Al-Dawah Magazine interviews a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, Muhammad Nazzal.
In light of the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' battle and its aftermath, Al-Dawa magazine conducted an interview with Palestinian leader Muhammad Nazzal, a member of the political bureau of the Hamas movement. The interview focused on the battle's developments, its outcomes, the negotiation process, and more. Here is the dialogue.
Q1: Nine months after the start of the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood... How do you objectively evaluate the results of this battle so far?
A1: "In all objectivity, with honesty and credibility, I can confidently declare that the Palestinian resistance, led by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, stands as the victor in this ongoing battle. I arrive at this conclusion not from a state of denial, delusion, or psychological propaganda, but from the observable reality, which indicates the following:"
First, the enemy failed to eradicate and liquidate the resistance, which is the first goal that Netanyahu and his criminal terrorist gang, politicians, and military repeated. The resistance is active across all areas of the Gaza Strip, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in terms of lives and equipment almost daily.
Secondly, he was unable to recover the prisoners held by the resistance, which is a goal he always emphasizes, despite having intelligence and technological tools at his disposal, which he and his American and British allies have been using since the beginning.
Third, the failure of his attempts to impose an alternative authority by force, similar to the authority (Karzai) imposed by the American occupation in Afghanistan. To this day, he is still struggling to choose a puppet authority to lead matters in the Gaza Strip.
Fourth, The project of "displacement" imposed by the occupation through force of arms, fire, and starvation on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip aimed to forcibly and involuntarily migrate them to Egypt or other countries.
Q2: But some people question the claim of victory and point out that the enemy has reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble. They emphasize that the area no longer has functioning universities, hospitals, schools, roads, or infrastructure. Additionally, there have been fifty thousand martyrs so far, along with many more wounded and disabled. What do you think about this?
A2: I refer the questioners to the words of God Almighty in the Qur’an: (if you are suffering, they too are suffering. But you can hope to receive from Allah what they can never hope for.).
Sure! Here's the revised text:
A community of believers must revisit this verse to understand that both we and our enemies experience mutual pain due to our differing goals. Therefore, in any conflict, there is bound to be pain, agony, and suffering for both sides. Come and see what the enemy experiences:
Tens of thousands of dead, wounded and disabled, these are unprecedented numbers in the history of this entity.
There are hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the southern settlements (encompassing the Gaza Strip) and the northern settlements (near the Lebanese border), along with half a million refugees fleeing from Palestine. The majority of them have already left and are unlikely to return.
Immigration to Palestine ceased following this event, which was one of the most significant pillars of this entity. The moral decline within Zionist society, along with the growing division and fragmentation among its members, has tarnished the perception of the occupation in societies that previously sympathized with and supported it, particularly in America and the West. This has also influenced the mindset of new generations within these societies. They began to view the Zionist entity with a look of disgust and contempt, and some of them began to raise the slogan “Palestine from the sea to the river.” This extended to some Western politicians, as the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister (Yolanda Diaz) said: “Palestine will be liberated from the river to the sea,” which disturbed the leaders of the Zionist entity.
In summary, the occupation has suffered significant military and political losses, as well as substantial economic and financial losses.
Therefore, we should not view the battle's reality with one eye and from one angle.
Yes, we have paid a great price, the most important of which is related to the lives of the people we lost. Still, the consolation is that "our dead will be in Paradise and their dead will be in Hell." That is the operative phrase established by the leader of humanity and its Messenger, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, while commenting on the defeat of the Muslims on the Day of Uhud...
Q3: In recent days, there has been increased discussion about the likelihood of reaching an agreement, and Hamas' response has been positive. What information can be shared?
A3: "Throughout the indirect negotiation process, we have remained positive in our dealings with the mediators. We have presented practical and logical solutions, but it seems that Netanyahu and his ruling gang are unwilling to halt the war due to their own individual considerations."
Netanyahu realizes that stopping the battle means that his political life has begun to end and decline. There are files of financial and administrative corruption awaiting him in court, and there is the file of war and the failure of his military and security forces, for which he primarily bears responsibility. Therefore, he wants to keep the file of war open, and it can be ended in only one case for him, the image should depict Hamas declaring its surrender. But the "circle" is closing in on Netanyahu, and he is increasingly besieged politically, particularly after Biden's speech and the UN Security Council resolution.
There are new initiatives by the mediators and the American administration, and they may lead to something new, but Netanyahu continues to be the “insurmountable obstacle” to ending the war and aggression.
Q4: If, for the sake of argument, Netanyahu did not agree to Hamas' response, what options do you have in this case?
A4: In this situation, our strategy is to engage in a method of "attrition" against the occupying army. This method aims to wear down the enemy forces, impacting their resources, morale, and overall state of readiness. The goal is to make the cost of continuing the war too high for the enemy, leading them to eventually cease their efforts.
Q5: If Netanyahu stops the war, what are the scenarios for the next day?
A5: Any scenario in which the occupation and the American administration seek to impose authority over the Palestinian people against their will is destined to fail and will not succeed.
Over the past nine months, the occupation has sought or developed alternatives. All attempts have failed because the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have a high degree of awareness and patriotism. This prevents the Zionist and Western powers from seizing their will and turning them into a tool of the occupation.
Q6: It seems that the "Al-Aqsa Flood" did not affect the relationship between you and the Fatah movement, for reasons that are not understood by Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic public opinion.... Why don't we see progress in your relationship, especially since the conflict essentially targets the Palestinian people without distinguishing between its components?
A6: We have always been willing to develop, strengthen, and activate our relationship with the Fatah movement in the context of our relationship with the Palestinian national community. However, we have been hindered by the insistence of the leadership of the Fatah movement, the Palestinian Authority, and the PLO, represented by its president, Mahmoud Abbas. President Abbas insists on Hamas recognizing the conditions of the International Quartet, particularly the recognition of the Zionist entity.
The Fatah movement and the Palestinian authority's position on the "Al-Aqsa Flood" battle worsened the situation. The Fatah movement issued a statement on 15/3/2024 condemning the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood, stating that it led to the Zionist entity's occupation of the Gaza Strip. In his speech at the Arab Summit in Manama two months later, Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his stance and held Hamas responsible for the aggression against Gaza. He described the October 7 operation as "providing pretexts and justifications for the occupation to attack the Gaza Strip.
It was notable that none of the Arab leaders made this accusation, and Abbas was the only one to do so!
In any case, despite these stances, Hamas is seeking common ground and advocates for the meeting to unite Palestinian factions, particularly the Fatah movement.
Q7: What is the Arab countries' and peoples' assessment of the (Al-Aqsa Flood), and are these positions adequate? What is needed?
A7: Let us distinguish between official and popular positions, because God deters through authority what He does not deter through the Qur’an. If we want to be direct and transparent, the official positions, in general, do not match what these countries can offer. Much more is needed.
Regarding the people, their attitudes are improving, but their performance could be better. I do not want to act as their guardian and tell them what to do, as they know their capabilities and abilities best, and God, Blessed, and Most High says: “So fear God as much as you are able....” [Al-Taghabun: 16]