HAMAS 27 YEARS LATER: TOUGHER THAN EVER

Hamas 27 years later: tougher than ever

A Report by The Palestinian Information Center

Hamas is perhaps the most significant addition to the Palestinian struggle in the past three decades. 27 years ago, and exactly on Dec. 14th 1987, a handful of firmly committed Palestinians, most of whom were brutally assassinated in later years by the Israeli occupation forces, gathered in Gaza and decided it was high time they began a movement to complement and correct the resistance path.

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Dr. Abedelaziz Al-Rantisi, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Maqadmah, Eng. Ismail Abu Shanab and many others are but examples of Hamas leadership sacrificing everything they have for the sake of a free Palestine and to end the oppression and injustices imposed on the Palestinians either by the alien occupying Zionists or their proxies now in charge of the Palestinian Authority.

Invaluable Asset

Hamas has been a valuable asset to the social, economic, political and armed Palestinian struggle for freedom and equal human rights. Ever since, the anniversary of the establishment of Hamas was celebrated where tens of thousands in the early 90’s to hundreds of thousands in the past few years would gather in support of Hamas and its ideology.

Hamas has become deeply rooted in the Palestinian struggle, and any attempt to get rid of Hamas was an attempt to weaken and put an end to any form of resistance against the occupation of Palestine. Hamas knew that. Palestinians knew that. And neither Hamas nor the Palestinian people would allow that to happen.

In 2006 Hamas was democratically elected, a crucial transition in the history of Hamas and Palestine. And clearly Hamas was not the horse Israel or the western powers bet on. And in a very barbaric and uncivilized move, the world backed Israel to impose a siege and wage three wars on Gaza to end Hamas rule and put an end to the free and democratic choice of the Palestinian people. Those immoral leaders and governments, who constantly preach morality, are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

A Siege and Three Wars

For Hamas and for its rivals and the Israeli enemy, the anniversary is the yearly event that measures Hamas accomplishments and popularity. A mediaeval siege and three wars on Hamas and Gaza did not stop Hamas from celebrating its anniversary. This year, however, Hamas has decided not to hold its annual anniversary and rallies all across occupied Palestine—instead, Hamas decided that the money spent on the event would be directed to helping alleviate Palestinians’ suffering caused by recent Israeli aggression and massacres.

The War on Gaza

For Hamas, this year’s greatest contribution was preventing an Israeli invasion that could have occupied the whole Gaza Strip. Hamas resistance wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, fought tooth and nail and their resistance prevented much worse crimes and massacres than we have seen.

Their creativity was evident in using tunnels dug manually, flying Palestinian-made drones, attacking behind enemy lines, and fighting heavily armed troops from point black and costing them heavy losses, snatching Israeli soldiers from their own armored carriers, and the thousands of home-made, long range Palestinian rockets that struck the heart of the Zionist de facto entity.

Still more, socially and politically, Hamas men and supporters managed to keep the internal front steadfast and resolute, despite the fact that Israeli horrific massacres and random shelling and premeditated targeting of hundreds of civilians aimed at destroying into smithereens Palestinian unprecedented steadfastness. But what’s even more worthy of praise is that the Palestinians of Gaza Strip understood their role in the struggle and thus in their own ways were part of the resistance spearheaded by Hamas fighters.

Hamas Fighters

Hamas is not a set of foreign fighters or paid mercenaries. They are everybody’s brother, father, son, mother, sister, daughter or friend. The fighters are well-educated or at least well-read. They have a deep understanding of what it means to fight for one’s country. A quick preview at the list of martyrs in the last Israeli massacres in Gaza shows that Hamas fighters are not a bunch of people who have nothing else to lose as Israeli and western media love to portray them.

This war targeted all Palestinians, we have seen how so many of non-Hamas members supported Hamas and backed its resistance. Even harsh critics of Hamas believed Israel’s offensive does not target Hamas alone, but Palestinian resistance and determination to be free.

They believed that a weak Hamas means a weak Palestinian cause. They chose to stand with Hamas. They chose to put their criticism and differences aside and stand united against Israeli massacres. And this is one Palestinian thing the world has to understand and Israeli chooses to destroy.

Israel Failed, Dismally

Hamas’s success was not only that. The achievements have come in the form of Israel’s failure to achieve any of its goals. Militarily, Israel was caught with its pants down as the whole world saw how very young Palestinians with modest weapons and training managed to tread on the so-called invincible army.

Israel was soon shouting out wolf and sending an SOS to the USA and asking for more ammunition. Hamas fighters’ courage and belief in their right managed to expose how fragile and brittle Israel is—the whole world saw how Israel’s only strength lies in its inhumanity in massacring the innocent, its Nazi-like measures of brutality, and its disregard of human life and human rights.

Even politically, the Zionist government has fallen apart. Palestinians know from experience that Israeli leaders wage wars and commit massacres for political gains. Israeli military industry also loves to have a war every couple of years. A war to Israeli officials, despite butchering thousands, is a cow that yields cash and votes!

Victory For The People

More than anyone else, Hamas realized that the victory they won was the victory of the whole people, the people who endured Nazi-Zionist barbarity and 51 days of random shelling and bombing. And today, on its 27th anniversary, Hamas is still returning the favor to the people that backed her up and stood with her on the most dreadfully painful days. The wanton devastation Israeli wreaked on Gazans meant to keep the wounds bleeding forever. And now Israeli is purposefully delaying reconstruction process of Gaza and abiding by the truce terms and conditions.

27 years ago, a handful of Hamas members were a crucial part of the first Palestinian intifada, throwing stones, barricading the roads so that the Israeli military jeeps do not pass, and fighting the occupiers’ brutality with Molotov, knives, and later on pistols.

Today, 27 years later, Hamas has strategically improved and developed and grown militarily, socially, politically, and institutionally. Hamas now is capable of digging strategic tunnels, send drones over occupied Palestinian territories, and defend the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression without kneeling, without giving up Palestinian rights and demands.

Hamas is Here To Stay

Hamas is here to stay, and to build a Palestinian state by ending the racist Israeli occupation and its racist policies against non-Jews—a state where all can live in peace and equality regardless of their color, religion, political affiliation, or ideology.

Hamas cannot be wiped out or pushed into the sea despite the Israeli occupation, PA, neighboring countries and western powers uniting and conspiring against it. Hamas is a genuine part of the Palestinian community and in less than 30 years of its establishment, Hamas managed to contribute immensely to Palestine and to freedom and justice. (T/P011/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)