U.S. Preparations For War Reach A Fever Pitch And Israel Just Initiated A Maximum State Of Alert

U.S. Preparations For War Reach A Fever Pitch And Israel Just Initiated A Maximum State Of Alert

One of the biggest events in this era of human history is about to kick off, and I don’t know if anyone is truly ready for what is about to happen next. A full-blown war with Iran won’t be anything like any of the other wars that we have fought in the Middle East. The Iranians are quite capable of fighting back. Since the middle of last year, the Iranians have been feverishly developing new weapons systems and have been importing vast amounts of military equipment from Russia and China. They feel like they are far better prepared this time around, and I would agree with that assessment. But the U.S. and Israel are also very well prepared too. Once the missiles start flying, there will be no holding back, and I think that the whole world will be deeply shocked by what takes place.

On Wednesday, multiple mainstream outlets were reporting that U.S. strikes on Iran could begin as soon as this weekend…

Top national security officials have told President Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday, but the timeline for any action is likely to extend beyond this weekend, sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News.

Mr. Trump has not yet made a final decision about whether to strike, said the officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national matters.

The conversations have been described as fluid and ongoing, as the White House weighs the risks of escalation and the political and military consequences of restraint.

But then on Thursday, President Trump seemed to suggest that Iran may still have about 10 days to agree to his demands…

That blaring warning came at the president’s first-ever Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday where he complained about the high cost of war.

He bragged about bringing ‘peace to the Middle East,’ but then subsequently threatened minutes later that if Iran doesn’t make a meaningful peace deal ‘bad things [will] happen.’

‘We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal..,’ Trump said of breakdowns in nuclear talks.

‘You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days,’ he added.

But whether it is this weekend or next weekend or even next month, war is coming, because the Iranians were never going to give Trump what he wants.

So preparations for war continue.

According to NBC News, “a slew of additional weaponry” is being deployed to the Middle East on top of everything that is already there…

The Pentagon is sending a slew of additional weaponry to the Middle East, including more warships, air defenses and submarines, in preparation for a possible military strike on Iran if President Donald Trump makes that decision, according to U.S. officials and information from public tracking

It has been a long time since we have witnessed a naval buildup of this magnitude.

Once the USS Gerald R. Ford is in position in the Mediterranean Sea in a few days, the Iranians will be facing naval threats from multiple directions…

The amount of firepower that the U.S. has accumulated in the Middle East is absolutely staggering.  The following image which was originally created by @IANELLISJONES and is being widely shared all over social media shows just how extensive the buildup of air and naval assets has been…

Israel apparently believes that something could happen quite soon, because the Home Front Command has been ordered to prepare for war, and “a state of maximum alert has been declared across various Israeli security agencies”…

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World will know if Iran peace possible in next 10 days, Donald Trump tells Board of Peace

World will know if Iran peace possible in next 10 days, Donald Trump tells Board of Peace

ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

US President Donald Trump presided over the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday, with unresolved questions on the likelihood of war with Iran hanging over an event that included representatives from more than 45 nations.

The president said that he would "find out about Iran in about 10 days," Trump added. "We do have some work to do in Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapon."

Regarding the future of Gaza, Trump said he believed "Hamas will be getting rid of their weapons."

"They said 'they're not afraid to die,' but they are," he added. "The war in Gaza is over. It’s over," he said, admitting that "there are little flames."

Trump also said that it seems to him that Hamas will disarm.

"Hamas has been, I think they’re going to give up their weapons, which is what they promised," he said. "If they don’t, it’ll be, you know, they’ll be harshly met, very harshly met. They don’t want that."

Trump said that various US allies have contributed over $7 billion to relief efforts in Gaza, and that the US would contribute around $10 billion.

He went on to say that the Board of Peace will be "looking over" the United Nations, which he referred to as having "great potential."

"The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly," he said. "We're going to strengthen the United Nations. We're going to make sure its facilities are good. They need help, and they need help money-wise. We're going to help them money-wise, and we're going to make sure the United Nations is viable."

He also made a point to note that he "doesn't care" about winning any awards for his efforts.

"I don't care about Nobel prizes," he said. "I care about saving lives."

Addressing the various dignitaries in attendance, Trump called out Qatari PM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani by name, saying he is "a great man, highly respected."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added  that there was "no plan B" for Gaza other than President Donald Trump's peace effort, as the new body met for the first time in Washington to discuss ways to build on a fragile ceasefire that began in October.

"We have to get this right. There is no plan B for Gaza. Plan B is going back to war. No one here wants that," Rubio said.

The disarmament of Hamas terrorists, the size of the reconstruction fund, and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-battered populace of Gaza are among the major questions likely to test the effectiveness of the board in the weeks and months ahead.

Trump addressed the group at the Donald J Trump US Institute of Peace - a building in Washington, the president recently renamed for himself - and announced that participating nations have raised $5 billion for the reconstruction fund.

The money is expected to be a down payment on a fund that will likely need many more billions. Included in the $5 billion is an expected $1.2 billion from each of Washington's Gulf Arab allies, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, a US official told Reuters.

Trump's Board of Peace has been controversial. It includes Israel but not Palestinian representatives, and Trump's suggestion that the Board could eventually address challenges beyond Gaza has stirred anxiety that it could undermine the UN's role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.

Senior US officials said Trump will also announce that several nations are planning to send thousands of troops to participate in an International Stabilization Force that will help keep the peace in Gaza

Disarming Hamas terrorists in order for the peacekeepers to begin their mission remains a major sticking point, and the force is not expected to deploy for weeks or months.

Hamas, fearful of Israeli reprisals, has been reluctant to hand over weaponry as part of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan that brought about a ceasefire last October in the two-year Israel-Hamas War.

"We are under no illusions on the challenges regarding demilitarization, but we have been encouraged by what the mediators have reported back," a senior administration official said.

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US to build military base in Gaza Strip to house 5,000 peacekeepers – report

US to build military base in Gaza Strip to house 5,000 peacekeepers – report

World Israel News Staff

The Trump administration has drafted plans for a new military base inside the Gaza Strip, the Guardian reported Thursday.

The report cites contracting records for the US-backed Board of Peace that call for the construction of a large facility inside Gaza to house thousands of international peacekeepers deployed to the Strip as part of the administration’s Gaza peace plan.

According to the contracts, the base will cover more than 350 acres and house some 5,000 personnel attached to the International Stabilization Force.

The plan calls for the base to be built in stages, establishing a military outpost 1.4 kilometers (0.87 miles) by 1.1 kilometers (0.68 miles), surrounded by 26 trailer-mounted armored watchtowers and equipped with a small shooting range, a network of bunkers, and an armory.

The outpost will be ringed with barbed wire for added protection.

The base is slated for construction in southern Gaza, in an area on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line.

No contractor has yet been selected for the base’s construction, though a number of firms specializing in military facilities built in active combat zones have visited the planned site.

Thus far, Indonesia has offered to deploy up to 8,000 troops to the Gaza Strip while other states that have expressed interest have yet to commit soldiers.

Hamas has repeatedly objected to plans to deploy foreign peacekeeping troops in the Gaza Strip, while also ruling out disarming, as demanded by the Trump peace plan.

While the plans for a dedicated ISF base in the Gaza Strip signify progress toward the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza plan, key issues have yet to be resolved, including laying out the ISF’s precise mission parameters and use-of-force protocols – both of which could shape potential donor states’ decisions on whether to commit troops.

Hamas reinforcing control over Gaza, putting effectiveness of Board of Peace in doubt

Hamas is reinforcing its control over Gaza by embedding loyal members throughout civilian and security institutions, raising doubts about the viability of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan as his administration launched a new international oversight body, according to an Israeli military assessment reviewed by Reuters.

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Google report: Foreign cyber groups target U.S. defense industrial base

Google report: Foreign cyber groups target U.S. defense industrial base

Laura Harris

• A Feb. 10 report by Google Threat Intelligence warns that the U.S. defense industrial base is facing sustained cyberattacks from China, Russia and North Korea, with China-linked actors posing the most active threat.
• Chinese cyber-espionage groups have targeted more defense and aerospace organizations over the past two years than any other state-backed actors, often exploiting network edge devices and using ORB networks to evade detection.
• A China-linked group known as UNC2970 has impersonated corporate recruiters and used Gemini to gather open-source intelligence and profile high-value defense targets.
• Russian-linked hackers have focused on defense contractors supporting drone and unmanned aircraft systems tied to the war in Ukraine, while North Korean operatives have infiltrated firms by posing as IT workers, in some cases stealing sensitive AI-related data.
• Experts warn the defense sector is under "constant siege," urging organizations to shift from reactive cybersecurity to proactive threat hunting and resilient network architecture to safeguard emerging military technologies.

A new analysis warns that the U.S. defense industrial base has faced sustained cyberattacks in recent months from state-linked groups and criminal organizations connected to China, Russia and North Korea.

The report, issued Feb. 10 by Google Threat Intelligence, examined activity targeting the vast network of public and private entities responsible for developing and maintaining U.S. military weapons systems. Researchers found that China-linked actors remain the most active threat by volume.

According to the findings, China-linked cyber espionage operations have directly targeted more defense and aerospace organizations over the past two years than any other state-sponsored actors. These groups have used a broad range of tactics, but researchers said a recurring pattern has been the exploitation of edge devices, hardware components positioned at the outer boundaries of networks, to gain initial access

Google also reported observing China-affiliated groups leveraging ORB networks to conduct reconnaissance against defense industrial targets, a technique that can complicate detection and attribution efforts.

One Chinese-linked organization identified as UNC2970 has frequently targeted defense companies by impersonating corporate recruiters as part of its hacking campaigns. In some cases, the group used Google's own artificial intelligence tool, Gemini, to conduct open-source intelligence gathering. The report revealed that the tool was used to profile high-value targets and search for relevant information on defense and cybersecurity firms to support campaign planning.

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What the Bible Reveals: Rapture & 2nd Coming, Pt 1

What the Bible Reveals: Rapture & 2nd Coming, Pt 1

 James Pannafino

A word for the church today to be wise for such a time as this! 

Daniel 12:4, 8-10 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

“Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”

• The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are often confused, and sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the Rapture or the Second Coming.
• As we study Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between these two important events.

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