The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas issued a 16-page document on Sunday, entitled ‘Our Narrative … Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’. The document addresses many critical questions about the context, the timing, and the events of October 7.
The document (PDF) was released in both the Arabic and English languages by the Hamas Media Office. It offers a rare insight into the reasons that led the Palestinian Resistance leaders to carry out a major Resistance operation on October 7, in addition to what actually transpired on that day.
The document starts by addressing “Our steadfast Palestinian people,” who have been subjected to a genocidal Israeli military campaign, which is, as of today, at its 107th day.
“In light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and as our people continue their battle for independence, dignity, and breaking-free from the longest-ever occupation during which they have drawn the finest displays of bravery and heroism in confronting the Israeli murder machine and aggression,” the introduction of the document reads.
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The other target audiences are “The Arab & Islamic nations” and “The free peoples worldwide and those who advocate for freedom, justice and human dignity”.
Why Operation Al-Aqsa Flood?
The first section is entirely dedicated to the reasons behind Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Hamas contextualizes the events by describing the brutal colonization process launched by the Zionist movement and even before, by the British colonial authorities.
“Over these long decades, the Palestinian people suffered all forms of oppression, injustice, expropriation of their fundamental rights and the apartheid policies,” the document reads.
The paper also lists official figures related to the period between 2000 and 2023, revealing shocking numbers of Palestinians killed and injured.
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Hamas also blames the so-called ‘peaceful settlement process’ and the obstinacy by the US administration and its western allies that “have always been treating Israel as a state above the law; they provide it with the needed cover to maintain prolonging the occupation and cracking down the Palestinian people, and also allowing ‘Israel’ to exploit such situation to expropriate further Palestinian lands and to Judaize their sanctities and holy sites.”
“After 75 years of relentless occupation and suffering, and after failing all initiatives for liberation and return to our people, and also after the disastrous results of the so-called peace process, what did the world expect from the Palestinian people to do?” the document asks.
The Events
The second section, entitled ‘The events of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’, describes the events of that day and debunks some of the Israeli lies.
“Avoiding harm to civilians, especially children, women and elderly people is a religious and moral commitment by all the Al-Qassam Brigades’ fighters. We reiterate that the Palestinian resistance was fully disciplined and committed to the Islamic values during the operation and that the Palestinian fighters only targeted the occupation soldiers and those who carried weapons against our people.”
“If there was any case of targeting civilians; it happened accidentally and in the course of the confrontation with the occupation forces,” the document highlights.
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International Investigation
In the third section, Hamas reiterated that “When Palestine asked for investigation into Israeli war crimes committed on its territories, it was faced by Israeli intransigence and rejection, and threats to punish the Palestinians for the request to ICC.”
“We urge these countries, especially the US administration, Germany, Canada and the UK, if they are meant for justice to prevail as they claim, they are ought to announce their support to the course of the investigation in all crimes committed in occupied Palestine and to give full support for the international courts to effectively do their job.”
Who is Hamas?
In the fourth section, entitled ‘Who is Hamas’, the group describes itself as a “national liberation movement that has clear goals and mission” and “gets its legitimacy to resist the occupation from the Palestinian right to self-defense, liberation and self-determination.”
“Our steadfast Palestinian people and their resistance are waging a heroic battle to defend their land and national rights against the longest and brutalist colonial occupation. The Palestinian people are confronting an unprecedented Israeli aggression that committed heinous massacres against Palestinian civilians, most of them were children and women.”
What is Needed?
In the fifth section, entitled ‘What is Needed’, Hamas calls for an “immediate halt of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against the entire Gaza population”.
Moreover, it urges “to hold the Israeli occupation legally accountable for what it caused of human suffering towards the Palestinian people, and to charge it for the crimes against civilians, infrastructure, hospitals, educational facilities, mosques and churches.”
“We call upon the free peoples across the world, especially those nations who were colonized and realize the suffering of the Palestinian people, to take serious and effective positions against the double standard policies adopted by powers\countries that back the Israeli occupation. We call on these nations to initiate a global solidarity movement with the Palestinian people and to emphasize the values of justice and equality and the right of the peoples to live in freedom and dignity.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
