GAZA, (PIC)
In the early hours of a morning like today, a full year ago, hundreds of heroic resistance fighters from the Gaza Strip launched an operation, successfully breaching the so-called “borderline” along the Gaza Strip taking control of Israeli occupation military sites, and defeating the Gaza Division of the occupation army, resulting in the killing and capturing of hundreds of Israelis.
On that anniversary, at 06:35 AM today, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, directed a barrage of rockets towards the east of Rafah, which has been infiltrated by occupation forces since May 7. This action sent an undeniable message that the Palestinian resistance remains steadfast, no matter the scale of killing and destruction.
The Brigades recalled the day of the crossing through their Telegram account, saying, “On this day and at this moment, the Mujahideen of Al-Qassam managed to breach the so-called borderline and take control of military sites and settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip.
Speech of the resistance leader
They also republished the speech of the Commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades at the beginning of the operation, which said, “Let all flags unite, let all fronts come together, and let all arenas open for one goal and a great noble sacred purpose, which is the liberation of Palestine and its return to the embrace of Islam. Our rendezvous with you is in the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, liberated and purified.”
The call of leader Mohammed Deif: Present again today
What leader Mohammed Deif called for a year ago seems relevant today, as many arenas have ignited their fronts against the Israeli occupation. Lebanon, which entered the battle in support of Gaza from the very next day, quickly developed and engaged in what resembles a comprehensive war with the Israeli occupation forces.
Additionally, the arenas of Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Iran have joined the confrontation with varying levels and impacts, with an open horizon for possibilities following the significant strike by Iran against Israeli military targets just days ago.
Undermining the Israeli dream
In his remarks on the anniversary, political writer and analyst Saeed Ziyad wrote on his X platform account, “At this hour (a year ago), while Israel was basking in the dream of a new Middle East, a brigade of elite troops was being summoned, consisting of 3,000 fighters, and 1,500 fighters as support units, while directing 4,000 rockets towards the cities of the entity (Israel).”
He noted that on that night (before the battle), hundreds of meetings were held to finalize operational orders, maneuver plans, summon troops, assess final readiness, coordinate troop movements, open gaps, and synchronize attack timings.
Demolishing the walls of fear and deterrence
He added, “These fighters did not know that by demolishing Israel’s wall, they were also tearing down many formidable walls of illusion, deterrence, fear, and humiliation. These heroes were unaware that they had created a turning point that divided the world into a new world called (the post-Flood world) and an old world called (the pre-Flood world).”
The Al-Aqsa Flood operation demonstrated the fragility of Israel, revealing that American and European support and continuous provision of weapons and ammunition had become a lifeline after collapsing before the heroes of resistance in Gaza.
A pivotal day
Political writer Samir Al-Araki affirms that as a year has passed since the military operation began, it is clear that October 7, 2023, has become one of the most significant pivotal days in the first quarter of the 21st century, due to the tremendous consequences it has left, which are still ongoing.
According to Al-Araki, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation marked a significant advancement in the cumulative performance of Palestinian resistance, as the Al-Qassam Brigades succeeded in making a tremendous leap in intelligence, security, and military efforts.
He pointed out that in all previous confrontations, the resistance’s actions were limited to repelling and countering Israeli attacks and working to minimize the resulting human and material losses. However, on October 7, the Palestinian resistance took a monumental step towards seizing the initiative, determining the zero hour, and executing coordinated ground, air, and naval operations in the largest assault launched by Palestinian resistance against Israeli forces along the confrontation line.
Justifications for the Flood Battle
Writer Abdul Ghani Salama emphasizes that the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle did not emerge from a vacuum, nor does it represent the beginning of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as the Israeli and American media tries to portray, as if it were a bolt from the blue, completely ignoring seven decades of conflict that preceded October 7, punctuated by hundreds of rounds of bloody confrontations.
Salama noted in an article that Israel has always been the aggressor as an occupying power, constantly attacking, bombing, killing, invading, arresting, and destroying, while the Palestinian side has been in a state of self-defense. This means that the Flood is merely a fierce round preceded by many rounds and will be followed by more, as long as the conflict persists and the Palestinian cause remains unresolved.
He pointed out that the Hamas operation should be understood as a Palestinian response to the occupation, a response that is expected and legitimate, arising from the immense pressure and great injustice faced by the Palestinian people for 75 years, due to criminal occupation practices that have reached an unbearable level, and as a result of arrogant and obstinate Israeli policies that overlook the Palestinians, ignore their suffering and pain, and treat them as mere “human animals”.
Pivotal moments
For his part, a Turkish journalist and political analyst said that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation executed by the Al-Qassam Brigades a year ago “enters history through its widest doors,” noting that since that moment until today, the region has been experiencing an earthquake to the extent that the drums of regional war are pounding at the region’s doors.
He added in a comment on the X platform, “The Al-Aqsa Flood has placed the region before two options: either to achieve a lasting peace… or a major regional war. We are facing pivotal moments that will likely be remembered in history books.”
