Hamas asks world’s people to ‘continue their solidarity, support for our Palestinian people’

Hamas asks world’s people to ‘continue their solidarity, support for our Palestinian people’  

The following statement was issued by Hamas –– Islamic Resistance Movement –– at a Nov. 19, 2023, press conference on the 43rd day of Al-Aqsa Flood. It has been lightly edited:

• Firstly, we pay our respects to the souls of our people’s martyrs and pray to Allah Almighty for the speedy recovery of our wounded and sick.

• We salute the heroes of the resistance and the victorious Al-Qassam Brigades, who are inflicting heavy losses on the occupation army in their vehicles, soldiers and officers, who are defeated, by the will of Allah.

The massacres by the new Nazis

• You have followed how the new Nazis commit massacres around the clock. Yesterday, the occupation committed many massacres, including bombing the Al-Fallah school, where about 150 martyrs ascended. Not least of all, today they committed a horrific massacre against children, women and displaced families at Al-Fakhoura School.

After attacking and storming the Al-Shifa Medical Complex with tanks four days ago, the occupation gave all patients, wounded, medical staff and displaced people one hour to evacuate the place, in revenge against everything in this complex and in violation of the most sacred human professionalism. 

Their falsehood and lies were exposed, as they found neither command nor control rooms nor any of their captured soldiers and officers. Faced with their security and military failure and psychological defeat, they committed more killing and destruction, even affecting the stores of medicines, devices and all medical equipment in the Al-Shifa Complex.

• What happened at Al-Shifa Hospital is an episode in a series of criminal acts representing the pinnacle of moral and human degradation. The occupation forces forcibly evicted everyone in the hospital, forcing them to walk long and exhausting distances, especially the sick, wounded and elderly, in a criminal step unprecedented in this century.

• The forced evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital, turning it into a military barracks, and destroying buildings and properties, is a war crime and a crime against humanity. The free world, humanitarian and international organizations should stand against it and impose sanctions on the terrorist occupation as stipulated in international laws.

After the criminal forced evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital, any reality the occupation attempts to fabricate will be part of their exposed campaign of lies.

• These ongoing crimes and massacres at the hands of the new Nazis, which claimed more than 12,000 martyrs, including more than 4,500 children, and nearly 4,000 still under the rubble and about 30,000 wounded, would not have been possible without the green light from President Biden and his administration, providing them with protection and support. We hold them responsible for the continued genocidal war committed by the new Nazis, brazenly and barbarically in full view of the world.

The escalation of these massacres, the war of genocide, starvation, targeting hospitals and all aspects of human life, comes in the context of the Nazi enemy’s plans to displace our people. We reaffirm that our people and resistance’s decisive decision is to reject this malicious plan and all the enemy’s plans. Despite these daily massacres by the occupation, hundreds of thousands of our people in the northern Gaza Strip are standing steadfast on their land, rejecting all these plans.

• We also salute the heroic men of the resistance in all cities, villages and camps of our proud West Bank, who clash with Zionist occupation soldiers, continuing their uprising, revolution and heroic operations against occupation soldiers, in response to their crimes and massacres against our people in the Gaza Strip, and their escalating terrorism against our people in the occupied West Bank cities and villages. We strengthen their hands to continue their jihad and sacrifices to enhance the battle of our people and our resistance in the Al-Aqsa Flood.

Regarding the occupation’s claims about traces of prisoners in Al-Shifa Hospital:

• As for the occupation leaders’ claims of discovering traces indicating the presence of prisoners in Al-Shifa Hospital, we clearly state: Al-Qassam Brigades have moved many of their wounded prisoners to hospitals for treatment after some were injured due to Zionist bombing. Our fighters risked their safety to provide them with treatment.

• This matter was confirmed by the photos broadcasted by Al-Qassam Brigades, and this is a point in our favor, not against us. We operate according to our morals, customs and religious teachings. In contrast, the occupation army deliberately committed hundreds of massacres against patients, wounded and even premature infants, confirming that this army is nothing but the largest terrorist and Nazi organization in the world.

• We say to the new Nazis: In vain, you try to prove your claims and illusions, and it has become clear to the world the moral downfall of your army by killing children and the level of your psychological defeat, even failing in fabricating a play to hide your lies about using hospitals as military headquarters.

Third: Rafah crossing and humanitarian corridors:

• In connection with the horrific massacres committed by the enemy, the occupation continues its policy of starvation and collective punishment against children and unarmed civilians. Today, only 10 percent of our people’s needs for foodstuffs are allowed into the Gaza Strip, after the occupation destroyed bakeries, food warehouses, cut off water sources and targeted water tanks and desalination plants.

• Here we remind and question the fate of the decision of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit, which was held eight days ago and which emphasized breaking the siege and immediately introducing food, medicine and fuel into the Gaza Strip.

• We call upon the United Nations, international organizations, the League of Arab States and the Islamic world to take up your humanitarian, political and legal responsibilities in stopping the occupation’s crimes against children and unarmed civilians. Silence or inaction means not only the continuation of killing in the Gaza Strip but also a threat to regional and international peace and security at the hands of an occupation unrestrained by any values or laws.

Fourth: Managing the Gaza Strip after the aggression:

• To the U.S. administration and the new Nazis who delude themselves seeking to manage the Gaza Strip after the aggression: We reaffirm our clear and firm stance that our people, in all their places of residence and their political and social components, have not and will not accept guardianship from anyone. Our people are free and do not accept enslavement. They will decide their fate themselves. Our hand will remain on the trigger until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital, whether you like it or not, for we believe that rights are extracted, not begged for. This is our covenant. We will not retreat from it until we achieve our people’s aspirations for freedom and return, by the will of Allah.

Fifth: In conclusion:

• We extend a greeting of pride and honor to our patient and steadfast people in the Gaza Strip, whose patience and pride cannot be described in words. They defy the Zionist war machine and stand as an impenetrable barrier against the occupation’s plans to displace them from their land. We declare with a confident Palestinian voice: No more migration from now on, but liberation and return.

• We also extend our thanks and appreciation to all Arab and Islamic nations and the free people of the world. We call upon them to continue their solidarity and support for our Palestinian people in the triumph of the values of freedom, justice and shared destiny, to besiege the new Nazis and their supporters by activating demonstrations in all capitals, in front of embassies and by activating economic boycotts to stop the occupation’s crimes and the genocide it commits around the clock against children, civilians and displaced people in schools and hospitals.