Statement from the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas
23 October 2023
Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.
Firstly, the escalation of terrorist aggression and intrusion attempts:
On the 22nd day of the ongoing aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, with the expansion of terrorist occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip and the beginning of intrusion and infiltration attempts on land:
The Al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian resistance heroically and steadfastly confronted these attempts to advance on land, clashing fiercely with the occupation army, inflicting heavy losses on its soldiers and equipment.
Gaza has been and will remain a graveyard for invaders. The occupation will see from us what will worsen its face and will rub its face in the dirt. The era of arrogance and recklessness without accountability has ended. They will not be able to restore the image of the strategic defeat they suffered on October 7.
Secondly, the Zionist web of lies:
Yesterday, the spokesperson for the criminal occupation army claimed that the Hamas movement used the Al-Shifa Medical Complex for military purposes and claimed the presence of movement leaders there.
We categorically deny these false claims. They are part of Zionist propaganda to justify targeting and committing more massacres against civilians and medical teams in order to halt hospital work. We emphasize that the hospital only serves medical and health missions to aid victims. Everything presented by the occupation state is baseless and not supported by any evidence.
Thirdly, cutting off communication and the internet:
By cutting off communications and internet from the Gaza Strip and isolating the Strip from the outside world, it must be emphasized that the occupation’s goal is to hide the truth and prevent the image of its crimes in the Gaza Strip from being conveyed to the world.
Fourthly, opening the Rafah crossing and bringing in aid:
We call on the international community, primarily our Arab and Islamic countries, to urgently and immediately implement the General Assembly’s decision to bring fuel and relief materials to civilians. We consider the decision a victory for our Palestinian people, and we demand that this aid, which is piling up on the Egyptian side, be rapidly sent and distributed throughout the Gaza Strip. The Rafah crossing must be opened, and Zionist arrogance must be challenged.
Fifthly, we affirm the following:
• Targeting the vicinity of hospitals, which house tens of thousands of citizens, is part of the series of displacement of our people from the north to the south…and then to Sinai, which our people strongly reject.
• Preventing fuel, cutting off water and electricity are war crimes and mass murder that will cause a major catastrophe.
• The American administration and Western countries supporting the aggression are fully complicit with the occupation in the war of genocide and the waterfall of blood being shed from unarmed civilians. This blood will be a curse and a volcano of anger from our nation’s masses and the free people of the world upon these killers.
• Arab and Islamic countries must elevate their position and action to match the genocide against our people. We demand that they use all the tools and pressure cards against American interests and the countries supporting the aggression…and make them feel that they have something to lose.
• We reiterate the demand expulsion of enemy ambassadors from those countries that maintain relations with them. The flag of the terrorist Nazi entity should not be hoisted in our capitals.
• We warn of attempts to create fake accounts in the name of Hamas and its leaders to spread confusion and Zionist lies.