The operation ‘Al Aqsa Flood’ which was carried out yesterday by Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in retaliation to the Israeli occupation forces’ crimes against Palestinians, their holy places, seems to be not only a strong message to the Israeli extremism and arrogance but also heralds the beginning of a new stage in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As well a strong slap in the face of the hypocrisy of the international community, whose protection for the defenceless Palestinian people have often been begged.
The scale, size and effectiveness of the operation, no one, even a large section of Palestinians themselves, expected. Al Aqsa Flood is unprecedented in its military equipment, tactics, targets and precision of the counter-attack execution. It is awakening of the Palestinian nationalism that was shackled by the Oslo Accords, and unleashed Israeli extremism that calls openly to exterminate the Palestinians and uses the ugliest descriptions for Arabs and Muslims.
It is the first-of-its-kind since decades that the Palestinian resistance targeting Israeli sites, its fortifications crossing the separation barrier to camps and settlements in the Gaza Strip, launching more than 5,000 rockets and shells. It is an operation that united the Palestinians to dislodge the occupation forces from the Palestinian sacred places and territories. There is no doubt that the international community bears the responsibility for the military actions taking place now in Palestine for the indifference and negligence the world community has shown over the past many decades. The international community always remains silent when Palestinians are killed, their homes are demolished, and their sanctities are desecrated.
No reaction against the provocative policies pursued by the Israeli right wing against Islamic and Christian sanctities but the international community always decries and raises voices when the Palestinians react or give response to the Israeli aggression. Simply the Palestinians have been denied the right to live. Whatever pact Israel signs or normalises ties with Arab and Muslim counties, it cannot be part of the fabric that makes up this region, unless the Palestinians practice the right of self-determination and establish their independent state within the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the State of Qatar held Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation urging the international community to compel Israel to cease its blatant violations of international law, abide by international legitimacy resolutions, respect the historical rights of the Palestinian people, and prevent these events from becoming a pretext for igniting a new disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
