Hamas Affirms Resistance as Legitimate Right Until Liberation of Palestinian Land and Holy Sites
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has issued a statement on the third anniversary of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, emphasizing that October 7, 2023, marked a historic and proud turning point in the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people and a symbol of national epic. The movement stressed that resistance is a legitimate right until the expulsion of the occupiers and the liberation of Palestinian land and holy sites.
Hamas announced that on October 7, 2023, during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, all meanings of valor, steadfastness, and national solidarity were embodied in Gaza. It stated that the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people, after decades of neglect and complicity with the occupation regime’s policies aimed at eradicating the Palestinian issue and the people’s inherent right to self-determination, reached the world.
On the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood, the movement highlighted eleven key points:
First: Hamas proudly honored the greatness, steadfastness, and sacrifices of the Palestinian people, asserting that this resilient nation stands like a steadfast mountain despite all adversibilities, committed to its will for freedom and liberation from occupation with honor and tenacity. The movement also praised the strength, capability, and valor of the Palestinian fighters, particularly the forces of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other resistance groups, stating that they shattered the myth of the “invincible army.” Hamas extended greetings to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, emphasizing that they remain a rock against which all plans of forced displacement and genocide are shattered. The widespread return of Palestinians to their homes and the ruins of their neighborhoods was presented as clear evidence of their deep roots in their land and their rejection of all plans for displacement and ethnic cleansing, sending a decisive message to the occupation regime and its supporters that the land belongs to its rightful owners.
Second: Hamas asserted that the Al-Aqsa Flood was a natural reaction and the culmination of years of suffering imposed by the Zionist entity through decades of aggression, severe siege, organized killings, and the deprivation of Palestinian rights. The movement added that this battle occurred amidst plans for the Judaization of Palestinian land and holy sites, the imposition of sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque, and intensified pressure on Palestinian prisoners. Hamas also characterized the claims by the Zionist entity and its supporters that the war began on October 7 as a clear distortion of reality and the root causes of the conflict, emphasizing that the confrontation with the occupation regime did not start on that day and its final chapters have yet to be written.
Third: Hamas declared that the past three years have revealed the true nature of the occupation regime and its tendencies, pointing to its initiation of genocidal warfare and widespread massacres against children, women, and civilians, and the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and vital elements. The movement detailed that the Zionist entity’s crimes have led to the martyrdom of over 74,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 175,000, in addition to tens of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned over various periods and thousands more missing. Hamas emphasized that these documented crimes will not fade with time but will only strengthen the resolve of the Palestinian people to reclaim their rights.
Fourth: Hamas stated that the genocide has not stopped and the Zionist entity continues it through new methods, with killing, siege, and deprivation of basic life necessities evolving into a silent genocide. The movement reported that since the ceasefire agreement, the Zionist entity has martyred nearly 1,500 Palestinians and wounded over 5,000. Simultaneously, attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank continue, with occupation forces raiding, arresting, and demolishing homes, and settlers escalating their attacks on Palestinian people, property, and land. The aim of these actions, Hamas asserted, is the displacement of the Palestinian people and the imposition of settlement realities on the ground.
Fifth: Hamas indicated that the crimes of the Zionist entity have led to the rapid erosion of its purported legitimacy and an unprecedented decline in support, even among its traditional Western allies. The movement cited walkouts from United Nations sessions as evidence of the Zionist entity becoming an isolated entity and a moral and political burden for the world.
Sixth: Hamas committed to continuing efforts to forge a unified national and combat strategy involving all Palestinian factions, viewing it as the sole way to counter the plans of the Zionist entity’s cabinet.
Seventh: The movement welcomed the expansion of international campaigns to boycott the Zionist entity and its academic, economic, and security institutions, urging free people worldwide to strengthen these organized and popular movements to deepen the Zionist entity’s isolation and ensure its leaders are prosecuted in international courts.
Eighth: Hamas affirmed its commitment, along with other Palestinian resistance groups, to their obligations under the ceasefire agreement and their efforts with mediators to ensure its success. The movement pointed out that as the Zionist entity continues to commit blatant violations, escalate the siege, and deepen the humanitarian crisis against civilians, the U.S. administration and guarantor mediators are responsible for compelling the entity to fulfill its commitments. Hamas also called for the implementation of a roadmap to which the movement has agreed, one that would lead to a complete and comprehensive end to all forms of aggression, aid to the Palestinian people, reconstruction of Gaza, and the full withdrawal of Zionist entity forces from the Gaza Strip.
Ninth: Hamas called upon the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice to prosecute the perpetrators of genocide in Gaza, foremost among them Benjamin Netanyahu, his cabinet members, and the commanders and soldiers of the Zionist army. The movement stressed the need to prevent their escape from punishment to uphold international law and human justice.
Tenth: Hamas described the Arab and Islamic Ummah as the strategic depth and a great supporter of the Palestinian cause, urging Arab and Islamic nations, free people of the world, and active forces to mobilize and utilize all means of pressure. The movement also called for the revival of extensive waves of solidarity and field activities to confront the genocidal war, forced displacement, and starvation, and to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and independence.
Eleventh: Hamas affirmed that the Palestinian people defend themselves, their land, their rights, their holy sites, and their legitimate right to resist occupation by all means, a path that will continue until the end of the occupation and the establishment of a free, independent, and fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The movement emphasized its goal is for the Palestinian people to live a dignified life without siege, bombardment, threats, or guardianship.
Concluding its statement on the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood, Hamas prayed for mercy for the martyrs of Palestine and remembered the path and sacrifices of martyred resistance leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Arouri, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif, asserting that their blood, along with that of all martyrs of the Palestinian people and the Islamic Ummah, will remain a beacon for freedom and return. The movement also prayed for mercy and eternity for the martyrs, swift recovery for the wounded and sick, and freedom for Palestinian prisoners in the jails of the Zionist entity.
