While I was sleeping in this morning, after an exhausting day of travel yesterday, from Nepal to Israel, Iran sent a drone into Israeli airspace. Israeli officials called this a “severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty.”
The drone was in Israel for just over a minute before an Israeli attack helicopter took it out just south of the Sea of Galilee. The drone was sent from an Iranian base in Syria’s Palmyra region. Israel responded with force.
The Times of Israel reported that Israel targeted 12 sites and according to a military statement, it included, “three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran’s military establishment in Syria.”
Syria’s air defense systems have been severally damaged and I am not sure that the IAF (Israeli Air Force) is finished. Many of the Russian-made sophisticated anti-aircraft batteries were destroyed.
The IAF faced substantial anti-aircraft fire from Syria. For the first time in 36 years, it appears that possibly, one of our F-16 jets was shot down. The two pilots ejected over northern Israel and survived, although one is in serious but stable condition.
Israeli forces targeted and destroyed the drone base from where it came. The Syrians cried foul, saying the base was only used to target ISIS. And yet, somehow, the drone crashed in Beit Shean, Israel, quite a distance from Syria.
Prayer Points:
- Pray for our political and military leaders to use wisdom in how we respond.
- Pray for supernatural protection over Israel.
- Pray for the peace-desiring people in Syrian, that they would have a democracy free from Iran.
- Pray for a move of God amongst the Muslims of Iran and Syria.
- Pray for a move of God in Israel.
- Pray for the full recovery of the pilot.
This article originally appeared on Messiah’s Mandate, February 10, 2018, and reposted with permission.