Sunday, May 17, 2026

As Iran standoff nears breaking point, Gaza war could reignite


As Iran standoff nears breaking point, Gaza war could reignite



Izz al-Din Haddad, who was eliminated in Gaza over the weekend, was a marked man. Israel had no shortage of reasons or motivation to eliminate him: He was a member of Hamas' leadership for decades, one of the main planners and commanders of the Oct. 7 attack, a man who kept many hostages close to him as human shields, and the figure who in recent months led Hamas' force buildup efforts and firmly refused to advance US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza's reconstruction.

His elimination is an operational achievement for the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency, the kind Israel has carried out countless times in recent years in every possible theater of war. It is certainly a morale blow to Hamas, but it is far from a strategic victory. Past experience shows that a successor will quickly arise, and that the terrorist organization will not change course. What was not achieved in two years of difficult fighting will not be achieved by one elimination more or less. There is no total victory here.

Still, several things can be learned from this elimination. The first is Israel's commendable determination to continue pursuing those responsible for the worst massacre in its history, certainly if they continue to play a central role in the ranks of its enemies. The second is Trump's limited interest in Gaza, which had been his "baby" until just a few months ago. The third is Hamas' determination to continue holding on to Gaza, both politically and militarily. The fourth is the absence of any solution, contrary to what was promised, to the Gaza issue. And the fifth, following from that, is the possibility, which is not at all remote, of renewed large-scale fighting in the Strip.

The IDF has been preparing for this in recent months and is meanwhile expanding the areas it holds on its side west of the border, amounting to more than 50% of the Gaza Strip. Hamas is also preparing for fighting, mainly in terms of recruiting fighters and acquiring weapons. For now, it is careful not to give Israel a pretext to launch a renewed campaign, although it is difficult to bet that this will not happen in the coming months. The international system, led by mediator Nikolay Mladenov, is expected to face considerable work in the effort to prevent the fighting from resuming.

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Prophetic Pieces Falling Into Place


Prophetic Pieces Falling Into Place

Prophetic events in the end times right now are casting their shadows over the Middle East like never before. Preparations for the Gog Magog coalition prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are increasing and intensifying. Written 2,500 years ago by Ezekiel, these chapters prophesy an end-time invasion of Israel led by the nations of Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

Two significant developments showcase that the prophetic pieces are falling perfectly into place.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making some shocking new claims about new weapons systems that are coming online. The Sun published this headline“VLAD’S MEGA NUKE: Putin tests world’s biggest nuke missile Satan-2.”

Russia has announced it successfully tested the world’s largest nuclear missile as chilling images show Downing Street being reduced to radioactive dust,” the article detailed. “In a show of strength to the West, the Kremlin launched the nuclear-capable Sarmat rocket – better known as Satan-2. Putin hailed the weapon as ‘the most powerful missile system in the world’ and insisted it could not be stopped by Western defences…

‘It has the ability to penetrate all existing and prospective missile defence systems. The total yield of the delivered warhead is more than four times greater than that of any existing, most powerful Western equivalent.’ One harrowing graphic appeared to show Downing Street vaporised as the deadly weapon struck at the heart of London.”

The weapon, referred to in Russia as the “Sarmat rocket,” has been nicknamed “Satan-2” by NATO and the West. The graphic depicting the destruction of Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister’s Residence in London, is an obvious shot across the bow to the West.

Here are a few facts about this missile: It’s a 208-ton intercontinental ballistic missile, launched from a silo at speeds of up to 16,000 miles per hour, stands 14 stories tall, and has a range of 22,000 miles. It can fly not only on a ballistic trajectory but also on a suborbital trajectory. It can cross the North Pole and basically penetrate any missile defense system we have. They claim that if this ballistic missile is armed with a nuclear warhead, it can wipe out an area the size of Texas or France.

NPR referenced an announcement by Putin, stating that “Russia is in the ‘final stages’ of the development of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors.”

Russia today is the aggressive nation that’s predicted and prophesied in Ezekiel 38. They took Crimea, they have attacked Ukraine, sparking the ongoing war, they continuously levy threats against the West, and they are developing massively destructive weapons. Russia aptly fits the portrait of Gog and Magog in the end times, behaving just as we should expect as the Ezekiel 38 invasion draws closer.

At the same time that Russia is upping the ante in the arms race, its connections to Iran are strengthening dramatically. Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence about the location of American assets in the region, and equipping the regime in Tehran with military weaponry in its war against the United States and Israel.

Russia is supplying Iran with 5,000 unjammable fiber optic drones to use against the United States. The Economist published a headline reading: “Secret document reveals Russia’s plans to aid Iran — Unjammable drones would be used against American forces, according to proposals seen by The Economist.”

Russia has become the main outside player propping up the Islamic regime, and in a very strange turn of events, it could be the place of refuge for fleeing Iranian leaders if the regime in Iran fractures or collapses.

Fox News reported this stunning story earlier this week: “Iran regime power players may eye Russia in Assad-Style escape as US talks falter — Expert says top commanders like Ghalibaf might head to Moscow while lower figures seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Pieces Falling Into Place

Prophetically, I believe that all of this is part of the preparation for the coming Ezekiel 38 coalition.

Russia continues to force the issue in the global arms race, often saber-rattling about nuclear war. Russia is supporting Iran and may become the headquarters for an Iranian regime in exile that would seek to undermine and sabotage any new regime in Iran and lead an insurgency. Russia could become the gathering place of Middle East leaders who hate Israel—Assad, the butcher from Syria, is already there.

The presence of top Iranian leaders in Russia could serve as a catalyst at some point in the future for Russian cooperation in an invasion against Israel.  Ezekiel 38 talks about the hooks and the jaws that are going to draw Russia into this alliance with Islamic nations to attack Israel.

The close linkage between Russia and Iran is a major sign of the times— and it is escalating quickly. These are two of the three major players detailed in the prophetic coalition, and they’re closer allies today than at any time in history, exerting strong influence over one another in a myriad of ways.

Both Russia and Iran are currently involved in wars, both refuse to back down, both have greater territorial ambitions, and both are cooperating against the United States and Israel. Someday, both will conspire together to invade Israel, just as the Bible predicts. All the pieces are falling perfectly into place.


WHO declares Congo Ebola outbreak a global health emergency after 80 die


WHO declares Congo Ebola outbreak a global health emergency after 80 die
Callum Hoare


The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of global health alert under international law.

The declaration comes after a rapid rise in cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, with health officials warning that cross-border transmission, population displacement and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo are increasing the risk of further spread. At least 246 suspected cases and more than 80 deaths have been reported in Congo’s Ituri province, according to African health authorities.

The outbreak is centred around the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara, although suspected infections have also emerged in the provincial capital Bunia.

Uganda has confirmed a fatal imported case involving a Congolese patient who travelled to Kampala for treatment before dying from the disease. Authorities say there is not yet evidence of widespread local transmission inside Uganda, but emergency surveillance and screening measures have been stepped up.

The WHO said the outbreak meets the threshold for a coordinated international response because of the potential for regional spread and the operational challenges facing health workers on the ground. However, officials stopped short of classifying the outbreak as a pandemic emergency.


The Bundibugyo strain is considered particularly concerning because there are currently no approved vaccines specifically targeting it. Most existing Ebola vaccines were developed for the more common Zaire strain, which has caused previous deadly outbreaks in central and west Africa.


Health experts have also raised concerns over the security situation in eastern Congo, where armed groups, mass displacement and poor sanitation are complicating efforts to trace contacts and isolate infections.

This marks the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. The last outbreak officially ended in December 2025.


The WHO, Africa CDC and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now coordinating support efforts, including surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing and emergency response deployments.






Putin To Visit China Just Days After Trump's Beijing, Demonstrating 'No Limits' Partnership


Putin To Visit China Just Days After Trump's Beijing, Demonstrating 'No Limits' Partnership

TYLER DURDEN


Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Chinese President Xi Jinping from May 19 to 20, just days after US President Donald Trump concluded his state visit to Beijing, the Kremlin has announced.

In a Telegram statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry unveiled that Putin would travel to China "at the invitation" of Xi Jinping, marking the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China.

The readout indicates the two leaders will discuss expanding their countries' "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" and exchange views on "key international and regional issues."

"Following the talks, they are expected to sign a Joint Statement at the highest level, as well as a number of bilateral intergovernmental, interdepartmental and other documents," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Putin is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss economic and trade cooperation. While all of this was likely in the planning stages long ago, the timing and symbolism sends a resounding message, at a moment when ironically Trump's China trip ended notably without any major breakthroughs on trade, or without resolving any aspect of the Iran war or Hormuz Strait crisis.

South China Morning Post notes additionally of the timing:


It will be the first time that China has hosted the leaders of the two powers in the same month outside a multilateral setting, a reflection of Beijing’s efforts to manage ties with both countries and position itself as a pivotal power amid an increasingly fractured world order.

Putin’s visit will also make China the first country to host all four leaders of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council within months of each other. France’s Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing in December followed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January.

However, Putin is a more frequent visitor to Beijing in recent years, and per SCMP: "Sources said Putin’s visit would not likely feature that scale of pomp, as Chinese officials had been busy with the Trump trip."

But it will be a meeting among allies, and not rivals, after President Xi's "no limits" alliance pledged with Putin just before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022



"Following the talks, they are expected to sign a Joint Statement at the highest level, as well as a number of bilateral intergovernmental, interdepartmental and other documents," the ministry's statement said.






The 144,000: Revival in the Shadow of Wrath


The 144,000: Revival in the Shadow of Wrath
  • Joe Hawkins




The 144,000 are not a random prophetic footnote tucked away in an obscure corner of Revelation. They stand as one of the greatest demonstrations of God’s mercy during the darkest hour in human history. In the middle of global judgment, catastrophic upheaval, and unprecedented deception, God pauses the winds of wrath and raises up Jewish witnesses to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world spiraling toward destruction.

That changes the way we should read Revelation entirely. Far too many people approach Bible prophecy as though Revelation is primarily about the Antichrist. But Revelation is not the revelation of the Antichrist. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and every prophetic event ultimately points back to Him. The rise of the beast system, the judgments of God, the shaking of the nations, and even the rise of the 144,000 all exist within the framework of God’s sovereign plan to redeem mankind and restore Israel.

One of the greatest tragedies in modern Christianity is that many believers spend little time in the book of Revelation. Entire churches avoid prophecy altogether, treating it as too mysterious, too divisive, or too difficult to understand. Yet Scripture itself tells us that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, correction, instruction, and training in righteousness.
God is not the author of confusion. The confusion surrounding Revelation often comes from centuries of theological speculation mixed with Hollywood sensationalism. For many younger generations, their understanding of the Tribulation comes less from Scripture and more from movies, television, and cultural mythology. Zombies, alien invasions, apocalyptic dystopias, and science fiction imagery. But the prophetic Word was never intended to terrify believers into hopelessness. It was given to prepare, warn, strengthen, and reveal the glory of Christ in the midst of chaos. And nowhere is that clearer than in Revelation 7.

To understand the 144,000 correctly, Revelation 7 must be read in context with Revelation 6. The chapter divisions were added centuries after the Bible was written, and sometimes those divisions unintentionally separate connected thoughts.

At the end of Revelation 6, the sixth seal judgment is unleashed upon the earth. The sun becomes black, the moon turns blood red, the stars fall from heaven, and the sky itself is rolled back like a scroll. Mountains shake. Islands move from their places. Humanity is overwhelmed with terror as the world suddenly realizes that divine judgment is not mythology. It is reality.


Then comes one of the most astonishing moments in all of prophecy. The people of the earth cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them “from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

This appears to be far more than symbolic language. Revelation describes a moment when the world sees the reality of God’s authority and the majesty of Christ. In the midst of judgment, God gives humanity undeniable evidence of His existence. Even during wrath, mercy shines through.
And immediately after this cosmic shaking, Revelation 7 opens with four angels holding back the winds of judgment. Why? Because God is about to launch one of the greatest evangelistic movements in human history.

Revelation 7 explicitly states that 144,000 individuals are sealed from the tribes of Israel — 12,000 from each tribe. Contrary to replacement theology and symbolic reinterpretations, the text repeatedly emphasizes their Jewish identity.

These are not symbolic representations of the Church. These are Jewish servants of God raised up during the Tribulation after the spiritual blindness over Israel begins to lift. Romans 11 speaks directly about this future restoration, declaring that blindness has happened to Israel “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” and that ultimately “all Israel will be saved.”


The emergence of the 144,000 marks the beginning of that restoration. God has not abandoned Israel. The covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David remain intact. If God breaks His promises to Israel, then every believer has reason to question every promise in Scripture. But the God of the Bible is faithful. The same God who promised salvation through Christ also promised the future restoration of Israel, and Revelation 7 demonstrates that He fully intends to keep that promise.

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