What Is It Really Like to Follow Jesus in Israel? [One hour, one minute] What does Gaza have to do with Jerusalem? Apparently, quite a lot. During the ongoing operations against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, IDF soldiers have reported a striking and recurring sight inside Arab homes: pictures of the Dome of the Rock, the Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. While the pictures are meant to inspire Muslims, ironically, for many Jewish soldiers, they serve as a powerful and unexpected reminder of what they are fighting for: the connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem and the ancient Jewish Temples. One soldier recounted, “When I saw that picture on the wall, it hit me. They have a symbol of their claim to our holiest place. It made me realize that this fight is not just about territory; it is about our history and our future on the Temple Mount.” Another soldier shared, “We are fighting in their tunnels and their homes, and they have pictures of the Dome of the Rock hanging up everywhere. It reminded me that we are fighting for the right to pray at the Kotel and to one day see the Temple rebuilt.” https://worldisraelnews.com/symbols-found-in-gaza-homes-motivate-idf-soldiers-to-fight-harder/ As the sun set on Wednesday evening, the Jewish people entered Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av), the national day of mourning marking the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Across Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, worshippers gathered in synagogues to read the Book of Lamentations (Eicha) and recite traditional elegies. Tens of thousands are expected to assemble at the Western Wall Plaza for prayers and the recitation of "kinot," traditional prayers of mourning, near the remnant of the Holy Temple. ...Tisha B'Av, which began at sunset Wednesday and will last until nightfall on Thursday... https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/430599 
Symbols found in Gaza homes motivate IDF soldiers to fight harder:
Tens of thousands stream to Western Wall as Tisha B'Av begins:
As sun sets on Israel, crowds gather at the Western Wall to hear Lamentations and recite traditional prayers of mourning at the start of the fast of Tisha B'Av.