After 9 Months of War: What Did the Resistance Say from the Field?

After almost 10 months of brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip, Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas”, made his 28th appearance since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle. With his striking presence and well-ordered words, his speech has garnered significant global attention on political, military, and popular levels. His high credibility is reflected in his body language and the movement of his index finger, which shows determination and confidence in his speech and conveys strong messages. Additionally, he has become a symbol of the Palestinian resistance’s media discourse.

Ten months have passed since the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle on October 7 of last year. Abu Ubaida appeared to reassure the steadfast Palestinian people, stating that the human resources of the brigades are in good condition and mentioning the recruitment of thousands of new fighters during the war. He explained that despite the nine months of systematic cleansing and genocide in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza, the resistance has neither wearied nor relented despite the siege and lack of external support.

Abu Ubaida added that Gaza enters history as the greatest model of freedom in modern times. He saluted the fighters who are fighting bravely despite the enemy’s superiority in weapons and international support. He confirmed that the resistance fighters face the enemy with a great fighting spirit, using new tactics and unparalleled faith, making it impossible for the enemy to extinguish the fire of resistance. He added that the Qassam Brigades have fought continuous battles in Rafah, Shuja’iyya, and all over the Strip, emphasizing that the fighters will not let the enemy settle in Gaza.

Abu Ubaida’s speech, the spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), came as a clear response to the tricks of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This speech carried important field, political, and negotiation messages, reflecting a complex field reality and the iron will of the resistance.

In my view, it highlighted the determination and ability of the Qassam Brigades to confront the Israeli occupation army and mercenaries, causing them casualties or forcing them to flee. Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, a military and strategic expert, confirmed that the rebuilding of the Qassam Brigades and the recruitment of thousands of fighters during the war indicate that the brigades have regained their strength and numbers as they were before October 7. This renewal reflects high combat capabilities, as clearly demonstrated in the third battle in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, where the performance of the resistance exceeded the previous two battles.

From a negotiation standpoint, Al-Duwairi indicates that the upper hand in the battlefield imposes its terms in negotiations, especially in an asymmetrical war. The rebuilding of the brigades and their human and material rehabilitation, with the continuation of military manufacturing benefiting from the remnants of the war, confirms that Israel failed to achieve its war goals.

Response to Netanyahu

Abu Ubaida’s appearance after almost ten months of war is an event in itself, as he is a symbol of resistance around whom supporters in Palestine and the Arab and Islamic worlds rally. This appearance carried clear field and military indications, including the Qassam’s affirmation of renewing its human and defensive capabilities, restoring some of what it lost, and recruiting thousands as forces, which dismantles the occupation’s claims about dismantling the Qassam Brigades in the Strip.

Additionally, the command and control rooms, organizational communication, and leadership control in the Qassam are still active, as evidenced by Abu Ubaida’s appearance. This appearance aligns with Hamas’s negotiating performance and the transformation within Israeli society and its institutions due to the resistance’s performance and steadfastness on the ground in Gaza, in addition to the Qassam Brigades’ distinctive media performance and their spokesperson.

Furthermore, Abu Ubaida’s speech contained clear messages to the Israeli occupation, indicating Netanyahu’s manipulation of the Palestinian file and prioritizing his personal interest over the issue of detained prisoners. Hamas understood that Netanyahu is buying time and creating confusion and ambiguity. Hence, Abu Ubaida’s speech came as a direct response to Netanyahu’s tricks, clarifying that the resistance still has the ability to resist politically as well.

It is also likely that Abu Ubaida’s speech comes in the context of discussions about a ceasefire proposal and included basic principles, which are the impossibility of eliminating Hamas and its continued existence despite the occupation’s military operations. The speech also confirmed that Netanyahu is manipulating the prisoner file and is not serious about solving it as it is marginal to him. He pointed out that Netanyahu’s statements suggesting that Israel does not intend to stop the war aim to create obstacles to reaching an agreement, which reinforces his strategic goal of staying in power.

Abu Ubaida’s speech in this manner after almost ten months carries deep indications of the Palestinian resistance’s ability to endure and renew in the face of aggression.