News broke yesterday of a hostage release deal combined with an Israel/Hamas cease-fire to take place in 3 phases.  Israel National News was reporting that Hamas was making new demands while Israel’s Prime Minister accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the Gaza cease-fire agreement in a bid to extort last minute concessions.  He reportedly demanded that all details be finalized before taking a vote of the security cabinet.

To present the latest news on this very fluid situation was Rick DeYoung.  Rick is co-host of Prophecy Today, CEO of Shofar Communications, a graduate of Word of Life Bible Institute.  Rick is also the son of Dr. Jimmy DeYoung Sr.

Rick communicated that the hostage deal appears to be in the final stages.  It’s going before the Israeli cabinet tomorrow to be approved.  So at this point there is excitement in the air with the hope that there’s an end in sight and possibly a return to normalcy.

Rick indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had to “walk the line” between the pressure to make a deal and bring the hostages home while also balancing security and deterrence for Israel’s overall population.  That last point is a concern due to the large number of terrorists Israel would have to release under any deal.  Keep in mind, as Rick also noted, Israel has been trying to end Hamas because Israel feels it no longer can be secure if Hamas is in control.  So a deal could allow Hamas to retain some power.

Overall, Rick believes the time is right for a deal, particularly with President-elect Trump about to take the reins in the U.S., as he’s shown that he’s a supporter of Israel.

There’s more to hear, and part of that includes listener input, on this edition of Crosstalk. 

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