well being - or else.

Israeli soldiers work on their tanks at a staging area near Israel's border. Israel launched a large operation Monday to destroy Hezbollah terror tunnels. (AP/Ariel Schalit)

8 December 2018: As ONS continues apace, the anticipated forward deployment of the IDF into Lebanon proper to complete destruction of discovered tunnels may be a step or two away rom becoming reality. Hezbollah appears to want this to occur. So, within this light the statement today by Minister Yoav Glanat on Israel Channel 10 News is worth noting. This is not a new statement as it has been stated previously when the threat of war with Hezbollah reared its head a couple of time in the past decade or so. 

 "We must trust the IDF and its strength, we know what to do. It does not mean that we want a war, but if we have one, we will return Lebanon to the Stone Age." - Housing Minister Yoav Galant on 8 December 2018. 

Note: Yoav Galant is a retired IDF Major General. A former commander of the Southern Command, MG Galant led the IDF against HAMAS during Operation Cast Lead of 2008-09. 

4 December 2018: Overnight the IDF launched a large-scale operation, code named Operation Northern Shield (ONS for short on this blog), to destroy invasion tunnels built by Iran's Lebanese military proxy force Hezbollah. No doubt these intended invasion tunnels were constructed with funds provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Israel has issued warnings to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army about the deadly danger they would find themselves in should their forces approach the border.

A quick review is in order to place a series of major recent events in the proper perspective, as they are all part of the larger ongoing war between Iran and Israel.

1. Just over three weeks ago, as ordered by Iran, HAMAS and the PIJ in Gaza launched a massive barrage of nearly 500 rockets into southern Israel. Israel countered this attack with an even more massive set of counter-strikes into Gaza. HAMAS plea for a ceasefire were accepted by Israel, which created a serious problem for Netanyahu's coalition govenment. Assurances were made that the ceasefire was necessary in that a larger issue was at-hand.

2. One week later Israel launched massive punitive attacks on Iranian and Hezbollah positions, command posts and military warehouses across the breadth of southern Syria, right up to the Golan area of Quneitra. Syria, Iran and Hezbollah go silent and lick their serious wounds. Israel watches and waits for retaliation which does not materialize.

3. Operation Northern Shield is launched launched one week later, and as of last evening Israel time the operation was well under way to locate and destroy the tunnels that Iran had planned for Hezbollah and its other proxies forces to invade and seize Israel's Galilee region. These tunnels are a casus belli for Israel to re-engage Hezbollah in combat as they are an obvious and blatant violation of the ceasefire that ended the 2006 war under a U.N. resolution.

Related: IRGC Test Launch of Khorramshahr MIRV MRBM

It should go without saying, but only destroying one-half, the half that are inside the Israeli border, of each of the several Hezbollah invasion tunnels will never result in a "mission complete" status for Operation Northern Shield. The IDF will of necessity have to also destroy the half of the tunnels inside Lebanon. That will bring war against both Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). And that war will require Israel to subdue ALL of Lebanon, and in that we should find the fulfillment of the ancient Joshua 13 directive prophecy found in verses 1 through 7. Verses 8 through 33 deal with the inheritance of the lands in present-day Jordan east of the Jordan River. Israel's possession of these lands in also in accordance with the prophecy of Isaiah 11:14 as well as Ezekiel 39:11-16. 

Eschatology Today cares not what any man or group of men have to say, only what the prophetic Word of God has long ago said about these matters before us today. Marana'tha!

Global SITREP A4-16: IDF Northern Front Exercise

IDF UH-60 Blackhawk in Northern Front Exercise (IDF photo)

21 January 2016: The IDF has conducted a two-week long warfighting exercise along the entire length of the border with Lebanon and Syria. The objective of the exercise was to train up land, sea and airborne elements of the IDF for a protracted, simultaneous war against Hezbollah and Islamist elements operating in both Lebanon and Syria.

Head of the Northern Command Gen. Aviv Kochavi, right, speaks with IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, center, alongside head of the Operations Directorate Gen. Nitsan Alon, during a military exercise on January 20, 2016. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

Northern Command General Aviv Kochavi recapped the scope of the simulated warfighting as encompassing vast maneuvers, substantial firepower and offensive, high efficiency strikes on thousands of targets, including residential areas being exploited by the terrorist forces. Concurrent with this exercise the IDF has deployed mechanized artillery in many locations opposite Gaza.

In this activity we can see major elements of the prophetic pre-70th Week wars being actively readied in advance by the IDF, and which are currently missing only the Sinai and Jordanian sectors in the full-scope of the Psalm 83 scenario. As with most military pre-war planning, first contact with the enemy usually requires the implementation of additional ad hoc vignettes into the overall war plan. The IDF has proven itself extremely adept in this regard in the past, and as is evident in the prophetic narrative on these coming wars.