From Tragedy to Triumph, Nakba Marked with Unyielding Resolve: Let’s Unite across Battlefields!

May 15, 2023

Illustrative image prepared by Al-Manar English Website on Palestine 75 years on The Nakba Day.

Batoul Wehbe

Annually, on the sacred date of May 15, Palestinians solemnly commemorate the Nakba, a term that encapsulates the immense tragedy that befell them in 1948. This sorrowful event saw the forceful expulsion of approximately one million Palestinians from their ancestral lands, accompanied by the destruction or depopulation of over 500 Palestinian villages by Zionist terrorist militias. These actions paved the way for the establishment of the settler colonial state known as “Israel.”

May 15 serves as a yearly occasion for deep mourning, introspection, and remembrance of the unfathomable massacres and immense bloodshed suffered by countless Palestinians. Among the victims of this catastrophic chapter in history were nearly 950,000 Palestinians forcefully displaced from their original cities and towns. These individuals constituted a part of the greater population of 1.4 million Palestinians residing in 1,300 villages and cities.

As we observe this poignant anniversary, the Israeli occupation authorities persistently engage in a relentless campaign of ethnic cleansing and coerced expulsion against Palestinians. They brazenly deny Palestinians their national and human rights, including the right to establish an independent state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital. Additionally, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their cherished homes remains callously disregarded.

The Occupied Palestinian Territories presently bear witness to significant events and developments in their tireless resistance against the oppressive occupation, particularly in Jerusalem and the other occupied regions. The Israeli authorities relentlessly pursue settlement and Judaization schemes, aiming to efface the Palestinian Arab identity and distort the essence of the Palestinian struggle.

Within occupied Palestine, hardly a day passes without acts of resolute resistance targeting occupation soldiers, their patrols, and military installations. These acts range from courageous stabbings to daring vehicular attacks. As a consequence, Palestinian cities and refugee camps have transformed into bastions of resilience, harboring fierce fighters and individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for the just cause. This unyielding state of resistance has exerted tremendous pressure upon the occupying forces, depleting their resources and eroding their morale.

The valiant participants in these acts of resistance are revered as divinely guided soldiers on the battlefield. Some have embraced martyrdom, while many others have skillfully infiltrated various settlements nestled deep within the occupied territory. The collective efforts of the resistance forces have coalesced under a shared objective, giving rise to a formidable joint operations room that has profoundly impacted the enemy entity both militarily and psychologically.

Joint Revenge

A recent significant victory was achieved by the Al-Quds Brigades through their missile attacks that have effectively demolished multiple settlements and bolstered the determination of the Palestinian people. From Gaza to the West Bank, and reaching across the 1948 borders, the resolve of our Palestinian brothers and comrades in their resistance against the enemy remains unwavering, even in the land of Lebanon. Together, we march towards the ultimate goal of liberating Palestine.

Illustrative photo prepared by Al-Manar English Website of the Islamic Jihad martyred commanders.

The martyrdom of the esteemed resistance leaders in the face of the occupying entity has never been a mere setback for our noble cause. It is crucial to recognize that, were it not for the enemy’s profound apprehension regarding the consequences of our unwavering struggle, these valiant leaders would not have attained martyrdom. Furthermore, their martyrdom, alongside the resilience of those who continue to champion our cause, has laid the groundwork for the launch of the Al-Quds Brigades’ formidable missiles, devastating settlements strewn across the occupied territories.

Undeniably, deterrence is evolving and gaining momentum with each passing day, thanks to the unwavering commitment of the Mujahideen of the Al-Quds Brigades. Their transformative efforts have revolutionized the deterrence equation, transitioning from the resounding “Seif al-Quds” to the unifying “Unity of Battlefields,” and ultimately culminating in the resolute “Revenge of the Free.” This strategic shift has presented the enemy’s army with an unprecedented and complex challenge, marking a pivotal turning point in this protracted battle.

Moreover, the language employed by the enemy’s military authorities when referring to the Islamic Jihad movement underscores their palpable confusion. They are now acutely aware of the daunting prospect of confronting multiple resolute Palestinian factions simultaneously, thereby neglecting to acknowledge the arduous endeavors undertaken by these factions within the confines of the Joint Operations Room.

On the military front, the enemy’s formidable war machine has regrettably failed to achieve any significant qualitative leap within the context of this battle. Conversely, the Al-Quds Brigades’ missile capabilities have undergone remarkable expansion, bolstered further by the introduction of novel missile systems and refined targeting mechanisms, effectively amplifying the Israeli vulnerability.

The political sphere, too, bears the scars of this conflict, as the fragile government within the enemy entity faces an imminent disintegration and an exacerbating political crisis. The ensuing turmoil within the entity may conceivably necessitate the initiation of parliamentary elections, further intensifying the prevailing tumultuous climate.

Israelis protest against the Israeli government’s planned judicial overhaul, outside the US consulate in Tel Aviv, March 16, 2023.

Simultaneously, a groundswell of discontent among the Israeli populace has been witnessed, as a myriad of individuals who had hitherto abstained from confronting the enemy have now taken to the streets, vehemently rejecting the feeble policies of the enemy government. This significant upsurge in popular dissent poses a formidable challenge, engendering a perceptible sense of bewilderment among the Israeli ranks.

In summation, the battle known as “Revenge of the Free” has undeniably secured an indelible and noble victory for the broader Arab and Islamic nation. It transcends the realm of ordinary conflicts, embodying a profound quest for retribution, honoring the legacy of our revered leaders and innocent martyrs.

The unwavering resolve and indomitable spirit displayed by the Al-Quds Brigades throughout this arduous campaign have set in motion a transformative chapter in our tireless pursuit of emancipating Palestinian soil, ultimately paving the way for the inevitable downfall of the occupying entity known as “Israel.”

It is now abundantly clear that the Israeli enemy can no longer confront the Palestinian resistance in isolation. Consequently, a concerted and meticulously coordinated joint military effort, as epitomized by the Joint Operations Room, has emerged to ensure that the entity pays a substantial price for its transgressions. Thus, the resounding success of the “Operation Revenge of the Free” has unequivocally challenged the efficacy of the Zionist defensive apparatus, even acknowledged as futile by certain Israeli sources. Moreover, the operation has markedly broadened the scope of resistance targets, extending far beyond the confines of Beersheba and Tel Aviv and penetrating deeper into the heart of the occupied territories.

Nakba: A Trap to get Despaired or Unimpaired?

The Nakba persists in various forms and at an increasingly challenging pace. Nevertheless, the Palestinian people, who have shown resilience for over a century, continue to forge new means of resistance.

Especially today, as we closely follow or write about Palestine, it is crucial to grasp a fundamental lesson. Describing the “Revenge of the Free” campaign as a triumph is essential to our core issue. The achieved milestones must be acknowledged for what they truly are: a definitive and fresh victory over the Zionist enemy, shattering their resolve. It represents a new chapter in a comprehensive and zero-sum conflict between us and them, without succumbing to the trap of despair laid by the official Arab media, which speaks on behalf of Tel Aviv.

Without a doubt, the era of Zionist deterrence has reached its expiration, as the unified faction room harnesses its capabilities and weaponry to their utmost potential. Throughout the course of the conflict, they have struck at the very core of the Israeli entity, transcending the enemy’s intended shock through meticulously targeted assassinations of esteemed jihad leaders.

This resounding success stands as incontrovertible proof that we possess an abundance of untapped potential within our ranks, embodied by a new generation equipped with unwavering determination and indomitable fortitude.

The ill-conceived plans of the Netanyahu government have boomeranged, met with intelligent missiles, heart-rending losses, and a pervasive atmosphere of terror. Our hope finds solace in our own strength, our just cause, and the soaring spirit of our intrepid fighters that reaches towards the heavens.

Let us resound with the language of victory, aspirations, and innovative avenues to support our cause and our warriors. Let us explore ways to eternally honor our martyrs, heroes, and illustrious luminaries who have left an indelible mark upon our history. Let’s unite across battlefields!

Source: Al-Manar English Website

Al-Quds Brigades Lebanon Nakba Palestine

Gaza Emerges Victorious as Israeli Enemy Yields to Resistance Terms: Video

May 14, 2023

The Egyptian intelligence, which mediated the truce talks, announced late Saturday that the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli enemy agreed to commit to a ceasefire, starting from 10 p.m.

According to a copy obtained by Al-Manar, the Israeli side accepted the terms and conditions of the Palestinian resistance related to halting the assassinations against the factions commanders and the attacks on the civilians as well as their properties.

Egypt will follow up the implementation of the ceasefire terms, the copy added.

Al-Manar reporter indicated that a cautious calm prevailed in Gaza after ceasefire had taken into effect since 10 p.m., noting that Palestinian resistance fired missiles even after the truce took into effect.

Gaza locals took into streets to celebrate the victory which consecrated the deterrence formulas against the Israeli enemy.

Following the ceasefire agreement, the Joint Chamber of the Palestinian Resistance factions issued a statement, announcing the end of the “Revenge of the Free” Operation:

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful

“Surely Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ˹solid˺ ranks as if they were one concrete structure.” {61:4}
Operation “Revenge of the Free” is a new page of glory, fought by the resistance, united like a concrete structure.
We address our great Jihadi people, wherever they are…
A round of fighting, resistance, and steadfastness has ended, but our resistance has begun again, more powerful and vigorous.
The joint chamber has terminated the Battle of the “Revenge of the Free”, but the banners have not and will not shatter, and the determination to fight has not and will never recede.
The Israeli enemy incorrectly estimated when they assumed they had sufficient time and that the chance to eliminate a few prominent resistance commanders was opportune.
They also aimed to wrap up the round as soon as possible and in the way they desired, believing that by doing so, they would have achieved something and emerged with an aura of victory.
However, they were taken aback by the resistance’s wisdom and tenacity as well as its inventiveness in managing the war, which perplexed the enemy’s calculations and forced them into the attrition equation.
This battle has also distracted the Israeli security system, exhausted their frail internal front, and put them in a state of expectation and anxiety.
Thus, the resistance had the upper hand in the power and deterrence equation by pelting the enemy with countless rockets and artillery rounds, murdering, injuring, tearing them apart, and demolishing their structures.
Following the valiant and honorable “Revenge of the Free” battle and in light of these remarkable sacrifices, the joint chamber affirms the following:

First, we pay tribute to the martyrs of this blessed battle who were assassinated by Zionism’s treacherous hand, including resistance leaders, heroes of the Al-Quds Brigades, resistance fighters, and mujahideen from the Joint Chamber branches, as well as all our people who were martyred in this battle and whose blood symbolizes pride and victory.

Second, we would want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our people in Gaza, who stood shoulder to shoulder with us during the battle, supporting and encouraging us to continue.
We would also like to thank the families of the martyred, the injured, and the owners of the demolished residences, who showed obstinacy and resistance against the Israeli enemy’s crimes.

Third, the resistance entered the battle and emerged as a concrete structure, and a new epic of fortitude, sacrifice, and heroism was penned.

In addition, we warn the cowardly enemy not to return to the policy of assassination; we still have our swords and our fingers on the trigger. If you return, we will return.

Fourth, the resistance has foiled the deceitful enemy’s scheme and vile crime through its steadfastness, unity, and honorable combat.
The resistance also proved that it is most capable of confronting the enemy. It demonstrated that the Zionist assassinations were and would continue to be a curse on the entity until, God willing, it is eradicated from our country.

Fifth, this battle is a new chapter in the history of our people, its martyrs, and its resistance. Indeed, the resistance is always eager to meet its people’s aspirations.
The resistance will always be ready in every area of the land and on all fronts of combat, like a sword and a shield for the nation, the people, and the holy sites.

Joint Operations Chamber of the Palestinian Resistance Factions

The Secretary General of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhalah announced the victory, stressing that the Movement led the resistance factions in face of the Zionist aggression on Gaza.

Nakhalah hailed the martyrs claimed by the Israeli aggression, praising the role of the media outlets which covered up the Zionist war on the Strip.

The Palestinian resistance had remained firing missiles at Tel Aviv and the various Israeli settlements and cities till last minutes of the confrontation.

Israeli occupation carried out a wide-scale aggression on Gaza early on Tuesday, killing 13 Palestinians including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders.

Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, pronounced the martyrdom of commanders Khalil Al-Bahitini, Tareq Ezzeddine and Jihad Ghannam along with members of their families in several strikes that targeted a number of sites in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Yunis.

A merciless Zionist drone attack on two apartments in Khan Younis claimed on Thursday the lives of three civilians and led to the martyrdom of the esteemed fighter commander Ali Hassan Ghali, known as “Abu Muhammad”.

Ali Hasan Ghali, Islamic Jihad rocket commander who was assassinated by Israeli occupation (Thursday, May 11, 2023).

Islamic Jihad mourned late Thursday martyr commander Ahmad Abu Dakka who was assassinated by the Israeli enemy late Thursday in Khan Younis.

Martyr Ahmad Abu Dakka
Iyad Al-Hasani (Abu Anas), senior Islamic Jihad commander who was assassinated by Israeli occupation (May 12, 2023).
Rockets are launched from the southern Gaza Strip towards occupied territories on May 12, 2023 (SAID KHATIB / AFP)

Source: Al-Manar English Website

Sayyed Nasrallah: Gaza Resistance Defeated ’Israel’s’ Goals; Hezbollah Won’t Hesitate to Support at Any Time

May 12, 2023

By Al-Ahed News

Hezbollah Secretary Generla His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah emphasized that the resistance in Gaza managed to abort the ‘Israeli’ enemy’s goal to restore its power of deterrence, and despite all field and political pressures, it didn’t weaken.

Sayyed Nasrallah made the remarks on Friday afternoon during the event held to commemorate the seventh martyrdom anniversary of resistance leader Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine [Zolfiqar].

“The resistance is steadfast, and it refuses to end the battle without certain conditions. What happened until this day makes the enemy understand very well that any future assassination of any resistance fighter or leader in the Gaza Strip shall not pass, but would rather lead to a widescale confrontation,” the resistance leader underlined.

Terming the battle of Gaza as an important one, Sayyed Nasrallah said its impact are not limited with the strip alone, but with the region as a whole.

His Eminence went on to say that Hezbollah is in continuous communication with the resistance command in Gaza, voicing the Lebanese resistance group’s readiness to offer support at any time the responsibility requires this.

At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah condoled with and congratulated the Palestinian people and resistance factions, especially the Al-Quds Brigades, on the martyrdom of the leaders who were assassinated in the ‘Israeli’ strikes on Gaza.

Sayyed Nasrallah also condoled with the martyrdom of Palestinian detainee Sheikh Khader Adnan.

Referring to the occasion, the Hezbollah leader praised Sayyed Zolfiqar who achieved the medal of the fighter, the medal of the wounded in the Battle of Khalde against the ‘Israeli’ enemy, the medal of detention, the medal of leadership, and lastly the medal of martyrdom, which he described as the most sublime of them all.

“Sayyed Zolfiqar was deep in understanding, insightful, of a strategic mentality, which are the characteristics of many of our leaders,” His Eminence added.

Commenting on the current regional developments, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that Lebanon is often affected by the unfolding incidents and developments, advising that realities must be approached honestly.

“Those who believed that ‘Israel’ was to remain in Lebanon and that Lebanon has entered the ‘Israeli’ era found out that they were wrong, and all of their bets and culture collapsed as they were built upon miscalculations,” His Eminence said.

To begin with Gaza, Sayyed Nasrallah explained that Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the current aggression by assassinating the brothers in the Al-Quds Brigades in the besieged strip, along with a number of women and children. He then lamented the international silence this regard, slamming the US that banned the UNSC from condemning ‘Israel’ for killing Gaza women and children.

“Netanyahu has many motifs behind this aggression, which include restoring and rebuilding his deterrence, fleeing the internal crisis, dealing with the division in his government, and improving his political and electoral situation,” the Hezbollah leader analyzed, underscoring that all of Netanyahu’s calculations have failed as he decided to attack the Islamic Jihad and spare all other factions, and create chaos within the resistance environment.

“The occupation sought to strike the Al-Quds Brigades’ command and destroy its rocketry power by dismantling its direct commanders,” the resistance leader noted, stating, however, that the Islamic Jihad command was wise and calm after the assassination of its military leaders, and the Al-Quds Brigades contacted the Qassam Brigades to have a united stance regarding the developments.

“The enemy was waiting a reaction from the Islamic Jihad, and when the resistance factions dealt with the issue calmly, the enemy was confused. The wisdom in directing the battle makes the enemy lose the chance to achieve its goals,” Sayyed Nasrallah explained.

His Eminence went on to list the strengths of the resistance movements in Palestine and the region, praising that they are highly capable of rebuilding their leadership rapidly. “Despite assassinating its leaders, the resistance movements didn’t weaken, and its capabilities were not harmed; the shed blood was rather giving a push forward.”

Sayyed Nasrallah further noted that the quick rebuilding of the Al-Quds Brigades leadership surprised the occupation, which was confused by missiles reaching ‘Tel Aviv’ and Al-Quds.

“The resistance in Gaza failed the enemy’s goal of restoring its deterrence; and despite the field and political pressure, the Palestinian resistance didn’t weaken,” the Hezbollah leader underlined, stressing that today’s battle is the one of protecting and guaranteeing the Palestinian people’s security, and that what has happened so far makes the enemy understand well that any assassination shall not pass and will lead to a wide-scale confrontation.

“Netanyahu cannot lie and tell the ‘Israeli’ enemy that he restored the deterrence; and the battle of Gaza is very important and its impacts are not limited with the strip but with the entire region,” Sayyed Nasrallah said ahead of reiterating that Hezbollah is in continuous contact with the resistance leadership is Gaza, and voiced Hezbollah’s readiness to support the Palestinian at any time.

“We won’t hesitate to offer help at any time we have to,” the Lebanese resistance leader said.

Moving to the Syrian issue, Sayyed Nasrallah termed Syria’s return to the Arab League and inviting President Assad to the Arab summit as a very important indicator.

“Syria remained in its position, it didn’t shift its stance or its axis,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the Iranian President’s visit to Syria emphasizes the Iranian-Syrian strategic relations on different levels.

“Syria today is strongly present in the Turkish elections where the candidates are competing to offer their visions regarding Damascus.”

The Hezbollah chief then voiced support for every positive development regarding Syria: “We see in every recovery and progress in Syria the faces of our martyrs and their sacrifices, and our loneliness when the world was criticizing our choice in supporting Syria.”

Sayyed Nasrallah slammed the US looting of the Syrian oil and gas and its insistence on besieging the country through the Caesar Act.

“All the positive developments in Syria happened thanks to the steadfastness of its leadership, people, and army; Syria is heading to ease and the difficult days won’t return,” His Eminence said.

On the local level, Sayyed Nasrallah asked the caretaker government to restore Lebanon’s ties with Syria, stressing that had Hezbollah been the side making decisions in the country, ties with Syria would have been restored ages ago as they serve Lebanon’s interests.

“The issue of the refugees won’t be solved through incitation and on social media platforms, but rather through a ministerial and security delegation that visits Damascus and coordinates to deal with the crisis,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, underlining that a sovereign decision in coordination with the Syrian state is a main condition to deal with the Syrian refugees’ crisis.

Additionally, Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that Hezbollah doesn’t prevent anybody from returning to the Syrian border villages, refuting the entire propaganda as mere lies, and emphasizing that Hezbollah was the most interested side in returning the people of Al-Qusayr and other villages to their houses.

Besides, the Hezbollah chief contested all news about any link of drug smugglers in Syria with Hezbollah. “All of this is unjust, and hadn’t it been for Hezbollah’s support, the Lebanese authorities wouldn’t have been able to confront several drug dealers in Lebanon.”

Also in his proof, Sayyed Nasrallah insisted that “Our religious and jihadi stance rejects seeking the help of drug smugglers to transfer the arms of resistance to Palestine,” urging the Lebanese state to expose the names of the drug traders and dealers in which people would learn to whom they belong.

On the presidential level, Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that ex-minister Suleiman Franjieh is Hezbollah’s regular and serious candidate, making clear that Hezbollah doesn’t impose any candidate, and urging everybody to name their candidates so we can go for election in the parliament.

“The Lebanese caretaker government must resume its work despite all difficulties; and we hope that the parliament operates normally and this doesn’t affect the necessity of electing a president,” His Eminence also said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sayyed Nasrallah opposed the government’s appointment of a new governor for the Central Bank of Lebanon, as well as extending the mandate of the current governor.

At the end of his speech, the Hezbollah leader said “We, the Lebanese people, must take advantage of the positive atmosphere in the region,” stressing that “on the Arab level, there are no permanent hostilities.”

Related Videos

Special Coverage | For the first time, the resistance’s missiles reach the city of Jerusalem

Related Stories

Besieged Gaza Surprises Bibi: After An “Israeli” was Killed, More in Store

May 12, 2023

By Staff, Agencies

As “Israeli” occupation continues to bomb the besieged Gaza strip and slaughter its civilians, the Palestinian Resistance succeeded in scoring more achievements on the ground.

In details, an “Israeli” settler was killed and several others wounded when a rocket from the Gaza Strip hit “Rehovot” settlement.

Video shared on social media immediately after the attack showed the inside of the building with extensive damage, including holes in the ceiling and floor.

13 other settlers were injured in the Palestinian shelling on the settlement.

The rocket impact came as part of a large barrage fired from the Palestinian besieged enclave that targeted settlements further north the entity than the previous days.

This comes as the Islamic Jihad movement vowed to keep up its retaliatory strikes against the occupied territories until the “Israeli” regime stops its deadly acts of aggression against the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian resistance group is headquartered. 

“Israel” has assassinated dozens of Palestinians, including at least five of the movement’s commanders since Tuesday, when it began to significantly escalate its airstrikes against Gaza. The Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, has fired hundreds of rockets towards the occupied territories in response.

Speaking on Thursday, Anwar Abu Taha, an Islamic Jihad spokesperson, warned that “our weapons, our resistance, and our missile strikes will not stop until the aggression stops, specifically the policy of assassinations against our leaders and our people.”

Taha said the intense reprisal served to send a strong message to the “Israeli” enemy that the Brigades and the resistance have many surprises in store, which can compel the regime to stop its continuous brutality.

“[‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is delusional that the Islamic Jihad will weaken and be broken in light of the assassination of its military leaders, and we tell him that the Islamic Jihad, by assassinating its leaders, is getting stronger and sticking to the option of jihad and resistance,” the Palestinian official noted.

He further mentioned: “The enemy should not test our patience and strength, because we have a lot in store, and in this round, all the suburbs of Tel Aviv are under the range of missiles.”

Related Posts

Al-Quds Brigades announces martyrdom of Commander Iyad Al-Hassani Who is martyr Al-Hassani, Al-Quds Brigades Operations Unit Commander?

12 May 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen Net

Palestinian martyr Iyad Al-Hassani (Abu Anas)

By Al Mayadeen English 

The Israeli occupation cowardly assassinates a sixth Al-Quds Brigades commander since the start of the aggression against the Gaza Strip.

On the fourth day of the Israeli occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ), mourned on Friday Iyad Al-Hassani (Abu Anas), a member of its Military Council and Commander of the Brigades Operations Unit, who was martyred in a cowardly Israeli assassination in Al-Nasr neighborhood, in the west of Gaza City.

A PIJ source told Al Mayadeen that the crime of assassinating the leaders of Al-Quds Brigades “will backfire sending terror across the enemy and defeating its security and army.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced the arrival of three martyrs and 10 injured at Al-Shifa Hospital, east of Khan Yunis, following an Israeli occupation strike that targeted a residential apartment in Bani Suheila, in the southern Strip.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of Palestinians killed as a result of the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression against Gaza rose to 33 martyrs, including six Resistance leaders, and 111 injured.

Since the start of the aggression on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation assassinated Al-Quds Brigades commanders Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahtini, Tarek Ezzedine, Ali Hassan Ghali, Ahmad Abu Daqqa, and recently Iyad Al-Hassani.

Earlier today, the Brigades declared that the Palestinian Resistance delivered a ‘concentrated’ rocket strike on occupied Al-Quds, “Tel Aviv”, and illegal Israeli settlements in response to Israeli occupation forces’ assassination of PIJ military commanders and their ongoing aggression on Gaza.

On Thursday, Al-Quds Brigades Spokesperson Abu Hamza stressed during a televised speech that “assassinating our senior officials and freedom fighters will only bolster our will to fight against the enemy.”

PIJ senior official Khamis Al-Haitham also underlined that the Israeli occupation’s assassination would not go unanswered, as all options are on the table for the Palestinian Resistance.

In the same context, the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation army had announced that about 866 rockets were fired from Gaza toward “Israel” since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, confirming the death of an illegal settler and the wounding of 15 others in a Resistance rocket firing that targeted the illegal settlement of “Rehovot”.

Who is martyr Al-Hassani, Al-Quds Brigades Operations Unit Commander?

Source: Al Mayadeen Net

Palestinian martyr Iyad Al-Hassani (Abu Anas)

By Al Mayadeen English 

Martyr Iyad Al-Hassani is one of the most prominent leaders of Al-Quds Brigades and one of the most wanted Resistance leaders by the Israeli occupation.

Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, mourned Iyad Al-Hassani (Abu Anas), a member of its Military Council and Commander of the Brigades Operations Unit, who was martyred in a cowardly Israeli assassination in Al-Nasr neighborhood, in the west of Gaza City.

The Joint Operations Room of the Resistance Factions, Hamas, Al-Mujahideen movement, National Resistance Brigades, Al-Nasser Salaheddine Brigades, Fatah and Al-Ahrar movements also mourned the martyr, stressing that the crimes of the Israeli occupation will not stop the Palestinian people’s Resistance and unity.

Who is martyr Al-Hassani that the Israeli occupation assassinated on Friday? And what role did he play in the Resistance?

Al-Hassani joined the PIJ early on after it was founded in the 1980s. He is one of the most prominent leaders of Al-Quds Brigades and one of the most wanted Resistance leaders by the Israeli occupation, for more than 26 years.

The martyr is one of those who supervised martyrdom operations against the Israeli occupation in occupied Palestinian cities under the PIJ’s former military wing (Qasam) and is the commander behind a series of other resistance operations during the second Palestinian Intifada.

Al-Hassani is considered one of the founders of (Qasam) and one of the most wanted by the Israeli occupation forces, due to his great role in planning martyrdom operations inside illegal Israeli settlements during Al-Aqsa Intifada.

One of the most prominent operations that the martyr supervised was the “Beit Lid operation, which resulted in the death of 22 Israelis and the wounding of 63 others, including 20 seriously.

Read more: Al-Quds Brigades Spox: PIJ will never abandon resistance – Exclusive

Al-Hassani was one of the masterminds of the Beit Lid double operation, which is one of the most prominent PIJ operations carried out by Anwar Sukkar (Al-Shujaiya) and Salah Shaker (Rafah), on January 22, 1995, that targeted a gathering of Israeli occupation soldiers at the Beit Lid crossroads.

Yedioth Ahronoth described it as “the most severe operations that targeted the Israeli army inside the Green Line.”

Al-Hassani has been the commander of Al-Quds Brigades’ Operations Unit for years. He played a crucial role in confronting Israeli occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip and the rocket firing toward “Israel” during the past years.

In a previous statement made on April 2022, the martyr said there is complete readiness to confront new developments, pointing to a new phase launched by the heroes of Operation Freedom Tunnel and the Jenin Brigade.

During a PIJ meeting held in the city of Rafah, Al-Hassani said the military leadership is satisfied with the readiness of Al-Quds Brigades for all possible scenarios and to surprise the enemy. He also touched on the Resistance situation in the occupied West Bank.

It is noteworthy that since the start of the aggression on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation assassinated Al-Quds Brigades commanders Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahtini, Tarek Ezzedine, Ali Hassan Ghali, Ahmad Abu Daqqa, and recently Iyad Al-Hassani.

Al-Quds Brigades unveils Buraq 85, threatens IOF: Your Sling is useless

Earlier on Friday, Al-Quds Brigades threatened the Israeli occupation through a video it published, titled: “Your sling will not do you any good,” in reference to “Israel’s” David’s Sling anti-missile system that was used for the first time to intercept Palestinian Resistance rockets fired from the Gaza Strip toward “Tel Aviv”.

In the video, Al-Quds Brigades presented the features of the Buraq-85 rocket, which was manufactured by its fighters in 2019 and has a range of 85 kilometers.

The PIJ warned that more strikes will hit the enemy’s depth in response to targeting and destroying civilian houses.

Related Videos

Special Coverage | The rockets of the Palestinian resistance do not subside with the “revenge of the free”
Special Coverage | A qualitative and significant development of the resistance’s missiles in response to the Israeli aggression in Gaza
Special Coverage | Field development in the besieged Gaza Strip
Special Coverage | Jerusalem is at the heart of the equation of revenge for the free
Special Coverage | Jerusalem is at the heart of the equation of revenge for the free

Related Articles

‘Israel’ Opens Shelters after Gaza Strikes Kill 13 Palestinians including Resistance Commanders

 May 9, 2023

Three Islamic Jihad commanders who were martyred by Israeli strikes on Gaza (Tuesday, May 9, 2023).

Israeli occupation carried out a wide-scale aggression on Gaza early on Tuesday, killing 13 Palestinians including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders.

Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, pronounced the martyrdom of commanders Khalil Al-Bahitini, Tareq Ezzeddine and Jihad Ghannam along with members of their families in several strikes that targeted a number of sites in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Yunis.

Four women and four children were among people martyred. Twenty others were injured in the aggression, dubbed by the occupation army as “Operation Shield and Arrow,” according to Israeli media.

The Islamic Jihad warned that the Israeli aggression won’t go unanswered.

“Blood of the martyrs will increase our resolve, resistance will continue,” the resistance group said in a statement.

Abu Hamza Statement

Spokesman of Al-Quds Brigades Abu Hamza vowed that the resistance will heroically confront the Israeli aggression against Palestinian people.

In a speech posted on his Telegram channel, Abu Hamza said the Israeli occupation committed flagrant massacre by killing the resistance commanders in Gaza along with their wives and children.

Abu Hamza, Spokesman of Al-Quds Brigades

“We pronounce martyrdom of three of our commanders Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahitini and Tareq Ezzeddine.”

He pledged allegiance to the martyrs, vowing to follow their path. “Thousands will come after our martyred commanders, as this path shall be ended by the defeat of the occupation.”

Abu Hamza affirmed that the “Israeli terrorist crime won’t but increase the Palestinian people adherence to resistance choice.”

In this context, he called on Palestinian people to rally behind resistance.

The 3 Commanders

The Jerusalem Post identified Bahitini as the commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, and the most senior operational commander in the resistance group who was responsible for the rocket fire toward the occupied territories in the past month.

The Israeli media outlet said Ezzeddine was responsible for the communications between the movement and its branches in the West Bank and “for transferring funds and coordinating incitement efforts” in the occupied territories.

“Ghanem was one of the most senior and veteran operatives in the movement and served at one point as the commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip,” The JPost reported, claiming that in his latest position, Ghanem “was responsible for coordinating the transfer of funds and weapons from the Islamic Jihad to Hamas.”

Shelters Opened

The Israeli occupation military said it conducted the assassinations in three separate locations simultaneously with 40 fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft.

An Israeli settler enters a public bomb shelter in Ashkelon, in the Zionist entity’s south (Tuesday, May 9, 2023).

Following the strikes, Israeli ‘Home Front’ Command has given the go-ahead for settlements bordering Gaza to begin evacuating Israeli settlers, with officials estimating that fighting will last at least three days, Channel 13 outlet reports.

According to the channel, settlements “already have plans drawn up for such an eventuality, along with arrangements for where residents who must leave home for fear of rocket attack can be housed.”

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has okayed the army to call up reserves troops as needed, in any field, The Times of Israel reported.

Hamas Says ‘Israel’ to Pay Price

Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli actions won’t bring it security, but rather more violence.

“The enemy made a mistake in its estimations and will pay the price for its crime,” he said.

Haniyeh stressed, meanwhile, that the “resistance is unified,” seemingly indicating that his group will back Islamic Jihad in the coming fight, or will even join in.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related Videos

What after the Israeli treachery in Gaza? Which red lines crossed by the occupation?
A new crime of treachery: How will the Palestinian resistance respond?
The scene Israeli treachery

Related Articles

استشهاد خضر عدنان وملف تبادل الأسرى

السبت 6 أيار 2023

عمرو علان 

رحم الله أسير فلسطين الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان، ويظل السؤال عما إذا كانت شهادته ستكون دافعاً إلى فك أسر رفاقه من الأسرى؟

سيسجِّل التاريخ اسم الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان رمزاً لقوة الإرادة والتحمُّل، وأيقونةً للتمرُّد على سلاسل الأَسْر. فحقاً صدق فيه قول الشاعر عبد الرحيم محمود “فإمَّا حياةٌ تسر الصديق وإمَّا مماتٌ يغيظ العدا”، فهذا الرجل، الذي أُسِر عدّة مراتٍ، وخاض خلالها نحو ستّة إضراباتٍ متفرقةٍ عن الطعام، استمر آخرها قرابة ثلاثة أشهرٍ عصيبةٍ انتهت باستشهاده، استحّق أن يصير رمزاً لنضالات الأسرى الفلسطينيين وعذاباتهم، فلا استطاع تكرار الأَسْر كسر عزيمته، ولا فتَّتت 295 يوماً من الإضرابات المتقطعة عضضه، ولا أشغلته الحياة والعائلة عن واجبه الوطني والتزامه، دينياً وأخلاقياً، إذ كان الشيخ الشهيد يعود إلى مقارعة المغتصب في ميادين الجهاد بعد كل مرةٍ، فور خروجه من زنازين الاحتلال.

استشهاد خضر عدنان وملف تبادل الأسرى

لكن رفض الاحتلال إطلاق سراح الشيخ الشهيد، على رغم 86 يوماً من الإضراب عن الطعام أفضت إلى وفاته، يحتِّم على المعنيين التوقف أمام هذه السابقة الخطيرة، ويفرض عليهم النظر في دلالاتها واستحقاقاتها، إذ تعيد هذه الحادثة التذكير بإضراب الأسرى الفلسطينيين الجماعي، والذي كان مقرراً قبيل شهر رمضان الفائت، كون قصة الشيخ الشهيد تُعَد جزءاً من قضية الأسرى الأشمل. وتعيد هذه الحادثة التذكير أيضاً بوصية الأسرى الجماعية، والتي نشروها قبيل البدء بالإضراب، وبما جاء فيها على نحوٍ غير مسبوقٍ؛ ذلك المحتوى الذي ربما لم يأخذ حقه في النقاش، وفي النظر في دلالاته، بسبب انتهاء الإضراب سريعاً في ذلك الوقت.

كانت الحركة الأسيرة في سجون الاحتلال اتَّخذت بالإجماع قراراً يقضي بالدخول في إضرابٍ جماعيّ مفتوحٍ عن الطعام، تزامناً مع بداية شهر رمضان الماضي، وكان القرار، الذي اتخذه الأسرى حينها، يقضي بعدم فك الإضراب حتى تحقيق مطالبهم، وإن أدى ذلك إلى استشهادهم أجمعين.

وكتب الأسرى وصيةً جماعيةً تم نشرها، بالإضافة إلى كتابة وصاياً فرديةٍ كما يفعل الاستشهاديون تماماً. فما الأسباب التي دفعت الحركة الأسيرة إلى اتخاذ قرارٍ قاسٍ كهذا؟ ربما لكان سيؤدي إلى استشهاد بعضهم، كما حدث فعلاً مع الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان؟

لعل السطور الأولى من وصية الأسرى الجماعية كانت لتدلنا على إجابة عن هذا التساؤل، إذ جاء فيها أنه “بعد أن وجدنا أنفسنا وحيدين في مواجهة الموت والنسيان، نصارع المستحيل، ونحن أسرى نحارب حتى النهاية بين فكَّي كماشة الإهمال وأنياب بن غفير الاستعمارية”. وتتابع الوصية بالقول: “قررنا، بناءً على الإرادات المؤمنة والمنبثقة من وهم وعينا، تحررياً وإنسانياً، بعد التوكل على الله وعلى شعبنا، أن ننطلق سهاماً من على أوتار أرواحنا المتمردة، فإما حريةٌ حمراء مخضبةٌ بالجوع والكرامة، وإمّا انتصارٌ أكيدٌ على الذات والدنيا معاً”.

أشارت تلك العبارات إلى إحساسٍ لدى الأسرى بأنَّهم تُرِكوا وحيدين ومنسيين في مواجهة الموت البطيء خلف القضبان. فبعد مُضِيّ نحو عقدٍ ونيف على “صفقة الأحرار”، التي تمكنت فيها “كتائب القسام” من تحرير نحو ألف أسيرٍ، ما زال سائر الأسرى ينتظرون فك قيدهم. ولعلّ تلك الكلمات توحي بأن اليأس بدأ يتسلل إلى نفوسهم مع مرور كل عام، وهم يكابدون الزنازين. فإذا كانت “كتائب عز الدين القسام” وفصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية تمكَّنت من إتمام صفقة تبادلٍ ناجحةٍ قبل 12 عاماً، في وقتٍ كانت أضعف بمراحل مما هي عليه راهناً، فهل يصح القول إنها اليوم عاجزةٌ عن تكرار تلك التجربة بعد أن ازدادت قوتها؟ وكيف إذا ما أضيف إلى ذلك تراجع قدرة العدو؟ وتعاظم قدرات قوى المقاومة من الناحية المقابلة في الإقليم بصورة عامة؟ 

لعلّ الأسرى كانوا محقين حينما وجهوا العتب ضمناً إلى إخوانهم في فصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية، فلقد طال أمَدُ انتظارهم للوفاء بالوعد الذي كانت قطعته الفصائل على أنفسها بتحريرهم، ومعالجة هذا الملف الذي يحظى بإجماعٍ وطنيّ فلسطينيّ.

لا يصح هنا القول إن الحركة الأسيرة لا تدرك حقائق الواقع، سياسياً وميدانياً، حينما تطالب بالحرية، أو أنَّها تطلب أمراً لا يمكن تحقيقه. فعلى رغم وجود الحركة الأسيرة خلف أسوار المعتقل، فإنها ما زالت على تواصلٍ مع الخارج عبر وسائل متعدّدة، والراجح أن الحركة الأسيرة كانت لتصبر على العذابات، وما كانت لتطالب الفصائل بأمرٍ غير قابلٍ للتنفيذ، فهذه الحركة تضم رجالاً صمدوا عقوداً خلف القضبان، ولا يعوزهم الصبر حيث يلزم الصبر. 

لذلك، إذا كان عدد جنود الاحتلال، الذين تم أسرهم في معركة غزة عام 2014، لا يكفي لإنجاز صفقة تبادلٍ جديدةٍ، فربما يكون آن الأوان لتقوم المقاومة بما يلزم فعله من أجل تحريك ملف تبادل الأسرى، وإجبار العدو على الرضوخ وإنهاء هذا الملف، الذي يُعَدّ جرحاً نازفاً في الجسد الفلسطيني.

أخيراً، لا بد من الإشارة إلى أن حكومة المستوطنين المتغطرسين الحالية هذه، والتي ذهبت بعيداً في الاستقواء على الأسرى، إلى حدّ الحديث عن تعديل القوانين، على نحو يتيح للاحتلال تنفيذ عقوبة الإعدام بحقهم، كما طبَّقته فعلياً بحق الشيخ الشهيد حينما رفضت إنهاء حبسه الإداري حتى توفي، هذه الحكومة ذاتها، أو هذا الكيان الموقت بصورة عامة، تم اختبار جاهزيته للذهاب إلى الحرب أكثر من مرة مؤخراً، وكان يثبت، في كل مرة، تفاديه أي مواجهةٍ تتخطى بضع غاراتٍ جويةٍ شكليةٍ على البساتين والمناطق المفتوحة، سواءٌ أكان في غزة، أم في جنوبي لبنان، كما ظهر خلال شهر رمضان الماضي. لذلك، فالأرجح ألّا يجد العدو بدّاً من التفاوض غير المباشر لإتمام صفقة تبادل أسرى جديدةٍ من أجل استعادة جنوده الموجودين حالياً في قبضة فصائل غزة، أو أي جنودٍ آخرين يُحتمَل وقوعهم في الأسر.

رحم الله أسير فلسطين الشيخ الشهيد خضر عدنان، ويظل السؤال عما إذا كانت شهادته ستكون دافعاً إلى فك أسر رفاقه من الأسرى؟ وذلك قبل أن يسقط منهم شهداء آخرون؟ فهذا وحده الثمن المقبول لمعركة الشيخ الشهيد التي دفع حياته ثمناً لها.

إن الآراء المذكورة في هذه المقالة تعبّر عن رأي صاحبها حصراً

Mass Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa, Palestinian Worshippers Chant for Hamas’ Mohammad Deif

 March 31, 2023

Palestinians performing the second Friday prayer of Ramadan at the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque (March 31, 2023).

Tens of thousands of Palestinians defied Israeli repressive measures in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and took part in Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the second week of the holy month of Ramadan.

Palestinian media reported unprecedented participation in Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa, with Shehab news agency putting the number of worshipers at 250,000.

The Times of Israel reported that at least 52,000 Palestinians crossed into the occupied territories from the West Bank. It said that occupation forces were on alert in both Al-Quds and the West Bank, noting that 2,300 soldiers were deployed there.

Following prayers, hundreds of worshipers took part in anti-occupation protest during which Palestinians chanted slogans in praise of “martyrs” and in support of Hamas shadowy military chief Mohammad Deif.

A video circulating on social media showed an imam calling on the crowd to protect the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, before chanting slogans extolling the martyrs, with the audience shouting in response “We are the people of Mohammad Deif.”

Deif is the supreme commander of Ezzeddine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. A banner in support of Hamas and its military arm was raised on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The symbol of the Nablus-based resistance group Lions’ Den was also hung from one of the arches of the esplanade.

Other photos also showed Palestinian young men risking their lives climbing the Israeli segregation barrier in a bid to reach Al-Quds and pray at Al-Aqsa.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related

‘Israel’ Alarmed by Palestinian “Lone Wolves”, Sayyed Nasrallah’s “Spiderweb Theory”

 March 15, 2023

Marwa Haidar

‘Israel’ is alarmed by an “unusual incident” in which an explosive charge was detonated next to the Megiddo junction on a road near the West Bank seamline facing Jenin on Monday.

The incident, which injured a person seriously, was likely a roadside bomb of the type detonated in the past, mainly against Israeli occupation forces in south Lebanon during occupation before 2000, Haaretz Israeli daily reported on Tuesday.

Scene of a bomb blast at Megiddo junction in pccupied Palestine (Monday, March 13, 2023).

“The Shin Bet and IDF have been concerned for several months about increased attempts by terrorists in the West Bank to prepare explosive charges,” the paper’s Amos Harel said, referring to Israeli occupation forces.

Palestinian “Lone Wolves”

Meanwhile on Tuesday, a group named “Galilee Forces – Lone Wolves”, claimed responsibility for Megiddo junction attack, vowing to stage more attacks against Israeli occupation forces.

“One of our wolves planted a roadside bomb at Megiddo junction. The bomb went off and the wolves were unhurt after withdrawing the area,” the group said in a statement.

It also released a video showing Israeli outposts that the group intends to target soon. “Target is monitored and the weapon is ready,” the Galilee Forces – Lone Wolves group said in the video.

Rise in Explosive Charges

Harel reported that there has been, recently, a rise in the level of explosive charges being made and the number of Palestinian operations, noting that such upsurge comes after the situation was relatively calm in the occupied territories following the Second Intifada.

Since the Second Intifada, there’s been almost no sophisticated know-how in the West Bank on the preparation of explosive charges, the report said, listing a series of attacks which took place in the last three months.

There is concern in the Zionist entity that Palestinian attacks in the West Bank will soon rise, Harel reported, citing a clear increase of attacks for close to a year.

“But intelligence agencies are concerned about another escalation ahead of Ramadan, which begins in about a week,” the Israeli journalist said.

Resistance Warns

In this context, Palestinian resistance threatened the Israeli occupation that changing the status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque will trigger an “earthquake” in the entire region.

Marwan Issa, Deputy Chief of Staff of Hamas’ Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said that “allowing the resistance in the West Bank to take action, doesn’t mean that the resistance fighters in Gaza won’t patronize their brothers in the occupied territories.”

The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has been accumulating power in order to reach the full liberation of Palestine, Issa stated.

“Spiderweb Theory”

On the other hand, Haaretz’ Harel correlated between rising motivation for Palestinian attacks and what he described as the Zionist entity’s “unprecedented political and constitutional crisis” represented by the mass protests over judicial overhaul planned by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He cited recent remarks by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah about the Zionist entity’s collapse.

“Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah recently delivered two speeches in which he repeated his “spiderweb theory” regarding Israeli society’s weakness, which he initially presented after Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Now he’s forecasting that an internal schism in Israel will lead to the country’s collapse, meaning that Israelis won’t be celebrating the country’s 80th anniversary in five years,” the Israeli journalist wrote in his Tuesday’s article.

In his latest speech last week, Sayyed Nasrallah described Israeli protests as historic and significant, noting that Israeli officials are now concerned about what he called the “third ravage” of the Zionist entity.

“Nasrallah is Not Completely Wrong”

In his article, Harel said that one of the worries occupying the Israeli “security system currently is that Nasrallah is not completely wrong.”

“Not only is the judicial controversy tearing Israelis into two camps, the rage against the regime coup led by the Netanyahu government is harming the military’s cohesion and may, in the long run, compromise its operational fitness. The biggest concern was raised in recent weeks by the Air Force, against a backdrop of growing protest by reserve pilots and navigators, the tumultuous discussions within squadrons and petitions in which hundreds of reserve pilots threatened to stop volunteering to fly should the extremist legislation pass in the Knesset,” Harel wrote.

Source: Israeli and Palestinian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Hamas spox to Al Mayadeen: ‘Israel’ to pay, escalation unstoppable

8 Mar 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen Net

By Al Mayadeen English 

Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem announces that the Resistance is ready and continues to prepare itself for the engagement with IOF in case the latter cross the red lines.

Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem (Archive)

Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem confirmed, on Wednesday, that the Israeli occupation, with its behavior, has made the escalation unavoidable, not only in Palestine but in the entire region as well.

Qassem said, during an interview for Al Mayadeen, that “in parallel to the Israeli policy that may push in the direction of a big explosion, there is an increase in resistance and confrontation.”

The Hamas Spokesperson explained that “we are amid a major gradual escalation, contrary to all of Washington’s false claims about de-escalation.”

Qassem also pointed out that “the Resistance in Gaza, and specifically Al-Qassam Brigades, said its patience is running out in the face of Israeli attacks.”

The spokesperson also stressed that “the Resistance is ready and preparing itself for taking action in the event that the occupation crosses the red lines,” adding that “the Resistance in Gaza provides a firm ground for Resistance operations across the West Bank.”

Qassem said, “The price that the occupation will pay in the event of any confrontation with Gaza will be too heavy for the occupation government and Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to handle.” Moreover, the occupation is “terrified of Gaza possibly taking part in this battle” and, as such, is “instigating mediations out of fear” of the situation.

Regarding the US stance vis-à-vis the Palestinian cause, Qassem said, “The US position is always supportive of the occupation, and therefore it can never be relied upon.”

After Jenin massacre, ‘Israel’ fears response from Resistance

Israeli media reported that the Israeli security and military establishment is preparing for “retaliatory operations” after the Israeli Special Forces operation (Yamam) in Jenin yesterday, which led to the martyrdom of six Palestinians, including the one who carried out the Huwara operation.

The IOF carried out arrests, including the two sons of the Palestinian who carried out the Huwara operation, Abd Al-Fattah Kharrousha, whom the Al-Qassam Brigades mourned, while the IOF claimed that his two sons were involved in carrying out the shooting.

On March 7, occupation police issued “an order to double the state of vigilance and have a prominent presence in Al-Quds,” according to Israeli media. 

Palestinian Resistance factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, threatened to take revenge for the Israeli attack, during which a house was besieged and its occupants targeted. 

The West Bank mourns its martyrs and the resistance factions call for a general mobilization
Occupied Palestine || A number of Palestinians were killed and injured when the Israeli occupation forces stormed Jenin and its camp
A general strike in the West Bank in response to the massacre of the Zionist enemy in Jenin

Related News

Palestinian Resistance Warns as Israeli Occupation Stages Massacre in Nablus

 February 22, 2023

Israeli occupation forces shot and injured an elderly Palestinian woman during the ongoing attack on Nablus (February 22, 2023).

Palestinian resistance issued a new warning on Wednesday as Israeli occupation forces brutally raided the Palestinian city of Nablus, killing or injuring dozens of Palestinians including elderly people and a child.

Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 10 Palestinians were martyred and other 100 were injured in the Israeli raid in Nablus Old City.

The martyrs included two elderly men and a child, Palestinian media reported.

Local sources reported that a large number of Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided the Old City of Nablus during peak business hours and besieged a house where two wanted Palestinian youths were inside.

Israeli media reported that the two wanted Palestinians were commanders in the Islamic Jihad’s Nablus Battalion resistance group: Mohammad Al-Juneidi and Hussam sleem.

Fighters of Lions’ Den, another Nablus-based resistance group, were involved in the clash as they rushed to defend the city against the Israeli aggression.

Clashes erupted as Palestinians confronted IOF who fired live bullets, tear gas and sound bombs at the houses and shops, causing many suffocation cases.

The Red Crescent in Nablus said the IOF prevented its ambulances from reaching and evacuating the wounded in the Old City, Quds News Network reported.

Health Ministry identified three of the martyrs – in addition to Al-Juneidi and sleem- : Adnan Saabe Baara, 72, Khaled Mohammad Anbsousi, 25, and Tamer Menawi, 33, were killed by Israeli gunfire while 40 others got injured, five said to be in critical condition.

Palestinian media added that a Palestinian elderly woman was among the injured people.

Palestinian Resistance Warns

Commenting on the Israeli aggression on Nbalus, spokesman of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades threatened that the resistance in Gaza was closely monitoring the Israeli crimes in the West Bank.

“We are running out of patience,” Palestinian media quoted the spokesman as saying.

So far 61 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli fire since the start of 2023, according to QudsNews Network.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Videos shall be added when available

Special Coverage | Developments in the West Bank after the massacre of the occupation army
An Israeli government is in crisis, and the demonstrations surround Netanyahu

RELATED ARTICLES

Resistance confronts Israeli attacks, targets settlements around Gaza

Feb 2, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen Net

By Al Mayadeen English 

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Mujahideen Brigades announce that their air defenses intercept the IOF’s fighter jets violating the airspace of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli air raids targeted resistance sites in the central Gaza Strip. (AFP)

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas resistance movement, announced in a statement, at dawn today, that the resistance’s air defenses intercepted Israeli occupation aircraft targeting the Gaza Strip with surface-to-air missiles and also fired surface-to-surface missiles.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that the Israeli air raids targeted resistance sites in the central Gaza Strip, noting that the Palestinian Resistance responded by deploying its air defense systems against the Israeli warplanes violating the Gaza airspace, using SAMs to intercept the hostile aircraft.

The occupation forces launched a series of raids in Gaza hours after Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for an urgent security meeting, following the occupation’s announcement of intercepting a missile fired from Gaza.

Hazem Qassem: Extremist occupation government opens the door to escalation

Hamas’ spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that the Zionist occupation’s raids on Gaza are an example of the cycle of aggression waged against the Palestinian people and their land.

Qassem added that “the presence of the far-right Israeli government and its extremist policies opens the door for escalation.” He also lauded the Al-Qassam Brigades’ heroism in confronting the occupation’s aggression and the bombing of the Strip.

“Al-Qassam Brigades will remain the people’s shield and sword.” 

Al-Mujahideen Brigades: We targeted the Israeli “Nahal Oz” military site

For its part, the Al-Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, announced in a statement that the Zionist aircraft were confronted with surface-to-air missiles and the “Nahal Oz” military site was targeted with heavy weapons.

The brigades affirmed that the resistance fighters will be on the lookout, and will be fully prepared to confront any aggression against the Palestinians.

In the same context, Israeli media reported that occupation forces arrested 17 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank last night.

Related Videos

    Related Stories

    القدس تنتقم لجنين: فدائي «استثنائي» يوجع العدو ويرعبه

      السبت 28 كانون الثاني 2023

    قطع وزير الأمن زيارته إلى واشنطن، وعاد إلى تل أبيب للمشاركة في المشاورات الأمنية (أ ف ب)

    رجب المدهون

    بعد أقلّ من 48 ساعة على ارتكاب العدو جريمة مخيّم جنين، عمد مقاوم فلسطيني من سكّان القدس المحتلّة، إلى إطلاق النار من سلاحه الفردي على مستوطِنين إسرائيليين كانوا خارجين لتوّهم من كنيس في حيّ «نيفي يعقوب» الاستيطاني. وأدّت هذه العملية الفدائية غير المسبوقة منذ حوالى 15 عاماً، إلى مقتل 7 إسرائيليين، وجرْح نحو 10 اثنان منهم في حال الخطر، ما يجعل حصيلة القتلى مرشّحة للارتفاع. في المقابل، استُشهد منفّذ العملية بعد وقت قصير، عند اشتباكه مع شرطة العدو. وكانت المقاومة الفلسطينية في غزة أطلقت، في ردّها الأوّلي على مجزرة المخيّم، عدداً من الصواريخ على مستوطنات «الغلاف»، تأكيداً منها أن «معادلة غزة – جنين» لا تزال قائمة، في وقت تصاعدت فيه مطالبات أقطاب الفاشية لجيش الاحتلال وحكومته، بتعزيز توازنات الردع مع القطاع، عبر إطباق الحصار أكثر، والتجويع، والاغتيالات، والمزيد من القتل العبثي

    حتى ساعة متأخّرة من ليل أمس، كانت لا تزال وسائل إعلام العدو تنشر أرقاماً متضاربة حول حصيلة عملية إطلاق النار التي نفّذها المقاوم الفلسطيني في حيّ «نفي يعقوب» الاستيطاني في القدس. لكن في المحصّلة، فإن أبلغ تعبير يخلّص المشهد، يكاد يكون هو الذي استعملتْه «القناة 12» العبرية، تعليقاً على الحدث، إذ قالت إن «مذبحة وقعت في القدس». ومن موقع العملية – والذي زاره في وقت لاحق رئيس الحكومة، بنيامين نتنياهو، في حدث غير معتاد -، وبينما كان وزير «الأمن القومي»، إيتمار بن غفير، محاطاً بعدد كبير من الحرّاس والمستوطنين، وصف الهجوم بأنه «من الأسوأ خلال السنوات الأخيرة»، قبل أن يلتزم الصمت ويبتلع لسانه، في وقت حاولت فيه وسائل الإعلام العبرية استصراحه، وهو المعروف بوصوله دائماً أولاً إلى موقع أيّ ضربة ضدّ إسرائيليين، حيث يشرع في تصريحات مزايِدة على حكومة خصومه السابقة بقيادة نفتالي بينت ثمّ يائير لابيد. لكن أمس، خرس بن غفير أمام هول الحدث ونتائجه، وهو الوزير الأساسي في الحكومة، وتحت سلطته تقع عدّة أجهزة أمنية تعمل في الأراضي المحتلة، وأنصتَ محنيّ الرأس إلى صرخات المستوطِنين، وهم يطالبونه بأن يفي بوعوده الإجرامية، وتصعيد التنكيل بالفلسطينيين، محمّلين إيّاه المسؤولية، كون العملية وقعت خلال ولايته كوزير. وفي آخر المعلومات التي وردت مساء أمس، فإن المقاوم الفلسطيني، منفّذ الضربة، هو الشهيد علقم خيري (21 عاماً) من سكّان شرق القدس. وبحسب مفوض عام الشرطة الإسرائيلية، «كان لوحده، وهو من نفّذ الهجوم كاملاً».

    من جهته، قطع وزير الأمن، يوآف غالانت، زيارته إلى واشنطن، وعاد إلى تل أبيب للمشاركة في المشاورات الأمنية التي كان يعقدها نتنياهو مع قادة الأجهزة الأمنية والعسكرية المختلفة، والتي خلصت إلى التوجيه بالاستعداد لتصعيد محتمل. وعلى المستوى الميداني، اقتحمت قوات الاحتلال مخيم شعفاط شمالي القدس، حيث تصدّى لها شبّان المخيم، ووقعت عدّة إصابات في صفوفهم. وأشارت وسائل إعلام العدو إلى أن قوات الأمن الإسرائيلية اقتحمت «شعفاط» لكون منفّذ العملية ينحدر أساساً منه، لكنه يسكن حيّاً آخر في القدس المحتلة.

    على صعيد مواز، وقبل ذلك بليلة واحدة، ردّت المقاومة الفلسطينية، مبدئيّاً، على جريمة مخيم جنين، بإطلاقها صواريخ من قطاع غزة، تجاه مدينة عسقلان ومستوطنات «غلاف غزة»، لتؤكد استمرار «معادلة غزة – جنين» التي أراد الاحتلال تحييدها، في الفترة الماضية. وشهدت أجواء القطاع ليلة ساخنة، تخلّلها إطلاق الصواريخ والمضادات الأرضية للطيران من قِبَل المقاومة من جهة، وقصف إسرائيلي وإطلاق صواريخ «القبّة الحديدية» من جهة ثانية. وفي التفاصيل، أطلقت فصائل المقاومة، في ساعة مبكرة من فجر يوم أمس الجمعة، صاروخَين تجاه مدينة عسقلان المحتلّة، وذلك ردّاً على العدوان الذي استهدف مخيم جنين، لم تتمكّن منظومة «القبّة الحديدية» من اعتراضهما، على رغم إطلاقها عشرات الصواريخ لهذا الغرض، ولتدوّي من بعدها صافرات الإنذار في مختلف مناطق «الغلاف». وما هي إلّا ساعات قليلة، حتى شنّت طائرات الاحتلال سلسلة غارات على المواقع العسكرية التابعة لـ»كتائب القسام»، الجناح العسكري لحركة «حماس»، في منطقتَي وسط وجنوب غزة، تصدّت لها المضادات الأرضية التابعة للمقاومة، فيما أَطلقت «وحدات الدفاع الجوي» صاروخَين موجّهَين تجاه الطائرات المغيرة، ما أدّى إلى إبعادها عن سماء القطاع. ولاحقاً، بثّت «كتائب القسام» فيديوهات لعمليات اعتراض الطائرات الإسرائيلية في سماء غزة، ولعمليّات إطلاق صليات من الرصاص المضاد للطائرات والصواريخ الموجّهة. ووفق مصادر محلّية، تحدّثت إلى «الأخبار»، فإن قوات الاحتلال استهدفت موقع «الكتيبة 13» التابع لـ»القسام»، في مخيم المغازي وسط القطاع، بأكثر من 15 صاروخاً، كما استهدفت غارة من طائرة حربيّة من دون طيار مرصداً للمقاومة شرق بيت حانون، شمال غزة.

    حمّل مستوطنون بن غفير المسؤولية وطالبوه بالثأر


    وتزامناً مع غارات الاحتلال والتصدّي للطائرات المغيرة، أطلقت المقاومة الفلسطينية خمسة صواريخ من غزة تجاه مستوطنات «الغلاف»، فيما أعلن جيش الاحتلال، من جهته، أنه تمّ إطلاق سبعة صواريخ تجاه المستوطنات، زاعماً أنه تم اعتراض أربعة منها، وثلاثة سقطت في مناطق مفتوحة، وأنه تمّ إطلاق عدّة صواريخ أخرى لكنها لم تعبر السياج. وعلمت «الأخبار» من مصادر في حركتَي «حماس» و»الجهاد الإسلامي»، أن تفاهماً جرى بينهما على الردّ من قطاع غزة على جريمة الاحتلال في مخيم جنين، تأكيداً منهما على «وحدة الساحات» الفلسطينية، واستمرار «معادلة غزة – جنين»، وعلى عدم السماح للعدو بالتفرّد بالضفة المحتلة. وأعلن عضو المكتب السياسي لـ»الجهاد»، خالد البطش، أن «سرايا القدس»، الجناح العسكري للحركة، هي المسؤولة عن إطلاق الصواريخ، موضحاً أنه «تجسيداً منّا لمعركة وحدة الساحات هنا في غزة، ردّت، الليلة (أمس)، سرايا القدس بالقصف الصاروخي، وكتائب القسام بالدفاع الجوي، في مشهد متكامل يؤكد وحدة الموقف والسلاح»، مشدّداً على أنه «لن نسمح للعدو بتفريق الساحات».

    من جهته، قال القيادي في حركة «الجهاد»، درويش الغرابلي، خلال مسيرة جماهيرية حاشدة في خان يونس جنوب غزة، إن «إطلاق صواريخ من القطاع، هي رسالة واضحة للعدو الإسرائيلي بأنّنا لا نخافه ولا نخشى مواجهته»، محذّراً من «توسيع بقعة الزيت»، في حال تكرّرت الاعتداءات الإسرائيلية على القدس وجنين والخان الأحمر وأيّ منطقة من فلسطين، ولفت إلى أن ما حدث من إطلاق صواريخ هو «جزء بسيط من ردّ المقاومة على الجريمة التي ارتكبها الاحتلال في جنين». وفي هذا السياق أيضاً، قال الناطق باسم «حماس»، حازم قاسم، إن «المقاومة الباسلة في قطاع غزة تواصل القيام بواجبها بالدفاع عن الشعب الفلسطيني ومقدّساته، وستبقى درع الشعب وسيفه»، موجّهاً التحية إلى مجاهدي «القسام» الذين «تصدّوا للعدوان الصهيوني بالصواريخ المضادة للطيران والمضادات الأرضية التي أربكت جيش الاحتلال ومستوطنيه». وشدّد قاسم على أن القصف على قطاع غزة يشكّل «امتداداً لجرائم الاحتلال ضدّ الشعب الفلسطيني في الضفة والقدس والداخل المحتلّ»، وأن من «حقّ الشعب الفلسطيني ومقاومته أن يقاتلا بكل الأساليب رداً على عدوان الاحتلال واستمرار جرائمه».

    وللمرّة الأولى منذ عام، أُطلقت من قطاع غزة بالونات تحمل أجساماً رمزية تجاه مستوطنات «الغلاف»، في إشارة إلى أن فلسطينيي القطاع قد يعودون إلى أدوات الضغط الشعبي والميداني مع تصاعد جرائم الاحتلال.

    وعلى الجانب الآخر، برزت انتقادات لجيش الاحتلال وحكومة بنيامين نتنياهو، حول تعاملها مع قطاع غزة، إذ وجّه الجنرال احتياط، تسيفكا فوغل، عضو «الكنيست» عن حزب وزير الأمن القومي، إيتمار بن غفير، «القوة اليهودية»، انتقاداً لاذعاً إلى وزير الأمن، قائلاً: «غالانت، هل تريد تحقيق الردع؟ حسناً، هكذا يتحقّق الردع: يجب إغلاق المعابر مع غزة، ومنْع مرور البضائع وخروج العمّال حتى عودة الأسرى الإسرائيليين، كما يجب اغتيال كبار المسؤولين في غزة، وعدم إهدار الذخيرة على العقارات، والأهم من ذلك: شنّ هجمات، وليس شرطاً أن تكون ردوداً على حدث ما». من جهتها، قالت الوزيرة السابقة، ميراف ميخائيلي: «نتنياهو عاد – وسياسة تنقيط الصواريخ على الجنوب عادت بعد عام ونصف عام من السلوك الأمني المسؤول خلال فترة حكومة التغيير – نتنياهو يعيدنا إلى الوراء»، بينما رأى معلّق الشؤون العربية في «القناة 13»، تسفي يحزكلي، أن «حركتَي حماس والجهاد تمتلكان السطوة، وقد صنعتا معادلة ردع ضدّنا».

    فيديوات ذات صلة

    مقالات ذات صلة

    ‘Israel’ Braces for Escalation After Committing Massacre in Jenin

     January 26, 2023

    Israeli vehicle comes under fire by Palestinian resistance in Jenin (photo by AFP).

    The Zionist entity is bracing for an escalation with the Palestinian resistance on Thursday, after Israeli occupation forces committed horrible massacre in Jenin, killing 9 Palestinians and injuring at least 20 others.

    Israeli media quoted an Israeli defense establishment source as saying that occupation forces will be placed on high alert across the West Bank.

    “This is a number of casualties that you don’t see every day, we’re preparing for various escalation scenarios,” Ynet reported, citing the Israeli source.

    Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad Palestinian resistance movements announced that they would hold an emergency meeting in the Gaza Strip following the fighting in Jenin.

    According to Al Jazeera, Islamic Jihad informed international mediators that “if the aggression against Jenin does not stop, the situation is expected to escalate and all options are on the table.”

    Brutal Massacre

    Earlier on Thursday, Israeli occupation forces committed horrible massacre in Jenin, as they raided the city’s refugee camp and killed 9 Palestinians and injuring 20 others.

    Palestinian security sources said that occupation forces raided the Jenin refugee camp early on Thursday, prompting clashes with resistance fighters of Jenin Battalion, the resistance group of the Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades which operates in Jenin.

    Fierce clashes erupted as Palestinian fighters discovered an infiltration by Israeli special forces into the camp, the security sources added.

    Palestinian Health Ministry put the death toll of the Israeli aggression on Jenin at nine, including an elderly woman, Palestinian media reported.

    Twenty others were wounded in the raid, the ministry said, noting that four of the injured were in critical conditions.

    https://english.almanar.com.lb/ajax/video_check.php?id=109419

    Attack on Hospital Ambulances

    During the raid, Israeli occupation forces also attacked Jenin Governmental Hospital, and obstructed the work of ambulances, according to the sources.

    “The Israeli occupation forces are surrounding the hospital, firing bullets and tear gas,” director of Jenin Hospital said, as quoted by Palestinian media.

    “The situation in the Jenin camp is very critical, the occupation prevents aid to the wounded,” the Palestinian ministry said, adding that “the Red Crescent informed us that there are many wounded people and they are struggling to rescue and evacuate them.”

    The ministry also appealed to the United States and the international community: “If you don’t act now in the face of the brutal carnage in the Jenin camp, when will you?”

    Palestinian Resistance Downs Israeli Drone

    Jenin Battalion announced its fighters heroically confronted the Israeli aggression, targeting occupation forces with intense barrages of fire. Palestinian resistance fighters also downed an Israeli drone flying over the camp during the brutal attack.

    https://english.almanar.com.lb/ajax/video_check.php?id=109430

    The occupation military said the raid in the camp was launched following “accurate intelligence” given to the army by the Shin Bet security agency.

    There were casualties reported among Israeli forces, Ynet reported.

    Thursday’s aggression brings the number of Palestinians martyred this year to 26, including 18 from Jenin.

    Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

    Zionist Gunfire Claims Palestinian Martyr in Al-Khalil, Hamas Video Confuses ‘Israel’

    January 17, 2023

    Zionist captives held by Hamas Resistance Movement

    The Palestinian man Hamdi Shaker Abu Dayyeh, 40, was shot martyred today by Israeli occupation soldiers near Al-Khalil (Hebron), according to the Ministry of Health.

    Security sources said that Israeli occupation soldiers manning a checkpoint at the northern entrance to the town of Halhoul, north of the southern West Bank city of Al-Khalil (Hebron), opened fire at a Palestinian man, critically injuring him before he was pronounced dead.

    Witnesses said the soldiers prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the Palestinian, whose body was held by the army.

    Abu Dayyeh is the 15th Palestinian to be shot and killed by Israeli occupation soldiers since the start of the year, including four minors.

    Hamdi Abu Dayyeh, 40, shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near Hebron

    Clashes in Jenin

    The Zionist occupation forces stormed on Tuesday the two towns of Qabatiya and Barqin in Jenin, arresting four Palestinians and clashing with the Resistance fighters.

    The Islamic Jihad Movement announced that its fighters managed to strike the Israeli occupation troops and confront the invasion.

    Hamas Video

    Meanwhile, the spokesman of Hamas Resistance Movement Hazem Qassem stressed that the Zionist captives will never be released except in context of an honorable swap deal, adding that the video Al-Qassam Brigades circulated on Monday confirms the movement’s seriousness in this regard.

    Hamas spox highlighted the procrastination of the Israeli government aimed at deluding the Zionists regarding the captives file.

    The Zionist paper, Haaretz, indicated that the Israeli command is attempti9ng to escape any concession in the prisoners’ issue, while the military correspondent Amos Hariel tried to cast doubt on the veracity of Hamas video.

    Hamas Military Media Publishes Video of Captured Israeli Soldier Avera Mengistu

    Palestinian Prisoner Maher Younes

    The Zionist occupation authorities moved the Palestinian prisoner Maher Younes 40 hours before the end of his 40-year sentence from Negev jail to an unknown destination in an attempt to spoil his joy.

    It is worth noting that the Zionist occupation police had warned against holding any event to celebrate Younes release.

    Palestinian prisoner Maher Younes

    Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Guarded by the Israeli occupation forces, dozens of Zionist settlers stormed on Tuesday Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards and wandered provocatively across them.

    Meanwhile, the Palestinian worshipers continued flocking into the Holy Shrine despite the Zionist measures, amid calls to boost preparations to confront the Zionist assaults on the Mosque.

    Ben-Gvir storms Al-Aqsa Mosque (Tuesday, January 3, 2023).

    Source: Al-Manar English Website

    الضيف للفاشيين: لن تفلحوا في ما أعجزَ آباءكم | «حماس» في ذكراها الـ35: رسائل تحدٍّ وتصعيد

    الخميس 15 كانون الأول 2022

    جرت جولات تفاوض غير مباشر مع الاحتلال قُبيل الانتخابات الإسرائيلية الأخيرة لإنجاز صفقة التبادل (أ ف ب)

    رجب المدهون

    غزة في الذكرى الخامسة والثلاثين لانطلاقتها، وفي وقت يبدو الفلسطينيون مُقبلين على مرحلة حُبلى بالتحدّيات والاستحقاقات، جاءت رسائل حركة «حماس»، في الشكل والمضمون، على قدْر ما يتطلّبه الموقف. إذ حملت الكلمة المُسجَّلة لقائدها العسكري، محمد الضيف، التي تُعدّ الأولى له منذ سنوات، مواقف تحدٍّ للفاشية الصاعدة في دولة الاحتلال، بمُخاطَبته القادة الإسرائيليين بأنهم «أعجزُ وأجبنُ من أن ينجحوا في ما فشل فيه آباؤهم»، وأن «نهايتهم ستكون هي غنيمتنا». أمّا كلمة قائد الحركة في غزة، يحيى السنوار، فقد أكّدت المؤكّد لناحية وجود قرار لدى المقاومة بدعم حالة الاشتباك والمواجهة في الضفة الغربية، فيما أنذرت العدو بقُرب انتهاء المهلة الممنوحة له لإنهاء ملفّ الأسرى، تحت طائلة «دفْنه نهائياً، وإيجاد طريقة أخرى من أجل تحرير الأسرى». وبينما أظْهر العرض العسكري الذي نظّمته «كتائب القسام» بالمناسبة، والذي تَرافق مع تسيير سرْب – لا واحدة كما في المرّات السابقة – من الطائرات المسيّرة فوق الحشد الجماهيري، بتطوّر قدرات الكتائب في هذا المجال خصوصاً، فقد جلّى استعراضُ أحد مُقاتليها بندقية الضابط الإسرائيلي الأسير لديها، هدار غولدن، شيئاً مـ«مّا يمتلكه مُجاهدونا من رصيد في هذا الملفّ المهمّ»، وأنبأ بأن عملية الأسر عام 2014 تمّت بأريحية أتاحت للمقاتلين التركيز على متعلّقات الأسير، بالتالي بأن فرصة نجاة الأخير وبقائه على قيد الحياة كانت عالية بالفعل


    وسط حشد جماهيري كبير في قطاع غزة، أوصلت حركة «حماس» رسائلها، في ذكرى انطلاقتها الخامسة والثلاثين، إلى كلّ «مَن يعنيهم الأمر»، عبر ألْسنة ثلاثة: قائدها في غزة يحيى السنوار، وقائد جناحها العسكري محمد الضيف، وأحد مُقاتليها الذي أماط اللثام لأوّل مرّة عن بندقية الضابط الإسرائيلي الأسير لديهم، هدار غولدن. وفي أولى تلك الرسائل، قال السنوار إنه «بحسب ما أكّدته لنا استخبارات كتائب القسام – الجناح العسكري لحماس -، أدركْنا أنّنا سنكون خلال عام 2023 أمام استحقاقات كبرى، حيث قدّرت استخباراتنا أن اليمين الصهيوني سيكسر كلّ الخطوط الحمراء». ومن هنا، فقد دعا إلى أن «نهبّ هَبّة رجل واحد دفاعاً عن الأقصى، وأن تكون الأمّة الحيّة جاهزة للزحف بطوفان هادر لاقتلاع الاحتلال من الأرض الفلسطينية»، مشيراً إلى «(أنّنا) أعطيْنا الفرصة لاشتعال المقاومة في الضفة لأنها قلْب المقاومة، ولنُعطيَ أهلنا في القطاع مزيداً من الوقت لالتقاط الأنفاس».

    وفي ما يتعلّق بملفّ الأسرى، كشف أن جولات تفاوض غير مباشر جرت مع الاحتلال قُبيل الانتخابات الإسرائيلية الأخيرة لإنجاز صفقة التبادل، إلّا أنها توقّفت بعد الانتخابات، متّهماً الاحتلال بالمراوغة، محذّراً من أنه «في حال لم يتمّ تحريك الملفّ مجدّداً ضمن مهلة محدّدة، فسنعمل على دفنه، وسنجد طريقة أخرى من أجل تحرير الأسرى». ولفت إلى أنه في خلال تلك الجولات، قدّمت «حماس» مطالبها، المتمثّلة في الإفراج عن معتقَلي «صفقة شاليط» والأسيرات والأطفال والمرضى، وعلى رأسهم الأسير القائد ناصر أبو حميد والأسير القائد وليد دقة والجثامين المحتجَزة، مقابل تسليم أسيرَين إسرائيليَّين اثنين، وصندوقَين أسودَين يضمّان إمّا جثمانَي الأسيرَين الآخرَين أو دليل حياتهما. وحذّر السنوار الحكومة الإسرائيلية المقبلة من مغبّة انتهاكها للمقدّسات والأرض الفلسطينية، مؤكدًا أن «المقاومة والشعب الفلسطيني سيُفشلان مخطّطاتها». وجزم أن «حماس على وفاق كامل مع كلّ مَن يحمل البندقية»، مُذكّراً بأنها «لم تختلف مع فتح حين كانت الأخيرة تحمل راية الكفاح المسلّح، ولكن اختلافها معها كان بسبب مسار التسوية والتنسيق»، مجدّداً رفْض حركته «الالتزام بقرارات الشرعية والرباعية الدولية باعتبارها قرارات لا تنصف الشعب الفلسطيني وقضيّته».

    أوّل ظهور للضيف منذ سنوات
    وفي أوّل كلمة مسجّلة له منذ ثماني سنوات، دعا قائد أركان الجناح العسكري لحركة «حماس» إلى «توحّد جميع الرايات، والتئام كلّ الجبهات والساحات من أجل تحرير فلسطين»، مُنذِراً الإسرائيليين بـ«قُرب نهاية كيانهم وكنْسهم عن الأرض الفلسطينية». وتَوجّه الضيف إلى الفلسطينيين بالقول: «يا أهلنا، يا شعبنا، طوبى لكم شرف السبْق في كلّ مَواطن الجهاد، فأنتم السابقون السابقون، قدّمتُم للمقاومة فلذات الأكباد، سلام عليكم يا أهل الشهداء والجرحى والمصابين والأسرى والمبعدَين، وعهداً أن نُواصل طريق الشهداء حتى نلقى الله مُقبِلين غير مدبِرين». أمّا لقادة الاحتلال، فقال: «أيّها الغرباء عن أرضنا، لقد عجز آباؤكم المؤسِّسون وهُم في قمّة جبروتهم وانتمائهم إلى فكرة الصهيونية الخبيثة عن استئصال شعبنا أو طمْس هويّتنا، فأنتم اليوم أعجزُ وأجبنُ من أن تنجحوا في ما فشل فيه آباؤكم»، مضيفاً: «ستكون نهايتكم وزوال كيانكم وكنسكم عن أرضنا هي غنيمتنا ووعد ربّنا الذي لن يتأخّر عنكم».

    جدّدت «حماس» تأكيدها أن «المقاومة المسلّحة هي خيارها الاستراتيجي لردع الاحتلال»


    من جهتها، وجّهت «الهيئة العليا لأسرى حركة حماس» رسالة، عبر المهرجان، إلى قيادة الحركة، وعلى رأسها الضيف، من أجل «التدخّل المباشر بما يضمن تحرير أسرى المقاومة في أسرعِ وقت»، مؤكّدة أن «ثقة الأسرى هي باتّخاذ المقاومة وقيادتها القرار لإنجاز (…) واجب ينبغي أن تسعى لتحقيقه بكلّ ما أوتيَت من قوّة وإمكانات». واعتبرت أنه «لا بدّ من تغيير سياسة التعاطي مع ملفّ حريتنا تغييراً جذرياً، بحيث تمتلك المقاومة زمام المبادرة مجدّداً، ولا سيما أنها أكدت في أكثر من مناسبة وعدَها بإنجاز صفقة مشرّفة». في المقابل، وقبل نهاية المهرجان، كشفت «كتائب القسام» مفاجأة من العيار الثقيل؛ إذ حَمل أحد مُقاتليها من «وحدة الظلّ»، المسؤولة عن تأمين الجنود الأسرى، بندقية الضابط الأسير، قائلاً: «تاريخ 01/08/2014 شهد على خيبة جيش العدو الصهيوني عندما فُقد الاتّصال بالضابط هدار جولدن، إلّا أنه كان موصولاً بالأبطال المظفّرين الغانمين». وأوضحت الكتائب أن البندقية التي تحمل الرقم 42852351 اغتنمها مجاهدو «القسام» أثناء عملية الأسر، لتكون هذه إشارة إلى «ما يمتلكه مُجاهدونا من رصيد في هذا الملفّ المهمّ». من ناحية أخرى، وفي رسالة حول تطوّر قدرات الجناح العسكري لـ«حماس» في مجال الطيران المسيّر، سيّرت «كتائب القسام»، تزامناً مع استعراضها نُخبة من مُقاتليها، سرباً من خمس طائرات مسيّرة من طراز «شهاب» فوق الحشد الجماهيري.

    مواقف سياسية
    وفي ختام المهرجان، جدّدت «حماس» تأكيدها أن «المقاومة المسلّحة هي خيارها الاستراتيجي لردع الاحتلال والعمل على إزالته من فلسطين»، مشدّدةً على أن «القدس والمسجد الأقصى المبارك هما قلْب الصراع مع الاحتلال، ولا شرعية ولا سيادة فيهما له، ولن تفلح كلّ محاولاته في التهويد وتغيير المعالم». كما أكدت أن «قضية الأسرى ستبقى على رأس أولوياتها، وأنها ستعمل على تحريرهم»، مشيدةً بـ«صمودهم وثباتهم في مواجهة إجرام السجّان الإسرائيلي». واعتبرت أن «بناء شراكة وطنية حقيقية وجادّة، قائمة على برنامج نضالي موحّد، هو السبيل لمواجهة الاحتلال وحكومته الفاشية، ولن يتأتّى ذلك إلّا بالمُضيّ في تنفيذ إعلان الجزائر وما سبقه من وثائق سياسية وتفاهمات، تفضي إلى استعادة الوحدة وترتيب البيت الفلسطيني، على أسس وطنية وديموقراطية على قاعدة مواجهة الاحتلال وتحقيق تطلّعات شعبنا في التحرير والعودة»، كما جاء في نصّ بيانها. وكرّرت أن «حق عودة اللاجئين الفلسطينيين إلى أرضهم التي هُجّروا منها قسراً، هو حقّ مقدّس غير قابل للتنازل»، مجدّدةً رفضها كلّ مشاريع التوطين، داعيةً كلّ الدول والمؤسّسات إلى «توفير الحماية والحياة الحرّة الكريمة لهم، وإلى تعزيز صمودهم إلى حين عودتهم».

    من ملف : المقاومة لـ«إسرائيل الجديدة»: هزيمتكم أقرب

    مقالات ذات صلة

    Palestine| Hamas’ Elusive Military Chief Mohammad Deif Addresses Crowds in Gaza

    December 14, 2022

    Illustrative photo showing shadow of Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif.

    Hamas celebrated on Wednesday the 35th anniversary of its founding with its elusive military chief calling on all Palestinian factions to unite against Israeli occupation.

    Dubbed ‘Lions’ Den’, the military parade was performed by fighters of Hamas’ Al-Qassam military wing and attended by mass crowds in the Gaza city.

    The name of the parade was a salute to Nablus-based resistance group, Lions Den, which has heroically emerged against Israeli occupation in the West Bank, and mainly in Nablus.

    During the ceremony, a message by Hamas’ military commander Mohammad Deif was revealed.

    Deif, who has been on the Zionist entity’s most-wanted list for over 25 years, called on Palestinian resistance factions to unite.

    “All the factions must unite for one great goal, the liberation of Palestine,” he said in a recorded message.

    “You won’t manage to oppress our people or eliminate our identity from our land,” Deif addressed the Israeli occupation in his message.

    Israeli security services tried to kill Deif at least seven times over the years. The first such attempt took place in 2001, a second in 2002, costing him his eye, and a third a year later. Another strike was conducted in 2006 in which he was reportedly seriously injured, losing both of his legs and one arm.

    For his part, Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar called on Palestinian Authority to stop the so-called security coordination with the Israeli occupation.

    Sinwar saluted Palestinian factions in West Bank, hailing all forms of resistance including Nablus’ Lions’ Den group.

    He warned that the Palestinian resistance as well as the entire Axis of Resistance will face several challenges in 2023 amid the rise of the Israeli political right.

    Sinwar also called on Palestinians to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, threatening the Israeli occupation that resistance rockets “will incessantly pound the occupied territories” in any future confrontation.

    Meanwhile during the parade, Hamas displayed the rifle of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, who was arrested by the Palestinian resistance during the 2014 summer Israeli aggression on Gaza.

    Later on, a video showed Al-Qassam Brigades drones flying over the parade.

    Source: Al-Manar English Website

    IOF launches large-scale aggression on Nablus, commits brutal killings

    October 25 2022

    Source: Al Mayadeen

    By Al Mayadeen Net 

    The Israeli occupation forces storm the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, waging large-scale aggression against the Palestinian people.

    Israeli occupation forces barge into occupied Al-Quds in November, 2021 (Anadolu Agency)

      The Israeli occupation forces unexpectedly stormed on Tuesday the West Bank city of Nablus in occupied Palestine, waging a round of unprecedented aggression in recent years.

      The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinians and wounded 19 others, three of whom are in critical condition, with the occupation forces preventing ambulances and medical staff from reaching the scene. 

      Palestinian media outlets reported that the Palestinian security forces “discovered a special force of the Israeli occupation army while trying to storm the city, resulting in an armed confrontation.”

      The Palestinian media stressed that residents and security forces were able to thwart the infiltration attempt of the Israeli special force into the old city of Nablus and wounded some of its members, which prompted the occupation army to launch a rapid and concentrated attack with heavy gunfire.

      The IOF brutally murdered at least three Palestinians and wounded dozens of others.

      Amid the rampant criminality waged by the Israeli occupation, the people of Nablus took to the streets to offer support to the Palestinian security forces and freedom fighters as the IOF hysterically opened fire on civilians in the streets, Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent reported.

      Our correspondent added that mass rallies were held in Ramallah and the Dheisheh camp, Beit Lahm, in support of the Resistance and freedom fighters, with Palestinians flocking to the area from various cities of the occupied West Bank.

      The Israeli occupation’s Air Force reportedly conducted an airstrike that targeted a civilian vehicle in the occupied West Bank, as per Palestinian media outlets. The vehicle caught on fire, and Palestinians rushed to the scene in an attempt to save the passengers. 

      Israeli newspaper Walla! reported that the Israeli occupation’s aggression came as a “preemptive” operation against the Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank claiming that “Tel Aviv” learned that the Resistance was planning to conduct an operation against the occupation.

      The violent storming resulted in confrontations between the occupation forces and the Palestinians who confronted the encroachment and aggression.

      “The events in Nablus are systemic criminality and terrorism committed by the Zionist occupation’s forces,” Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Spokesperson Tariq Ezzeddine said.

      “The brave freedom fighters of our people, the Al-Quds Brigades, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, Ezzeddine Al-Qassam Brigades, and the Lions’ Den will not allow the occupation to violate our cities,” Ezzeddine added.

      The PIJ Spokesperson also called on the Palestinian people to take to the streets and confront the Israeli occupation “to prove that we are one people and one resistance.”


      https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGNNANOW%2Fvideos%2F640246204215304%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0

      “We call on the honorable security forces to defend their people with all means available to them,” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said.

      On its part, the Palestinian Presidency stressed, “The aggression being waged against the city of Nablus is a war crime.”

      Related Stories

      The Evolution of The Palestinian Resistance and Its New Strategy

      22 Oct 2022 23:3

      Source: Al Mayadeen English

      Robert Inlakesh 

      The bravery and defiance of Ibrahim Nablusi, immortalized him as a heroic martyr and saw tens of thousands pack the streets of Nablus city, where the resistance fighter was killed, in order to attend his funeral.

      There have been at least 11 large-scale Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip, four wars, and hundreds of attacks against the territory, resulting in the untold misery of the Gazan civilian population

      The ongoing Palestinian uprising, along with the revival of the armed struggle inside the occupied West Bank, has largely been characterised by its tendencies as a popular movement, namely that there has been a chaotic reaction from the occupier. The past months’ developments have been an indicator of a major shift from the initial stages of the uprising and it’s time to take note.

      The Palestinian armed uprising, inside the West Bank, can largely be traced back to the 11-day war that broke out in May, 2021, between the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the Israeli military. Following this, although the armed fighters had been previously active, in September of 2021  when the ‘Jenin Brigades’ were officially formed and the action they began to take shook “Israel” to its core. 2022 has been a more violent year for the West Bank, than the besieged Gaza Strip, with the majority of Palestinians killed by the occupation forces this year being inside the West Bank, with nearly 170 dead so far.

      The scenes of armed resistance attacks, which occur multiple times per day at this time, against Israeli forces and settlers, have brought back the tactics and brutality of the Zionist regime never witnessed inside the West Bank since the Second Intifada (2000-2007). Although the initial attacks that came from groups such as the Jenin brigades, the Tulkarem brigades, and the Nablus brigades, seemed to have been loosely organized and worked primarily to inspire later action, along with shaking up the Israeli “security system”, this seems to be no longer the case. What has marked a seismic shift in the conflict between the occupier and the resistance inside the West Bank, has been the introduction of the Areen al-Oussoud, or Lions’ Den group, that declared themselves out of the old city of Nablus on September 2nd. 

      The Gaza based resistance movement

      Since the armed resistance in the West Bank was either destroyed or disbanded in the early 2000’s by the Israeli military and Palestinian Authority (PA), the armed struggle has been isolated into the hands of the movements operating out of the Gaza Strip. For a long time, there has been a successfully implemented strategy, by the Israelis and Americans, to isolate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, during this time the resistance in Gaza – headed by Hamas primarily – had taken over the path of armed struggle.

      There have been at least 11 large-scale Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip, four wars, and hundreds of attacks against the territory, resulting in the untold misery of the Gazan civilian population. Since the imposition of the siege, by not only “Israel” and Egypt but more importantly by the collective Western governments, the strategy has been to pressure the Palestinian people who live inside the territory to overthrow Hamas as their democratically elected government. This strategy, implemented since the 2006 – not 2007 when the siege was tightened significantly and is often framed as having started – the sanctions against Gaza have failed to bring the resistance to its knees and this is owed to the resounding resilience of the Palestinian people.

      For most of the history of the Hamas rule of Gaza, it had been “Israel” that had taken most of the initiative to strike first and to be on the offensive. It has been noted by many analysts and historians, that despite the bravery and constant innovations of the resistance, “they had largely proven ineffective at inflicting significant defeats upon the enemy”. The strategic thinking of the resistance began to undergo significant shifts, however, dating back to 2015, but truly showing steadiness from 2017, during the major dispute between Qatar and many of the Gulf States, in addition to other pro-Western reactionary Arab regimes.

      In 2018, during the Great March of Return, the armed resistance movements – which had not been constantly fighting each other but had also not participated in a real unified command – decided to form the ‘Joint Operations Room’ of the Palestinian resistance. Although during most of 2018, the Israeli military would routinely attack the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and was constantly on the offensive, this would change by November of that same year.

      Israeli agents had infiltrated the Gaza Strip in 2018, plotting to either assassinate or kidnap a commander in the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam brigades, named Nur Baraka. The Israeli agents were discovered and fled, one of them was shot dead in the process, whilst Israeli drone strikes were launched against the Gaza Strip. What ensued was a complete embarrassment for the Israeli political establishment, not only was the Israeli raid a complete failure, but the resistance showed a new unified strategy that we had not seen the likes of before. “Israel’s” then-minister of war, Avigdor Liberman, was so embarrassed that he resigned from his position. 300 rockets were fired at “Israel”, whilst the resistance fired anti-tank munitions that killed Israeli soldiers. A video was also released by the Sala al-Din brigades, which showed that at least 5 Israeli soldiers had been killed or mortally wounded in an explosive attack, an event that had happened in February but was covered up by the Israelis. The armed movement had laced Palestinian flagpoles with explosives, waited for Israeli soldiers to pull them down, and then detonated the devices.

      Then, in early May 2019, the armed resistance movements in Gaza chose to strategically escalate tensions and open up a limited battle with the Israeli military, around 2 weeks prior to “Tel Aviv’s” hosting of the Eurovision song contest. In November 2019, “Israel” attempted to gain back some of its strategic initiatives, by attempting to isolate and target the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement in both Gaza and Syria. Despite assassinating leading figures in the PIJ movement, most prominently Baha Abu Al-Atta, the attack did little to change the course of the armed struggle.

      Fast forward to May 2021, when the battle of Saif al-Quds was declared by the Israeli military, the people of Palestine had unified against the ongoing desecration of the Holy Sites in the old city of al-Quds. Saif al-Quds was when the Joint Room came to real prominence and it was clear that all the groups resisting Israel were unified, this provided inspiration to the rest of the Palestinian population in the other occupied Palestinian territories. Until this moment, despite “Israel’s” three-day attack against the PIJ movement, back in August, Tel Aviv has failed to achieve the equation it had before 2018. The Zionist regime went from attacking Gaza at will, constantly launching any strikes it wanted, to being deterred from striking Gaza unless it was willing to commit to an all-out war and now it is the resistance in Gaza that plots to strike first,  of strategic initiative.

      Lessons learnt and the evolution of the West Bank struggle

      One of the major issues that caused the setback of August this year, which had caught the resistance by surprise, was a fault made in the rhetoric of the Gaza-based resistance. “Israel” exploited this weakness in order to inflict a psychological blow against the resistance as a whole, it was clear that the resistance had not prepared for the scenario that befell them and although they reacted in a very rational way, within their means, the Israelis managed to score a pyrrhic victory on the propaganda front. The problem was, not that the resistance had acted in the wrong manner, but had projected great strength and made threats that weren’t intended on being followed through with, in the way that many had interpreted them.

      “Israel’s” attack on Gaza in August may have resulted in political points for Prime Minister Yair Lapid and a distraction from the maritime border dispute with Lebanon if only the regime did not get greedy. Days later, the Israeli military sent in special forces units to assassinate the 19-year-old resistance fighter, Ibrahim Nablusi, yet, his killing served the opposite of its intended purpose. The bravery and defiance of Ibrahim Nablusi, immortalized him as a heroic martyr and saw tens of thousands pack the streets of Nablus city, where the resistance fighter was killed, in order to attend his funeral. As his mother held a pride-filled smile, whilst carrying her son’s body, thousands chanted Ibrahim Nablusi’s name and all over the West Bank young resistance fighters pledged to avenge his martyrdom. Instead of beating down the spirits of the Palestinian people and their belief in the armed struggle, Israel strengthened the resistance.

      The mistake in the rhetoric of the Gaza-based resistance has undoubtedly been addressed now also, shown clearly through the statement released last Friday by the Joint Operations Room. This joint statement marks a turning point in the course of the armed struggle, as they not only have shown growth in their strategic rhetoric, but also they were dressed in a very interesting way. It should be noted that the Joint Room, which comprises all the serious armed movements in the Gaza Strip, dressed in military uniform, keffiyeh and did not wear anything to distinguish the resistance faction. This is symbolically powerful, as simultaneously the Lions’ Den group in Nablus is also refraining from identifying themselves with any single political or military party/movement. 

      The armed groups that have been formed throughout the West Bank are made up of young people, mostly between the ages of 18 to 25, who come from many different political backgrounds and choose to work together as a unified force. The Lions’ Den group has also received a lot of popular support for its methods, managing to amass demonstrators that will take to the streets of Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus and beyond in order to support the resistance group. Unlike unity agreements that have been signed on paper in the past, this unity agreement has manifested itself in the physical world between armed resistance factions. It is clear that the resistance in Gaza is always taking notes of the popular will of the Palestinian people, it is adapting to this and is learning from their past mistakes in order to implement a strategy to escalate the armed struggle against the occupier. 

      What is happening now with the development of the armed struggle; the unifying efforts of the younger generation and the resistance in Gaza, must be analyzed as part of this new chapter that has been opened in the history of the Palestinian struggle. This movement is becoming ever more unified, it is from the masses and in many ways is driven by the younger generation of Palestinians, it cannot be defeated by small Israeli military operations and soon this will escalate, paving the way to a completely new political landscape inside all of occupied Palestine.

      The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

      ‘Regime change’ in Hamas and a return to Syria

      The removal of Khaled Meshaal from power was necessary for normalization with Damascus to occur

      September 26 2022

      Photo Credit: The Cradle

      By The Cradle’s Palestine Correspondent

      In mid-September, Palestinian resistance movement Hamas issued a statement indicating that it had restored relations with Syria after ten years of estrangement, effectively ending its self-imposed exile from Damascus.

      After the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in March 2011, at the height of the so-called Arab Spring, Hamas – in line with its parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan) – turned its back on its once-staunch Syrian ally and threw its support behind the mostly-Islamist “revolution.”

      As governments collapsed in key Arab states, the Ikhwan felt the time was ripe for their organization to ascend to a leadership role from Gaza to Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Syria.

      Yet the decision by Hamas’ leadership to leave Damascus was met with strong opposition from influential circles within the movement, especially in its military arm, the Al-Qassam Brigades.

      Despite Hamas’ official position toward Syria, internal opposition to the break in relations remained for years, most notably from Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Al-Zahar, and a number of Al-Qassam Brigades leaders such as Muhammad al-Deif, Marwan Issa, Ahmad al-Jabari and Yahya al-Sinwar.

      Today, that balance has shifted notably. Sinwar is currently Hamas’ leader in the Gaza Strip, and his alliance is in strong ascendence within the movement.

      From Amman to Damascus to Doha

      But back in 2011, the person with the final say over the decision to abandon its Syrian ally was the then-head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal.

      Meshaal was the director of the Hamas office in Amman in 1999 when the Jordanian government decided to expel him. He travelled between the airports of a number of Arab capitals, which refused to receive him, under the pretext that there were agreements with a superpower requiring his extradition.

      Only Damascus agreed to receive him. Despite the tension that historically prevailed in the Syrian state’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, Meshaal was given freedom to work and built a personal relationship with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. In the years that followed, Hamas was granted facilities and resources that it did not enjoy in any other Arab capital.

      Syria opened its doors to train hundreds of resistance fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades and to manufacture quality weapons, such as missiles and reconnaissance drones.

      One Syrian source told The Cradle that the privileges enjoyed by Hamas leaders and members in Syria were not available even to Syrian citizens. In addition to the high cost of Meshaal’s residence and security in Damascus, the state provided him and his associates with dozens of luxury homes in the capital’s most affluent neighborhoods.

      Syria was also at the forefront of countries that facilitated the arrival of high-quality weapons into the besieged Gaza Strip. A source in the resistance tells The Cradle that the first Kornet missile to reach Gaza between 2009 and 2011 came from Syria with the approval of President Assad, and was received by then-Chief of Staff of Al-Qassam Brigades Ahmed al-Jabari.

      Also crucial to the Palestinian resistance was the arrival of Iranian and Russian missiles that entered Gaza via Syrian arms depots.

      Meshaal chooses Doha

      It is important to recognize that while the decision to leave Damascus was not by any means unanimously agreed upon within Hamas, as political bureau chief, it was ultimately Meshaal’s call.

      A Hamas source informed The Cradle that in September 2011, six months after the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, Meshaal received an invitation from the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, to visit Doha. Recall that Qatar was one of the first states to fund and arm the Islamist opposition in the brutal Syrian war.

      According to al-Thani’s estimates, the “Syrian revolution” was likely to end in the overthrow of the Assad government. He is reported to have advised Meshaal to abandon the sinking ship, so to speak, because if the rebellion is successful, “those who stayed with him [Assad] will drown, as happened with the late President Yasser Arafat, when Saddam Hussein was defeated in Gulf War,” the source described.

      In an attempt to win over Hamas from Iran’s patronage, al-Thani offered to financially support the movement and to provide a geographical space for operations in the Qatari capital and in Turkish territory.

      Meshaal is said to have informed his host that such a decision could not be taken unilaterally, and that he needed to refer to Hamas’ Political Bureau and Shura Council for buy-in.

      Internal dissent 

      On his way back to Damascus, Meshaal made pit stops in a number of regional countries to inform Hamas’ leadership of the Qatari offer. Suffice it to say, the deal was rejected by the majority of members of the Political Bureau and the Al-Qassam Brigades.

      The Hamas source says: “The second man in Al-Qassam, Ahmad Al-Jabari, rejected the treachery against the Syrian leadership, along with Mahmoud al-Zahar, Ali Baraka, Imad al-Alami, Mustafa al-Ladawi, and Osama Hamdan.

      On the other hand, Meshaal had the support of Musa Abu Marzouk, Ahmed Yousef, Muhammad Ghazal, Ghazi Hamad and Ahmed Bahr, in addition to a number of the movement’s sheikhs such as Younis al-Astal, Saleh Al-Raqab, and Ahmed Nimr Hamdan, while the head of the Hamas government in Gaza at the time, Ismail Haniyeh, did not have a decisive position.

      Meshaal’s opponents were of the opinion that as Hamas is a resistance movement, it would be ill-advised to sever ties with the region’s Axis of Resistance – Iran, Hezbollah and Syria – and that leaving this alliance left little options other than to join the “Axis of Normalization” [with Israel].

      Meshaal then received a call from Kamal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in which he was informed that the Syrians “are aware of all the details of your visit to Qatar, and of the discussion taking place in the Hamas leadership.”

      According to the source, Naji advised Meshaal that Hamas “will not find a warm embrace like Syria, and that despite its historical disagreement with the Muslim Brotherhood, Damascus will not ask Hamas to take any declared position on the Syrian crisis.”

      The source in Hamas told The Cradle: “The Qataris felt that Meshaal was unable to take such a fateful stance.” At this point, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi (considered to be the spiritual guide of the Ikhwan) intervened to pressure both Haniyeh and Abu Marzouk, who had not yet made up their minds.

      Fateful meetings

      Meshaal was later invited to visit Turkey, where he met leaders of Syrian armed groups, accompanied by the Qatari Minister of Intelligence and officers from Turkish intelligence.

      They convinced him that “a few steps separate the opposition from the Republican Palace in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus, and that the days of the Assad regime are numbered.”

      The meeting of Hamas’ political bureau in Sudan was the turning point. In that gathering, to the surprise of some participants, both Haniyeh and Abu Marzouk weighed in to side with Meshaal, and it was decided to “discreetly” withdraw from Damascus.

      After the decision was taken, the Qataris worked to further enhance Meshaal’s position within Hamas, through an extraordinary visit by the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, to the Gaza Strip – the first for an Arab head of state. During this visit, al-Thani provided generous support with more than $450 million provided for reconstruction and the implementation of development projects.

      Hamas’ fateful decision to abandon Damascus, however, was not met with the same enthusiasm by the movement’s military wing, who believed the move made little strategic sense.

      Back to Damascus

      In the following years, major regional changes contributed to the downfall of Khaled Meshaal and his removal from his position leading Hamas’ Political Bureau.

      The Syrian state remained steadfast in the face of collective NATO-Gulf efforts to unseat Assad; Russian military intervention altered the battlefield balance of power; the Syrian political and armed opposition began to disintegrate and suffer heavy losses; the Ikhwan’s rule in Egypt and its control over Libya and Tunisia began to collapse; and a stand-off with Qatar caused Saudi Arabia and the UAE to alter their position on Syria.

      With these stunning regional setbacks, it quickly became apparent that neither Qatari nor Turkish support offered any real strategic value for Hamas’ resistance model – nor could they hope to fill the void left by the reduction in Iranian and Syrian military support.

      Moreover, Al-Qassam Brigades found itself facing severe financial difficulties, unable to secure the salaries of its members, let alone sustain any meaningful armed resistance against Israel’s continuous assaults and occupation.

      At the time, Hamas’ revenues were derived mainly from taxes imposed on Gaza’s residents, while Qatari support, under US supervision, was limited to providing the expenses of the Hamas leadership in Qatar, and providing seasonal financial grants to government employees in Gaza.

      Meshaal’s fall from power  

      Cumulatively, these events and the stagnation of the Palestinian resistance convinced Hamas’ leadership of the need to reshuffle its regional cards. The freed prisoner, Yahya al-Sinwar, was the initial spark to revamp a fresh new agenda, following his sweeping victory as the new Hamas leader in Gaza.

      Sinwar, one of the historical leaders of Al-Qassam Brigades, decided to reset relations with Iran and Hezbollah, and work toward the movement’s eventual return to Damascus.

      Meshaal, realizing that regional changes were no longer in his favor, tried to flatter the Syrian state more than once in media statements. But a firm decision had already been taken across the Axis of Resistance that Meshaal was no longer a welcome or trustworthy figure.

      This was especially the case after it became clear to the Syrian security services that Meshaal was involved, along with dozens of Hamas members, in supporting armed groups, exposing secret sites of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese resistance Hezbollah, smuggling weapons to armed opposition in the strategically-located Yarmouk refugee camp and eastern Ghouta region, and providing them with expertise in digging secret tunnels.

      Meshaal’s isolation became crystal clear at the end of December 2021, when Hezbollah refused to receive him during a Beirut visit, even though he was officially the external relations officer for Hamas.

      According to the Hamas source, Meshaal tried to disrupt the consensus of the leadership of the Political Bureau and the Shura Council on restoring relations with Syria, when he “leaked, at the end of last June, the decision taken in the Political Bureau meeting to return to Damascus.”

      Hamas, post-Meshaal

      Meshaal’s leak caused media chaos, followed by attempts to pressure Hamas to reverse course. A statement issued by eight of the most important Muslim Brotherhood scholars, advised Hamas to reconsider its decision because of the “great evils it carries for the Ummah.”

      Meshaal meanwhile, remained busy trying to restore relations with Jordan, in parallel with Iran, Lebanon and Syria. However, with the recent announcement by Hamas that it would return to Syria, “the efforts made by Meshaal and the Qataris behind him have gone unheeded,” says the movement’s source.

      The normalization of relations between Hamas and Syria is significant, not only for the military dividend it could reap for the Palestinian resistance, but also because it can pave the way for Turkey and Qatar to re-establish their Syria ties, although Doha would do so very reluctantly.

      With the decision to sideline the Meshaal camp within Hamas, it would seem that Hamas – and not Syria – has ultimately been the subject of regime change in this regional geopolitical battle for influence.

      The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

      %d bloggers like this: