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“Just as the countries of the world need to work together to ensure that this conflict is not allowed to spread, the international community must be seized with efforts to end the violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Calling for an immediate ceasefire, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that a “protracted regional conflict that leads to the loss of more innocent lives is something the Middle East and the world cannot afford.”
“The escalating situation in the Middle East is of grave concern. It threatens to plunge the region into a war in which civilians will inevitably bear the greatest and the most cruel brunt of this conflict,” Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter on Monday. “As the UN Secretary-General has said, each escalation after the next is leading the people of the Middle East over the cliff.”
His statement marked one year since the October 7 resistance operation against the Israeli occupation.
“The violence that has been committed by Israel against Palestinians over many decades intensified after an attack on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October last year,” said Ramaphosa.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
‘Peaceful Resolution’
Ramaphosa said South Africa remained “committed to the peaceful resolution to ending the occupation of Palestine, to upholding the tenets of international law and to advancing social justice.”
“We once again call for an immediate ceasefire that will end the suffering of the people of Gaza and allow for humanitarian aid to reach those in need,” he added.
He noted that amid efforts by the international community to secure a ceasefire, “the situation has been worsened by strikes by Israel on Lebanon and by Iran on Israel. Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran and Iran has threatened to respond accordingly.”
The president called on all parties to exercise restraint and for the tenets of international law to be respected.
“Just as the countries of the world need to work together to ensure that this conflict is not allowed to spread, the international community must be seized with efforts to end the violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said.
Ramaphosa emphasized that beyond an immediate end to the onslaught against Gaza, “there is an urgent need for action to stave off starvation and disease among the population.
“Considerable resources need to be directed to Gaza to start rebuilding infrastructure, housing, social services, agricultural production and economic activity.”
ICJ Case
South Africa will file a memorial with the International Court of Justice to hold all those responsible for the conflict to account, he said.
“Later this month, we will file a memorial, which is South Africa’s full substantive case based on evidence, at the International Court of Justice,” Ramaphosa explained.
“The memorial contains detailed evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine. We call on Israel to immediately implement the court’s provisional orders issued on 26 January, 28 March 2024 and 24 May 2024.”
‘Pattern of Conflict’
He stressed that conflict “is part of a pattern of violence that spans more than half a century resulting from the occupation of Palestine”.
“Until the occupation is ended and a just and lasting solution is found that will protect the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians, the region will remain a tinderbox of potential conflict and war,” said Ramaphosa.
He pointed out that “Israel has consistently declared that it aspires to live in peace and security with its neighbours. Yet its military occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and its invasions of Lebanon in 1978, 1982 and 2006 undermine this aspiration.
“As a country we will continue to play our part in supporting all efforts to bring peace to the troubled Middle East region and to secure a just, lasting solution that ends the occupation of Palestine,” Ramaphosa stated.
October 7 marks the day one year ago when the Palestinian Resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in its ongoing campaign to resist Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands including the siege on the Gaza Strip.
Since then, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 97,000 injured in Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on the enclave, with nearly two million displaced, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Israel has also expanded its military assault to include airstrikes as well as a ground invasion of Lebanon, killing more than 2,000 and wounding more than 9,500, according to Lebanese authorities.
Resistance movements have issued statements on the anniversary of the operation with Hamas calling October 7 a “historic turning point in our struggle.”
‘Unwavering Faith, Determination’ – Hamas
“October 7th marks a historic turning point in our struggle, representing a natural response to zionist schemes aimed at erasing our national cause, consolidating control over our land and sacred sites, Judaizing them, asserting dominance over the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, persecuting prisoners, and continuing the siege on the Gaza Strip.
“This heroic battle, led with unwavering faith, determination, strength, and capability, was carried by the Al-Qassam Brigades, alongside all Palestinian resistance factions, with the support of our people across the homeland and abroad. At the heart of this movement were the steadfast, patient, and sacrificial people of Gaza, standing at the forefront of the nation, defending the land and the holy sites.”
“As we mark one year since the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle, we in the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas offer our prayers for the souls of our people’s martyrs, who ascended in our long struggle against the zionist enemy. We also pray for the martyr leaders who sacrificed their lives in this heroic battle: our brother, the martyr leader Ismail Haniyeh, our brother, the martyr leader Saleh Al-Arouri, and the caravans of the martyrs from our nation, especially from the support and defense fronts, led by the martyr, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and the martyr leaders of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, whose blood mixed with the blood of our people on the path to liberating Al-Quds and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
‘Steadfastness’
Hamas affirmed, amongst others; “the steadfastness” of the people of Gaza, “their immense sacrifices their rallying around and embracing of the resistance while remaining patient and steadfast for a full year.”
“We hold the U.S. administration, a partner in this aggression, fully responsible for the continuation of these crimes and acts of genocide. We call on it to stop its biased support for the occupation and immediately act to halt this brutal genocide war,” the movement stated.
The World after October 7 – Has the War on the
Tonight, October 7, Palestine Chronicle editors @RamzyBaroud and @RomanaRubeo will be joined by renowned journalist and political analyst Robert Inlakesh, young Pan-African organizer and activist Bouna Mbaye and a number of experts… pic.twitter.com/zvvAV6XfvB
Hamas also highlighted “the expansion of zionist aggression to include Arab and Islamic countries—Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran,” saying it “proves once again that it poses a real threat to the security and stability of the region, as well as to regional and international peace and security.
“Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to deter this rogue entity, isolate it, boycott it, and shut down all attempts to integrate it into our nation or normalize relations with it.”
‘Sacrifices’
The movement thanked “the jihad and sacrifices of our brothers in Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance, the Islamic Group in Lebanon, Ansarallah in Yemen, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Their steadfast support, sacrifices, and participation in aiding our people and resistance during the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle are recognized.”
Hamas called on “all the forces of the Islamic Nation and its free people to join this heroic battle, gaining the honor of defending Al-Quds and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
“We also renew our calll to our Arab and Islamic countries to take urgent steps to stop the ongoing aggression and genocide war against our people. We also urge the implementation of the resolutions from the Arab and Islamic joint summit held in Riyadh on November 11th of last year, calling for serious action to break the siege, bring aid and relief to Gaza, and cut all forms of political, diplomatic, and economic relations with the zionist entity.”
Boycotts and Solidarity
The movement thanked South Africa for filing a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and all countries that have supported the case.
“We also value all the official, popular, and partisan stances, initiatives, and activities in our Arab and Islamic world, and across the globe,” it said and commended “the mass mobilization by all free peoples and those with a conscience in capitals around the world, the union movements, popular protests, and student demonstrations in universities supporting our people’s rights.”
Hamas called for “an escalation of solidarity activities in all arenas and fields, strengthening the boycott of the occupation, condemning its crimes, and pressuring countries, entities, companies, and organizations that support the genocide war in Gaza.”
The movement also called upon “the masses of our Palestinian people in the West Bank, Al-Quds, the occupied territories, and in refugee camps and the diaspora to escalate all forms of resistance and struggle against the zionist enemy and its schemes.”
It also urged all Palestinian political factions, movements, organizations, and national figures “to unite, close ranks, and prioritize national responsibility, focusing all efforts and resources to confront this fascist aggression.”
“We affirm to the entire world that there can be no compromise on our people’s legitimate right to resist the occupation by all means necessary, to establish our free and independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital, and to live a life of dignity, free from siege, bombing, threats, or foreign control—like all other peoples of the world.”
Israel a ‘Cancerous Tumor’ – Hezbollah
“Today marks the one-year anniversary of the heroic Al-Aqsa Flood operation, in which the will of the Palestinian resistance was manifested in confronting aggression, oppression, and occupation that has afflicted this oppressed people since 1948, followed by wars, tragedies, and destruction.
“This operation will have historical effects and strategic results on the overall situation in the region until justice is achieved with the end of the occupation, and the Palestinian people regain their rightful, complete freedom from the river to the sea,” Hezbollah said in its statement.
The movement affirmed the “full right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation by all means necessary to restore their legitimate rights and expel the occupation.”
It also said that “despite the brutality of the occupation and its aggression, “which led to the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the ruthless destruction of the Gaza Strip, “this oppressive, aggressive entity has proven to be fragile and incapable of survival without American support.”
‘Allies and Tools’ of US
Hezbollah said there was “no place for this temporary zionist entity in our region or within our social, cultural, and human fabric. It remains a malignant cancerous tumor that must be eradicated, no matter how long it takes.”
It emphasized that the United States of America, “along with its allies and tools in the world and the region, are partners in this occupation’s aggression and its crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples and the peoples of the region. They bear full responsibility for the killing, crimes, and devastating humanitarian tragedies.”
The movement also saluted “the strength and courage of our fighting brothers on the support fronts in dear Yemen and great Iraq, as well as the historic decision by the Islamic Republic of Iran to strike the heart of the zionist entity with missiles in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.”
“Hezbollah’s decision to open the support front on October 8th to back the Palestinian people and their honorable resistance is a decision in favor of justice and full humanity. At the same time, it is a decision to defend Lebanon and its people, for which our resistance and people have paid a heavy price, both in leadership and in military and material structures, as well as through the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the heavy destruction of private properties,” the movement said.
It added that despite “the continued limitless aggression of the enemy, we remain confident, by the will of Allah, in the ability of our resistance to repel the aggression and in the patience and steadfastness of our great, resisting people, until this calamity is lifted.”
Israel ‘Backed by America, Britain and Supportive West’ – Ansarallah
“The Israeli enemy has launched more than a quarter of a million airstrikes and artillery bombardments on the Gaza Strip over the past year and around 100,000 tons of explosives through bombs, missiles, and shells provided by the Americans,” Ansarallah Commander Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr El-Din Al-Houthi said in his speech marking the October 7 anniversary.
He listed estimated statistics on the destruction meted out against the Gazan people through Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign.
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in his speech for the anniversary of October 7th today, talking about the absurdity of saying that other Arab countries have nothing to do with Palestine, and that everyone who supports Palestine is somehow working on Iran's behalf. pic.twitter.com/O21JDWIt0U
“More than 10,000 tons consist of temporary mines that have not yet exploded, aimed at booby-trapping the Gaza Strip.
The bodies of 7,820 martyrs in Gaza have not been buried, have not reached hospitals, and have not had their data recorded. These are all estimated numbers.
The disappearance of many bodies is due to the Israeli enemy’s use of internationally banned American weapons and bombs with genocidal and mass destruction effects.
‘Sequence of Aggression’
The zionist enemy has mobilized all its resources, backed by America, Britain, and the supportive West, to attack Gaza with an army of 350,000 regular and reserve soldiers. Approximately 150,000 martyrs, missing, and wounded in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli enemy has committed nearly 3,700 massacres against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Al-Houthi said “The criminal and aggressive path of the Israeli enemy was not born from the Al-Aqsa Flood; it is part of a historical sequence of aggression and crime by the Israeli enemy.
Since the cursed Balfour Declaration and the beginning of gathering Jews to Palestine, the zionists have followed a policy of massacres and brutal killings against Palestinians before the declaration of the entity.”
He added that “The steadfastness of the Palestinian people has proven that resources, equipment, and supplies are not the decisive factor in battles. The resistance factions in Gaza continue the battle against the “israeli” enemy, which is supported by the US and the West, with great steadfastness in a very small and completely besieged area for nearly 20 years.
The Al-Aqsa Flood operation comes within the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to confront the occupying enemy, which holds no legitimacy in its occupation, oppression, or crimes. Al-Aqsa Flood is a natural outcome of 105 years of aggressive war, occupation, land theft, murder, genocide, displacement, and assaults sanctities, as seen in the first and second intifadas, after Arab failures and abandonment of Palestine since the humiliating agreements.”
He also addressed the intensification of Israel’s attacks on the occupied West Bank saying this crime was not born out of the Al-Aqsa Flood but is a historical sequence of crimes.
“The number of abductees in the West Bank has exceeded 11,000 Palestinians, with about 750 martyrs and more than 6,200 wounded. Some statistics have recorded approximately 1,400 attacks in the West Bank by the occupying settlers over the past year.”
Lebanese Resolve
Turning to Lebanon he said: “If the enemy thinks that killing the esteemed Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, may Allah be pleased with him, will weaken resolve, break morale, and lead to surrender, they are deluded and mistaken.”
“The calls, words, and speeches of the martyr Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah are now even more motivating and driving forces for action and steadfastness in position. The Israeli enemy has not learned from past lessons in either Palestine or Lebanon.”
He said similarly, “the enemy” expected the morale of the Al-Qassam Brigades “would collapse” after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Al-Houthi said “Efforts on the Yemen front continue in developing capabilities, raising performance levels, and increasing operations more and more. The popular mobilization in Yemen is unprecedented, unmatched in the Islamic world or anywhere else.”
‘We are With You’
For a year now, worldwide protests have reshaped global attitudes toward the Israeli occupation and the genocide in Gaza.
Tens of millions have participated and continue to participate in weekly and daily marches advocating for the rights of Palestinians and demanding boycotts… pic.twitter.com/Q8hNGuwSPA
“We in the Yemen front have launched over 1,000 missiles and drones over the past year, and we have also used boats in the seas. Our armed forces have targeted 193 ships linked to the Israeli enemy, and also to the Americans and the British.”
“Air and naval strikes by the enemies on our country amounted to 774 attacks, resulting in 82 martyrs and 340 injuries. No matter the extent of their military aggression against our country and the sacrifices we make, it will not deter us from our stance.”
“Whoever supports the Israeli enemy with even a single word becomes complicit in all the crimes it commits. I say to our brothers in the Hamas movement, in Al-Qassam Brigades, in the Palestinian jihadist movements like Islamic Jihad, Saraya Al-Quds, and all the movements fighting in Palestine: We are with you, and our people are your supporters, moving with you in every way they can.”
Hezbollah fighters at the Lebanese-Israeli border. (Photo: Hezollah military media)
An Israeli soldier was killed, and two others were seriously injured during fighting with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border, as Israel continues its intense air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed the death of a reserve sergeant and the serious injury of two other soldiers, who were struck by a mortar shell during the fighting on the Lebanese border.
Additionally, the Israeli military announced it would begin a training exercise in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel.
According to Al-Jazeera, observers have noted that Israel is maintaining silence about its casualties and material losses from confrontations with Hezbollah and ground battles in Gaza.
The Israeli government is reportedly restricting media coverage, prohibiting the dissemination of images and videos, and strictly regulating any information provided to the press.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, sending plumes of smoke and flames into the sky as multiple explosions echoed through the area.
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: A rocket fell in the Western Galilee and caused extensive damage to a number of properties. pic.twitter.com/QpUaUI8bCh
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported that six civilians, including three children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Qamatiyeh in Mount Lebanon overnight.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets at a gathering of Israeli vehicles and troops near the Jal al-Alam site and at the Karmiel and Kfar Vradim settlements.
Israeli Army Radio reported that one of the rockets landed in the Western Galilee, causing significant damage to several cars in Kfar Vradim, though no casualties were reported.
According to Israeli Channel 12, around 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the Western Galilee, while Israeli police deployed explosives experts to inspect the impact sites.
HEZBOLLAH: Our fighters targeted a number of towns north of Haifa with a large barrage of rockets.
CHANNEL 12: 35 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards the Karmiel and Kfar Vradim areas in the last batch, while Israel reported today that at least 3 rockets fired from Lebanon… pic.twitter.com/eT8NyrLNfx
Hezbollah also fired rockets at military installations in Haifa and Tiberias, injuring 10 people.
The Rambam Hospital in Israel confirmed that six people were being treated for injuries sustained from rocket strikes in Haifa. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for bombing the Carmel base south of Haifa with “Fadi 1” missiles in defense of Lebanon.
The Israeli military also reported that five rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Haifa, which were not intercepted by the defense systems. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed that two people sustained moderate to severe injuries from rockets hitting Tiberias.
LEBANESE MEDIA: Israeli raids targeted the towns of Al-Qalila, Al-Sama'iya, Ma'arka, Al-Majdal Tyre, and Balat in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/shWcw7R4PQ
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that schools in some areas of Haifa had switched to remote learning due to the ongoing rocket fire. Several areas surrounding Haifa remain tense.
Since September 23, Israel has escalated its operations in Gaza and expanded its airstrikes into Lebanon, including Beirut, with unprecedented intensity. A ground incursion into southern Lebanon has also begun, despite international warnings and UN resolutions.
Official figures indicate that 2,044 people have been killed, and 9,678 injured since the mutual shelling began on October 8, 2023. This includes 1,212 dead and 3,427 injured in Lebanon, with a significant number of children and women among the casualties. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced since Israel’s large-scale offensive on Lebanon began on September 23, as of Sunday evening.
In response to Israeli strikes, Hezbollah continues to retaliate with rocket, drone, and artillery attacks targeting Israeli military positions and settlements across the country.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, announced on Monday that they had launched a rocket barrage targeting Tel Aviv.
The group said in a statement that this attack was part of the “ongoing battle of attrition” and in retaliation for the “Zionist massacres against civilians” and the displacement of Palestinians.
? Footage documents the damage inflicted on a building in the suburbs of Tel Aviv after rockets launched from Gaza made impact.
According to Israeli media, two settlers have been injured in Holon as a result of the explosions. pic.twitter.com/s5G15MRb1o
The attack on Tel Aviv coincided with the first anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, launched by Palestinian Resistance groups on October 7, 2023.
It marks the first time Al-Qassam has targeted Tel Aviv since launching two M90 rockets at the city and its suburbs on August 13.
Israel’s Home Front Command reported that sirens were triggered in Greater Tel Aviv and central Israel, while the Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed the area was targeted by rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.
ISRAELI MEDIA: The army once again failed to thwart an expected rocket attack from Gaza. It seems that the army was reviewing its operations in the morning and did not have specific information. pic.twitter.com/iXMGiYjolH
Israel Army Radio stated that five rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv from the Khan Yunis region in southern Gaza.
Two Israeli settlers were injured as shrapnel reportedly fell in Holon, south of Tel Aviv. Israel’s ambulance service confirmed that the rocket fire resulted in minor injuries.
The barrage also temporarily disrupted landings at Ben Gurion Airport, as reported by Israeli media, which also indicated that a state of maximum alert had been declared in anticipation of further rocket fire from Gaza.
ISRAEL HAYOM: Estimates by the Israeli army confirm that Hamas still possesses dozens of long-range missiles. pic.twitter.com/Nrajq4n1uQ
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the fact that rockets were fired from Khan Yunis, where Israeli military operations had concluded, suggests that Hamas has regained its capabilities.
Israeli media also noted that the army had failed to prevent the missile strike, despite anticipating an attack from Gaza, indicating that Hamas’s command and control capabilities remain intact.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
According to Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini, Hamad had received threats in the days that led to his death.
The Israeli occupation army killed 19-year-old journalist Hassan Hamad in a targeted drone strike at his home in Jabalya refugee camp on Sunday morning.
The young journalist was threatened repeatedly by Israel, which asked him to stop his coverage of the Israeli occupation crimes, especially following the latest incursion into Jabalya.
According to Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini, Hamad had received threats in the days that led to his death.
“Listen, Ii you continue spreading lies about Israel, we’ll come for you next and turn your family into (…) This is your last warning”, was the message Hamad received via WhatsApp, as conveyed by Hussaini on X.
Hussaini confirmed that the young journalist also received “several calls from an Israeli officer ordering him to stop filming in Gaza.”
“He didn’t comply. He was killed today,” Hussaini wrote on X.
A colleague confirmed the assassination on Hamad’s X account.
“With deep sorrow and pain, I mourn the journalist Hassan Hamad. I testify before God that you fulfilled your duty,” Hamad’s colleague wrote.
Listen, If you continue spreading lies about Israel, we'll come for you next and turn your family into […] This is your last warning".. Journalist Hassan Hamad received this message on WhatsApp, along with several calls from an Israeli officer ordering him to stop filming in… pic.twitter.com/q6SAzMj5xc
The post went on to highlight the journey of the young journalist and the challenges he had to go through to keep bringing the truth to the world.
“Hassan Hamad, the journalist who did not live past the age of 20, resisted for a full year in his own way,” the post read.
“He resisted by staying away from his family so they wouldn’t be targeted. He resisted when he struggled to find an internet signal, sitting for an hour or two on the rooftop just to send the videos that reach you in seconds,” it added.
“Yesterday, from 10 PM, he moved between the bombed locations and then returned to search for an internet signal, only to go back and cover the scenes of the scattered remains. He endured the pain of an injury to his leg, yet continued filming.”
Hamad’s colleague concluded by depicting the last moments of the slain journalist.
“At 6 AM, he called me to send his last video. After a call that didn’t last more than a few seconds, he said, “There they are, there they are, it’s done,” and hung up. It’s a feeling no human can bear,” the statement said.
“Hassan also resisted the occupation, leaving behind a mark and a message that we will carry on after him. We belong to God, and to Him we shall return,” Hamad’s colleague ended by saying.
Graphic footage on social media of Hamad’s remains in a shoebox has sparked wide indignation and anger amongst activists in the virtual world who denounced the targeted assassination of the young journalist.
Systematic Killing of Journalists
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) said last week that the Israeli occupation army committed in September 185 violations against Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Anadolu news agency reported.
The syndicate revealed in a statement that in September alone, the Israeli occupation army killed two journalists in Gaza, and injured nine others by live bullets in the West Bank.
The media group reported that five journalists were detained in the occupied West Bank while 10 cases of forced entry were registered into various media bureaus and homes of journalists.
Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip have been systematically targeted by the Israeli occupation army during the raging war.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, a total of 175 Palestinian journalists have been killed, and more than 190 others have been injured, while 87 media institutions have been destroyed, according to the Health Ministry in the Strip.
Gaza Genocide Continues
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
On the first anniversary of October 7, Israeli occupation forces continued to carry out massacres in the Gaza Strip while the Resistance kept fighting back.
Rocket barrages were launched toward Israel from Lebanon, while the Al-Qassam Brigades announced it bombed the Sufa military site and enemy gatherings at the Rafah crossing.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry (Gaza), 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
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The moment an Israeli soldier raised his head from beneath the wreckage and the mass destruction created by the Israeli army in the Jabaliya refugee camp, in northern Gaza, the moment a sniper bullet was fired.
What followed was a scene of smoke, followed by the shouts of ‘God is great’.
This was the latest video shared by the Al-Quds Brigades in a sniping operation that was carried out jointly with the AL-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli army is renewing its attacks on northern Gaza, this time with the massive push of expelling the remaining Palestinian population in the northern Strip to the south.
Thousands of flyers were thrown all over the northern region by Israeli military planes, calling on the people to leave, and warning them of dire consequences.
Those dire consequences have already begun, with hundreds killed and wounded in new massacres targeting schools and other displacement centers in the area.
But per the latest statements from the Resistance, it seems that the efforts to push back the Israeli invasion remain as strong as determined as before.
Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah.
The statements were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form.
Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
“The fighters of Al-Qassam are waging fierce battles with the zionist enemy forces in the areas of incursion in the northern Gaza Strip.
“In a complex operation, Al-Qassam fighters managed to detonate a highly explosive device against a zionist Merkava 4 tank surrounded by a number of soldiers, and target the evacuation group with an anti-personnel shell while it was trying to transport the dead and wounded soldiers near Sultan Studio east of Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
“Al-Qassam fighters managed to snipe a zionist soldier on Al-Banat Street east of Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip.
“Al-Qassam fighters were able to blow up a house that was previously booby-trapped against a zionist force of 10 soldiers, killing and wounding them in the Turkish Hawuz area, west of Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip.
“We congratulate the qualitative Bir Al-Sabi’ operation carried out by one of our heroes from the occupied interior. Our confidence in the patriotism of our people in 1948-occupied Palestine is firm and has not wavered. We are certain that the youth of the interior are capable of devising the means to inflict pain on the occupier and support their people in the afflicted Gaza in every possible way.
“Al-Qassam Brigades targets a zionist Merkava tank with a Yassin 105 shell west of Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip.”
The Al-Quds Brigades published scenes of the sniping of an Israeli soldier in the Jabaliya camp, in northern Gaza.
“The fighters of Saryaa Al-Quds, in cooperation with the fighters of the Al-Qassam Brigades, sniped a zionist soldier on Al-Banat Street east of the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
“We targeted with two TBG shells a command and control room of the zionist enemy army that had infiltrated into Al-Haddad Street, Block 2 – in Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip.
“We bombed Asqalan and the settlements of the Gaza envelope with a rocket barrage.
“Our fighters, in cooperation with Al-Qassam fighters, managed to snipe a zionist soldier during the enemy’s incursion into the Rabaa Cafeteria in Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip.
“We targeted, in cooperation with the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, a zionist Namer armored vehicle with an anti-armor shell when it penetrated the vicinity of the Jabalia Services Club in the northern Gaza Strip.”
Hezbollah
“When a force of Israeli enemy soldiers attempted to infiltrate towards Khallet Shoeib in Blida, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted them at 12:10 on Sunday, 6-10-2024 with artillery shells, forcing them to retreat and inflicting confirmed casualties.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 12:30 AM on Sunday, 6-10-2024 targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the settlement of Manara with a rocket barrage, hitting it precisely.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 12:35 AM on Sunday, 6-10-2024 targeted gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers in the settlement of Manara and its vicinity with a large rocket barrage, hitting them precisely.
“While the Israeli enemy forces were trying to evacuate the wounded and dead soldiers in the Manara settlement, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 12:45 AM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted them with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 01:55 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers in the settlement of Shlomi with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:00 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers in the Margaliot settlement with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:35 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted the Hadab Yarine site with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.
HEZBOLLAH: The fighters of the Islamic Resistance bombarded the settlement of Karmiel with a rocket barrage. pic.twitter.com/LYiHAyrrta
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 03:00 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers in Khallet Shoeib, east of the town of Blida, with artillery shells.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 03:40 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted gatherings of Israeli enemy soldiers in in the settlement of Baram with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 01:45 PM on Sunday 6-10-2024, launched an aerial attack with a swarm of attack drones on the 7200 maintenance and rehabilitation base south of the city of Haifa, hitting it directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance on Sunday 6-10-2024, launched an aerial attack with a squadron of attack drones on Base (7200) south of the city of Haifa, targeting the explosives factory there and hitting their targets accurately.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance on Sunday 6-10-2024, targeted a gathering of enemy soldiers in the Maalot-Tarshiha settlement with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the occupied city of Safad at 07:00 pm on Sunday 6-10-2024 with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance bombed gatherings of enemy forces in the settlement of Kfar Giladi with a rocket barrage.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance bombarded the settlement of Karmiel with a rocket barrage.”
Commander of IRGC Navy, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. (Photo: via Tasnim Agency)
The Rear Admiral reportedly condemned Netanyahu’s regime for escalating tensions in the region through acts of aggression and terrorism in Gaza and Lebanon.
The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, reaffirmed the readiness of Iran’s armed forces to confront any potential threats, including those from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Al-Mayadeen, Tangsiri emphasized that Iran has comprehensive plans to deal with all possible scenarios during an interview with Iran’s Al-Alam network.
The Rear Admiral reportedly condemned Netanyahu’s regime for escalating tensions in the region through acts of aggression and terrorism in Gaza and Lebanon, underscoring Iran’s strategic readiness to respond to any threats.
“We are prepared for any situation,” Tangsiri reportedly stated.
The Iranian military official stressed that “Islam forbids us from attacking another country unless they invade us,” but he noted that certain adversaries seek to sell weapons and maintain an illegal presence in the region by falsely portraying Iran as a threat.
“As long as our national and Islamic interests are not threatened, we will not respond, but we are committed to defending the oppressed wherever necessary,” Tangsiri reportedly said.
On Saturday, the deputy chief of the IRGC, Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, issued a direct warning to Israel, saying any misstep by the Israeli entity would jeopardize its very existence.
“If the occupying entity makes an error, we will target all of its energy sources, including power stations, refineries, and gas fields,” Fadavi stated in an interview with Al-Mayadeen.
Fadavi also contrasted Iran’s expansive economy with Israel’s, noting that while Iran is a large country with multiple economic centers, Israel relies on just three power stations and a handful of refineries.
The Israeli Army Radio said on Saturday that the Israeli military is preparing for a significant and large-scale attack on Iran, not a minor operation. https://t.co/9yBs92929lpic.twitter.com/OF0CUlHjHx
On Tuesday, as part of Iran’s Operation True Promise 2, dozens of missiles reportedly hit their intended targets, with reports claiming that over 400 missiles and projectiles were launched from Iran toward Israel.
Sirens blared across occupied Palestine as Iranian media declared that Iran’s response to Israeli aggression had begun.
In an interview with Sky News, Iranian Professor Mohammed Marandi challenges western media bias by underscoring the new reality in the Middle East, a reality in which Muslims, Christians and Jews are treated as equals and where there are no ‘chosen people’. For more videos,… pic.twitter.com/Anazs3stl1
In a statement following the missile launches, the IRGC stated, “We have targeted the heart of the occupied territories in retaliation for the assassination of martyrs Haniyeh, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Nilforooshan.”
The IRGC warned Israel, saying that “if the Zionist regime retaliates against the Iranian operation, it will face severe consequences.”
The executor of the operation was identified as 29-year-old Ahmed Saeed Al-Aqabi, from the town of Al-Qurain, in the occupied Naqab.
An Israeli soldier was killed and at least 24 others were injured, some critically, in a stabbing and shooting operation near the central bus station in Beersheba (Bir Al-Saba) in southern Israel.
According to Israeli police, the attacker was killed, and officers are searching the city for any potential accomplices.
The executor was identified as 29-year-old Ahmed Saeed Al-Aqabi, from the town of Al-Qurain, in the occupied Naqab.
CHANNEL 14: An Israeli settler was killed in an operation near the central station of Beersheba, in southern Israel.
The Israeli Army Radio reported that Al-Aqabi stabbed the soldier, seized her weapon, and then opened fire on others.
The Israeli Ambulance Authority confirmed that the attack took place at two separate locations.
For its part, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted the mother of one of the soldiers involved, who said her daughter, along with other soldiers, had hidden in a bathroom during the attack and was unable to make contact during the incident.
Al-Aqabi was reportedly a relative of Muhannad Al-Aqabi, who conducted a similar shooting attack in Beersheba in 2015, killing an Israeli soldier and injuring several others.
? ISRAELI MEDIA: The Israeli woman killed in the military operation in Beersheba was a soldier. At least 13 people were injured in the operation, one of whom is in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/67fm6LMUsR
Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir faced criticism during a visit to the site of the operation.
Jewish settlers reportedly called for his resignation and accused him of failure to prevent the attack.
In response, Ben-Gvir advocated for harsher measures, calling for the demolition of homes belonging to those he labeled as “disloyal” to Israel and urging the passing of legislation to deport the families of Palestinian citizens accused of terrorism.
‘Response to Ongoing Massacres’
The Popular Resistance Committees blessed in a statement the “heroic operation”, which “comes in response to the ongoing massacres and genocidal war in Palestine and Lebanon.”
The Committees also mourned the executor, “who insisted on joining the ranks of honor, dignity, and martyrdom.”
Jewish settlers chant against far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, demanding his resignation from outside the operation site in Beersheba, where an Israeli soldier was killed and dozens were injured. pic.twitter.com/EfYAZeGXCk
According to the statement, the operation was “a message of fire and gunpowder to the Zionist enemy entity and its criminal leaders, affirming that the revolutionaries of our people and our resistance fighters in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran do not abandon their sacred and obligatory vengeance for their martyrs and leaders”.
The Committees also called “on all free resistance fighters in all the arenas and fronts of confrontation with the zionist enemy to escalate the resistance”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed French President Emmanuel Macron over his call to impose an arms embargo on Israel.
Netanyahu responded by saying “Shame on them” in reference to Macron and other Western leaders calling for an arms embargo on Israel.
“Israel will win with or without their support,” Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.
He also criticized Macron’s call labeling it as “a disgrace.”
Earlier on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a stop to arms deliveries to Israel amidst criticism of its military operations in Gaza, Agence France Press reported.
Netanyahu in a message to French President Macron: "You are calling for a halt to arms exports to us during the war, and the shame will follow you for many years after we win the war." pic.twitter.com/I1xlV0icqP
According to AFP, Macron emphasized the need to shift focus towards a political resolution during an interview with France Inter, recorded earlier this week.
“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza,” he reportedly stated, claiming that “France is not delivering any.”
Macron expressed ongoing concerns over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which is continuing, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire.
“I think we are not being heard,” the French president said, adding, “I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel.”
Macron also reportedly underscored the importance of preventing an escalation in Lebanon, noting that “Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza.”
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,870 Palestinians have been killed, and 97,166 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Kremlin, via Wikimedia Commons) 
The Israeli army was met with stiff Palestinian resistance in Gaza. (Image: Palestine Chronicle) 
Hezbollah fighters at the Lebanese-Israeli border. (Photo: Hezollah military media) 
Palestinian Resistance attacks on Israel. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle) 
19-year-old Palestinian journalist Hassan Hamad was killed in Gaza. (Photo: via social media) 
One year into the genocidal war, Israel continued to carry out massacres in Gaza. (Design: Palestine Chronicle) 
An Israeli soldier was sniped in a joint operation in Jabaliya. (Photo: video grab) 
Commander of IRGC Navy, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. (Photo: via Tasnim Agency) 
An Israeli soldier was killed and others injured in an operation in Beersheba. (Photo: video grab) 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: video grab) 
