Former US President Jimmy Carter met with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Syria yesterday, in hope of negotiating a cease fire between Israel and the terrorist organization. And while the Hamas leadership was talking of peace with Carter, they were giving the green light for their operatives to launch the most ambitious attack on Israeli forces since their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The attack came on the eve of one of Israel's holiest days, the Feast of Passover, and was designed to cause maximum carnage. Under the cover of heavy fog, two armoured vehicles approached the Kerem Shalom crossing at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. One was laden with explosives, and detonated close to a group of Israeli soldiers who were manning the crossing. The second vehicle did not detonate. After the initial attack, Hamas terrorists in a third vehicle began to approach the crossing, opening fire on the soldiers while another cell provided cover with rocket and mortar fire. The occupants of this vehicle were subsequently killed in a shootout with Israeli forces. Then a fourth armoured vehicle began to approach the crossing, and this was taken out by an Israeli airstrike before it could reach the border.

Quote: "Defense officials have said the attack was probably the result of months of planning, and its perpetrators probably aimed to kill as many soldiers as possible as well as abduct others. The soldiers' readiness and quick response prevented a much deadlier attack on the eve of Pessah, they said. "This is an escalation that could be dangerous if we do not stop it," a high-ranking official told Channel 10 News after the attack. "In this case, the incident ended with a relatively low number of casualties, compared to what [Hamas] had planned, but it should raise a red flag over our operations in the area." He added that the IDF "must investigate how the gunmen managed to gather so much intelligence [in preparation for the attack] without the IDF knowing about it." 

Ironically, Carter is in Syria trying to negotiate an end to the Israeli 'blockade' of Gaza, while Palestinian terrorists are attacking the very crossings that are keeping their people alive. This incident reminds me of when another US President visited my own country. Bill Clinton was President at the time, and he came to Northern Ireland to try and encourage progress in the peace process. While he was shaking Gerry Adams' hand for the cameras, the IRA was planning the Canary Wharf bombing, which occurred just a short time later and officially ended the Republican ceasefire. It was sickening. Even though we have a measure of peace now, there is still no justice in this country. The Bible states that those who rule over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God (2nd Samuel 23:3). Real peace only comes through righteousness and justice. Righteousness, when the law is upheld by the people. And justice, when those who break the law are held to account. We are law all breakers, for we have all broken God's commandments. The Bible has declared that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", Romans 3:23. As a result we must face God's justice. God would not be a righteous God if He let our sins go unpunished. You would not like to see a criminal be set free after being found guilty of committing a terrible crime. Yet you want to be set free after having committed sins against God? Our sins demand that we must die. The Bible says "the wages of sin is death", Romans 6:23. But Jesus Christ, who is righteous and was the only Person that ever lived and kept God's law to perfection, was punished by God for sin. But not for His own, for He had none. He was punished for our sin. And through His sacrifice on the cross, all who believe on Him for the forgiveness of sins can receive His righteousness, and be set free from the penalty of sin. Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today. He took your place, and died for you.

Matthew 27:21-26
The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.     

Source  Jerusalem Post

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