Abu Obeida: No compromise on main demands, Ramadan a month of Jihad

8 Mar 2024 21:13
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The spokesperson for al-Qassam Brigades has come out in a live address to the world, urging Muslims to defend one of their holiest sites.

The military spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, appears in a live address to the Palestinian people and the Islamic Ummah, on March 8, 2024. (Al-Qassam Brigades/Military Media)

The ongoing Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood "establishes a new phase not only in Gaza and Palestine but on a global level," as it promotes the fact that "justice is only secured through force," the military spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida stated in a crucial broadcast address on Friday.

Sixth months into Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Abu Obeida brought clarity to several key issues, including ongoing mediated talks between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel", as well as the operational situation for the Palestinian Resistance and the condition of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip.

"This savage war against our people enters its sixth month, with the criminal enemy persisting in perpetrating a true Nazi holocaust against our people – involving the killings, starvation, intensification of oppression, destruction, and disdain for all international laws and feeble systems that stand powerless against the occupying entity, which is stripped of any human values," Abu Obeida stated.

Abu Obeida's speech highlighted the futility of diplomacy and legal pathways through international law or the decisions of the United Nations Security Council in achieving a ceasefire and the rights of the Palestinian people.

Instead, the spokesperson pushed for continued confrontations and expanded mobilization in the month of Ramadan, in the West Bank, occupied '48 territories, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and other Islamic and Arab nations to end the genocide against the Palestinian people.

The frail international community fails to stop Zionist plots

"The international community and its frail laws are designed to protect injustice, oppression, and aggression [conducted] by the tyranny of ruthless power, spearheaded by the American administration. Our people and Resistance understood this equation early on. Hence, our people's Resistance and ongoing revolution culminated in the October 7 epic, responding to the continuous aggression [that has spanned for] decades, reaching its peak in attempts to Judaize [al-Aqsa Mosque] and defeat and provoke the sentiments of all Muslims," Abu Obeida underlined.

"Zionist arrogance escalated with the rise of the most extremist and Nazi-like government in the entity. Before October 7, it was [preparing] for what [is being praticed] today in Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds, grounded in an alleged Torah legacy openly calling for the burning, killing, and destruction of other nations," the spokesperson explained.

"Strengthened by Zionist settlers' gangs, they began their odious religious war against our lands, people, and sanctities," he said.

"[The international community] adheres to the law of the jungle, where the so-called Security Council convenes... obstructing any, even formal, attempt to support the oppressed and deter the aggressors," the spokesperson underscored.

Resistance will not stop until the rights of Palestinians are retrieved by force

"Faced with this reality and ongoing aggression, we, in al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian Resistance ... persist, understanding that an enemy that only comprehends the language of strength will not be subdued by statements, conferences, condemnations, or even international resolutions," Abu Obeida stressed.

"We have been fighting for decades, and now, on the hundred fifty-fourth day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, we continue to [produce] immense losses inflicted upon the desperate enemy, its criminal army, and mercenaries, both in terms of officers, soldiers, and their [armored] vehicles," the spokesperson of al-Qassam Brigades said.

He pledged that the Palestinian Resistance will continue to confront the Israeli aggression until it ends, saying that "Israel" will not gain any security "until it grants our people their rights and ends its occupation of land and sacred sites."

Ramadan: A month of jihad

"May the approaching month of Ramadan be a month of obedience, jihad, and victories," Abu Obeida said as he began to address Muslims around the world.

"As Muslims worldwide prepare to welcome Ramadan, we have offered a sacrifice to Allah – a cascade of pure blood and pure souls. We welcome it with the peak of Islamic zeal, jihad, steadfastness, and combat during a time when men are honored [for their actions during the Holy month]," Abu Obeida said.

The military spokesperson then addressed Muslims who had not lived up to the occasion and supported Gaza and the Palestinian people, citing a poem sent by Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak to Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad in the year 797.

O ye who worships in the vicinity of the Two Holy Masjids!

If you but see us, you will realize that you are only jesting in worship.

He who brings wetness to his cheek with his tears should know that our necks are being wet by our blood.

"In the face of a billion-strong nation, the enemy disregards the sanctity of their al-Aqsa Mosque. Despite claiming otherwise, they (Israeli authorities) plan to tighten the grip on its people, expel them, and impose restrictions on worship, persisting in their declared religious war. They show no regard for the sanctity of innocent lives, which are as sacred to Allah as the Kaaba itself," Abu Obeida said in his resounding message to Muslims around the world.

He then called "upon all the sons of our people in the West Bank, al-Quds, and the occupied Palestinian territories in 1948 to mobilize and march toward al-Aqsa Mosque, stand firm there, and not allow the occupation to impose its [policies in the holy site]."

"We call on the masses of our nation everywhere to declare mobilization to confront [the Israeli occupation] in every field – be it in combat and confrontation or in protest and demonstration," he stressed.

We will not compromise on fundamental demands in negotiations

"While we have positively engaged with mediators, our top and foremost priority for accomplishing a prisoner exchange deal is a complete commitment to the cessation of aggression against our people. This includes the full withdrawal of the enemy, the return of our displaced people, and the reconstruction of [Gaza]," Abu Obeida explained.

"We do not compromise on these fundamental and humanitarian issues," he stressed.

"Any proposals that do not include these human principles are of no use or concern to our people and Resistance. Nothing takes precedence over addressing the wounds of our people, who are facing genocide due to their insistence on their rights and defense of their land and sanctities," Abu Obeida said about mediated negotiations between the Resistance and Israeli authorities.

Starvation of Gazans affects Israeli captives alike

"[Israelis] have gone beyond the brutality of the Nazis... [imposing] intentional starvation, where the world witnesses the killing of fathers seeking to provide for their children and the starvation and death of children in the most heinous war crimes," Abu Obeida said.

"We affirm that this famine has cast its shadows over all segments of our people in Gaza, including [Israeli captives] who experience the same levels of hunger and deprivation as our people. They suffer from a lack of food and medicine, and some of the enemy's captives are experiencing malnutrition, dehydration, and emaciation. Disease now threatens the lives of some of them due to the unavailability of proper medication and food. Additionally, they are exposed to bombings and killings in incidents we have repeatedly announced," Abu Obeida said.

"If the families of these prisoners are concerned about their lives, let them know that their government and war council are playing with the lives of their children. They insist on receiving them in coffins. The ball is in their court to save those who can be saved from them," he underlined.

To conclude, Abu Obeida extended his greetings to the steadfast Palestinian people "and the fighters of our heroic nation in all areas." In particular, he mentioned those who have been martyred "on the path to al-Quds, in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq."