As of today, the Palestinian resistance forces, led by the Al-Qassam Brigades, have initiated a historic offensive against Israel. Forces moving along a front extending up to 25 kilometers beyond Gaza, surrounding the Gaza Strip, have launched a lightning operation by land, sea, and air. On the first day of the operation, at least three settlements and a number of military posts under Israeli occupation have fallen into the hands of the Palestinian resistance. Clashes continue in about 20 settlements. While the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, spearheads the offensive, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Islamic Jihad also took part in operations. The resistance has taken many Israeli soldiers, including high-ranking Zionist commanders, as prisoners and appears to have seized dozens of tanks and armored vehicles, as indicated by videos circulating online.
It is difficult to predict how the offensive will unfold. The youth of the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, have heeded to Hamas’s call for action, but these actions are still limited in scale. Hezbollah has stated that it is in communication with resistance commanders but has not yet signaled any intention to participate in the operations. It is likely that Israel will launch a major counteroffensive in the near future. Regardless of the outcome of this counterattack, it is clear that this offensive, known as the “Aqsa Deluge,” represents a significant tactical setback for occupying Israel. Furthermore, the presence of captured Israeli soldiers provides the resistance with a powerful bargaining chip, even if the Zionists manage to reclaim the seized settlements.
At the same time, indiscriminate Israeli bombings have begun against Gaza. Already, hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children, have lost their lives in Israel’s attacks on densely populated urban centers. The death toll in Gaza seems bound to increase. While Western nations shamelessly rush to condemn the Palestinian resistance’s attacks on military targets, Israel started blatantly killing hundreds of innocent people, including women and children. We unequivocally stand with the people of Gaza against these inhumane attacks. Gaza has the right to defend itself!
This offensive have also exposed the hypocrisy of Middle Eastern states, from Turkey to Saudi Arabi, from the UAE to Egypt, who started calling for restraint. Shame on them for calling for restraint when Palestinian people is fighting for their homeland. We call for victory, not restraint. Regardless of the direct military consequences, this offensive, like the Tet Offensive of Vietnam’s brave revolutionaries, will go down in history as a turning point on the path to a people’s liberation. We salute the Palestinian people’s Tet offensive!
Down with Zionist Israel!
Free Palestine from the river to the sea!
Victory or victory!