Many were the subjects discussed by martyr al-Rafati in his articles and media commentaries, but Palestine and its Resistance were the main drive behind all his work.
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Ayman stayed true to his unwavering belief in Palestine’s liberation, and his belief will live on until this promise comes to fruition. (Al Mayadeen Net)
It’s as if fate had tied February 14 to Ayman al-Rafati’s life as its highlight. It was on this day 6 six years ago that this journalist and martyr-to-be had his first article, titled “The Resistance and inter-war battles,” published on Al Mayadeen Net, marking the beginning of our cooperation with him, and it was on this same date that his last article “What did the Israeli Army lose in Al-Aqsa Flood?” was published.
As his last piece was published, we received news of the occupation targeting his place of residence in al-Jalaa neighborhood, in the middle of Gaza City, and that Ayman and five of his family members were martyred.
Ayman was martyred after he chose to be on the frontlines in the media battle during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. He took the decision not to leave his fellow countrymen or his city and chose to remain in Gaza, submitting weekly analytical pieces and taking part in TV appearances to relay the reality of Gaza and the developments of the battle with the Israeli occupation.
Nothing dissuaded from this responsibility, neither the bombing nor the threat of being targeted, forced displacement, telecommunication blackout, or even the danger to his life.
Ayman al-Rafati and ‘the Flood’
From October 7, Ayman wrote 20 articles for Al Mayadeen Net, starting from the early hours of the operating, writing on the “impossible” that had been achieved by the Resistance on that day despite 17 years of blockade, as the Resistance was able to harness a military power that was capable of changing entire strategic equations, all through a clear, structured strategy.
Ayman considered that the epic battle broke the entity’s image of power in the minds of the Palestinian people, in general, and among the Resistance fighters, in particular, who “shamed the most powerful state in the Middle East.” But the battle also had a great impact inside “Israel”, as Ayman discussed the magnitude of the intelligence, security, and military failure brought upon “Israel”, which has left a sizable impact for years to come and would not soon be wiped off the memory of the occupation’s soldiers, officers, and settlers, who have lost “belief in their invincible army.”
As for the Palestinian people and Arab and Islamic nations, he described what had happened at the “border” of Gaza as being “closer to a dream, because as Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, what we could only dream of, believing it was years away, had now become a reality.”
Ayman was a son of this Resistance, which launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the occupation, and he defended it through his words, actions, and the reality he portrayed, as he wholeheartedly believed that the Resistance knew very well the consequences of the operation, and, thus, “was very well prepared to deal with all scenarios.”
Through his analysis of the battle and its developments and results, he did not despair amid the sadness and grief brought on by the loss of his loved ones and countrymen, as he always called for resilience and patience, believing in a coming victory. In November, when Israeli massacres increased in brutality in northern Gaza, he wrote, “Victory shall come with patience… Hardship shall come with ease,” attempting to strengthen the resolve of fellow citizens and focus on the coming victory.
Being an expert on Israeli affairs, his detailed discussion of the Palestinian people and the Resistance’s resilience did not keep him from writing on the facets of defeat in Israeli mentality and morale. After more than 80 days had passed since the Operation, he wrote: “The defeat is clear as the Palestinians continue to show resilience despite the Israeli Army’s onslaught; Palestinians are yet unbroken, and not one fighter has raised the white flag, not to mention that the [Israeli] Army has failed to reach any of the Resistance’s leaders.”
At the same time, he saw that the occupation had come to the realization that the possibility of breaking the Resistance inside the Gaza Strip is an impossible task, as is the mission to bring the captives back alive. The failure of the Israeli attack was not only seen on the battlefield but also as anti-Israeli sentiment took hold in the minds of people around the world.
Palestine and its revolutionary youth
Over the past six years, Ayman wrote more than 120 articles for Al Mayadeen Net, all of which dealt with developments in the Palestinian scene, be that in terms of the rise of the spirit of resistance among Palestinians or the Resistance’s growing capabilities and its political and military presence.
Yet, what is striking in his writing is that he focused on the upcoming generation of Palestinians whose thought and consciousness had seen key changes, whether in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds or Gaza. Particularly, he focused on the youth who did not witness the Second Intifada and saw “Israel’s” daily violations, only to realize that “surrendering to the status quo Israel is attempting to impose will not grant them a future, nor give them any real dignity.”
This generation, he said, sees that what the Resistance achieved in the Gaza Strip “nourishes one’s patriotic spirit, which could grow to achieve something of substance for the Palestinian cause.”
Ayman believed that this generation, despite the difficult conditions its children grew up in, is a sign of hope for the cause, “as their belief and their challenge [for the occupation], which occupies their mind, mean that the embers of confrontation will continue to burn and that hope in liberation is renewed and continues to grow among Palestinians.”
Resistance in Palestine… a rising role and vision
Ayman worked diligently on studying the Resistance in Gaza. He pursued its development and the rise of its capabilities, believing that it exceeded its capabilities in earlier battles. He considered that “today, it is more powerful and consolidated” and established that after a series of bitter experiences and factions operating for long by their lonesome, it [the Resistance] had entered a new phase of coordination and backing [for one another], especially as its objectives had crystallized and its leadership, members, and popular base had come to believe that liberation from the occupation had drawn near.
On several occasions, he reiterated that the Palestinian Resistance, in all its factions, had harnessed a better understanding of reality, focusing intently on strategic objectives rather than secondary issues. The Resistance only reached this point after realizing that internal disagreements and squabbles over power and popular support are of no value when there is an occupation to face, which led to the establishment of the “Joint Operations Room” for the Resistance in Gaza and the establishment of Resistance groups and brigades in Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, and elsewhere.
Ayman saw how the rise in support for the Resistance and its choices among fellow Palestinians led to an increase in foreign schemes against it, yet he believed that “it has established itself as a true regional player as it has the tools to pressure the occupation and push the US establishment to interfere out of fear that a war would erupt; the Palestinian Resistance was now part of the regional equations.”
Unity of the Battlefield
Returning to material written by the martyr in the previous year, a notable emphasis emerges on the events of 2023. The martyr had focussed on reading into the statements made by the leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar, who had projected that this year would mark a pivotal moment of significant national milestones. These milestones, with their profound impact on Palestinians and the Axis of Resistance, were expected to be costly, however, they would forge new and influential equations and dynamics that would advance the Palestinian cause.
The events in question were summarized by Ayman as follows: The rise of the Resistance in the West Bank, al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque, handling the issue of Palestinian detainees [in Israeli prisons], the aggression on Gaza, not to mention the extremist Israeli government attempting to influence these causes and gain some ground through them, expecting that things would come to a head in the final months of 2023, which is indeed what happened in the heroic epic that al-Qassam brought to life on October 7, in defense of al-Aqsa and to liberate the detainees.
As for the West Bank, Ayman saw that the fedai operations and acts of resistance would continue to increase and that the occupation would remain incapable of doing anything to counter them. “They had tried a plethora of tools, but they all failed.”
Many are the subjects that he tackled in his articles and live appearances, but Palestine and its Resistance were the main drivers of his work and deeds, as he believed in the inevitability of the Resistance’s victory and the liberation of Palestine; all of Palestine.
Ayman… our kind friend
At Al Mayadeen, we were distraught upon learning about Ayman’s martyrdom, both on the professional and personal levels. We had been in daily contact with him, be it because of his writings for Al Mayadeen or the friendship we shared, which was nurtured by our mutual belief in the Palestinian cause and Ayman’s kind spirit and unyielding positivity.
In these past years, Ayman was not just a writer and political analyst to us, he was also our go-to person whose counsel we sought at every development concerning Gaza and the Resistance, and he always possessed the correct information and clear vision.
Throughout Al-Aqsa Flood, we were always worried for his safety, just as we worry for all our friends in Gaza. We always communicated with him to check up on him, yet he would be the one boosting our morale, despite him constantly having to relocate from one place to another under Israeli bombing. He and his family had several brushes with death, and Israeli missiles and bombs would fall meters away from his place of residence (the occupation destroyed entire residential blocks close to his house), yet despite all that, he was a familiar face on different media outlets, insisting on coverage from within Gaza and not from the outside.
We always asked him to take care, yet he would tell us that his safety was in God’s hands. Whenever he would send us a new article, he would immediately apologize for the delay; one time he even apologized because he had been trying to send it for over three hours because of the telecom cut-off. In many other instances, he had to write on his phone because of the constant power cut-off.
Ayman was martyred, but his belief in the Resistance’s victory and the liberation of Palestine will remain until the promise comes to pass and truth emerges victorious; until the flag of Palestine is raised on the entirety of its soil, showing that the blood of Ayman and every Palestinian murdered by “Israel” has indeed paved the way for liberation from the occupation.
Translated by: Karim Charara
