Table of Contents
Introduction
In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
“And WE certainly sent Moses with OUR signs, [saying], ‘Bring out your people from darkness into the light and remind them of the days of ALLAH.’ Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful“1
(Suurat ‘Ibrahiim, 14:39)
All praise belongs to ALLAH, the LORD of the worlds. HE empowers the faithful who fight for justice and humbles the arrogant oppressors. HE ultimately breaks the strength of the wrongdoers, even if they are given time. May peace and blessings be upon our noble Prophet, the martyr who struggled in the path of ALLAH, upon His family, His companions, and all who strive as He did until the Day of Judgment.
A Message to the Ummah and the World
O sons and daughters of our noble, resilient, and proud people—those who fight and resist in the beloved land of Gaza, the courageous West Bank, our sacred capital, across all of Palestine, and throughout the diaspora. O members of our Islamic and Arab nations, and all loyal fighters on every front and battlefield—in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and beyond. O all free people of the world, from ocean to ocean, may peace be upon you, along with the mercy and blessings of ALLAH.
The Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan al-Aqsa): A Turning Point in History
A year has passed since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan al-Aqsa) battle and the Zionist war against our people and nation. From Gaza, the unyielding and steadfast, victorious over its enemy, we speak to you. Gaza stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the victorious group—those who remain unshaken by those who abandon them or the trials they face, until Allah’s promise is fulfilled.
It has been a year since, by the grace of ALLAH, one of the most professional and successful commando operations in modern history took place. This operation targeted a hostile, criminal military division, fortified with advanced combat and intelligence systems. It sent shockwaves through the Zionist enemy and reshaped the region. We delivered a powerful preemptive strike against the enemy, whose plans for a major offensive against the resistance in Gaza, involving all factions, were in their final stages.
The aggression against Al-Aqsa had reached an alarming and unprecedented level. The Zionist enemy had escalated their settlement expansions, continued the Judaization of the land, intensified their attacks on prisoners, violated all sanctities, and tightened the suffocating siege on Gaza. In the face of this relentless oppression, a decisive and historic strategic attack was launched. The target: the Gaza Division, its military garrisons, and the oppressive settlement belt that has, for decades, weighed heavily on our people—besieging us and committing countless crimes, familiar to the history of oppressed nations.
The Current Landscape
Today, one year after the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan al-Aqsa), the situation in the region can be summed up as follows:
A Legendary Palestinian People
A truly legendary Palestinian people, whose heroism eclipses all other tales of bravery. Before Gaza, all other stories of valor seem small compared to the greatness of our people. They are teaching the world what it means to uphold dignity, to love the land, to yearn for freedom, and to resist occupiers with unwavering strength. Despite the betrayal of those close to us, the cowardice and complicity of certain regimes, and the oppression of the enemy backed by the forces of tyranny and crime—led by the American administration and some Western governments—our people stand firm.
Salute to our great people, the unwavering supporters, the defenders, and the ones who continue to sacrifice. Their sacrifices will not be in vain, by the will of ALLAH. “And never would ALLAH have caused you to lose your faith“2, nor your patience and steadfastness, O people who are the crown upon our heads.
Support from Surrounding Fronts
In the region surrounding Palestine, active fronts have ignited, standing shoulder to shoulder with our people and shattering the enemy’s hopes of maintaining stability. These fronts are directly engaging the enemy, dealing heavy blows, and inflicting significant losses. From towering, resilient Lebanon, from free and fighting Yemen, and from Iraq—the cradle of civilization and glory—drones and missiles soar over occupied Palestine. These strikes target critical enemy sites, draining its security and defense resources, unsettling its balance, and causing severe economic and military damage. The enemy is being forced into displacement and having its maritime outlets shut down.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands against the Zionist enemy, delivering powerful blows through operations named “The True Promise” 1 and 2. In a historic moment, dozens of ballistic missiles have struck enemy bases, defying the long-standing assumption that the Zionist entity was untouchable and beyond retribution for its crimes. The hero Maher Al-Jazi has lit the fuse of a true Jordanian Arab front—deeply connected with our land and people, emotionally, historically, and geographically.
The Isolated Zionist Entity
The Zionist entity persists in the world as a brutal, murderous force, rejected by all nations and free peoples. It is an entity obsessed with building walls, barriers, and buffer zones, relying heavily on American-made and supplied air power, guided by foreign influence. Its survival is propped up by familiar American interests, which will eventually falter, no matter how long it takes. It also depends on European colonial connections, which are scorned even by their own populations, and on powerless, pitiable regimes that have normalized relations with it. These regimes remain passive, representing nothing of the true conscience of our nation.
The Future Belongs to Our People
When observing the situation, it becomes clear that the outcome will ultimately favor our people, our nation, and our resistance. We stand against an entity whose entire existence is shorter than the age of the shoes in the mosques and churches of Gaza, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jaffa, Nablus, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut. This fleeting entity has never known a single year of peace, constantly facing resistance, conflict, and confrontation that reminds it—whenever it attempts to settle—that it is occupying Arab land, stealing a country with roots that stretch back thousands of years.
Continued Resilience and Heroism: Developing Our Tactics
O our people, our nation, and all the free people of the world—one year has passed, and we remain in the midst of an unequal battle against a criminal enemy, devoid of human values or even basic instincts. This year has been marked by heroism, sacrifice, generosity, and immense patience. Our fighters and resisters from every faction continue to stand firm, displaying unyielding determination, bravery, and strength in every corner of the Gaza Strip.
Wherever enemy soldiers, vehicles, or military formations are found, they face an extraordinary level of resistance—heroic battles unlike anything seen in modern warfare, given the challenging terrain, the imbalance of power, and the nature of this struggle. Across all fronts, from Rafah, Khan Younis, the central region, Gaza City, and the north, our specialized offensive and defensive operations, by the strength granted by Allah, have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Thousands of enemy soldiers have been killed or wounded, hundreds of military vehicles destroyed or disabled, and their forces targeted through sniping, ambushes, and direct, heroic confrontations.
By Allah’s grace, we have continually and unexpectedly advanced our tactics, combat formations, and operational methods to adapt to the current circumstances and prepare for all foreseeable scenarios. This development ensures, with Allah’s help and strength, the success of our decision to persist in the confrontation. We are committed to a prolonged and painful war of attrition, one that will be extremely costly for the enemy, as long as they persist in their aggression and continue their war against us.
Martyrdom and Leadership: The Ineffectiveness of Assassinations
O our families, our people, our nation—it is a great honor for our resistance, our movement, and our brigades that in this battle, and throughout our journey, we offer martyrs from among our leaders before our soldiers.
The Zionist enemy may celebrate the assassinations of our leaders and the leaders of the resistance—foremost among them the great Mujahid leader Ismail Haniyeh, may ALLAH’s mercy and pleasure be upon him, and the noble martyr leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, may ALLAH accept him, along with others from the convoy of righteous martyrs on all fronts. However, this celebration is the clearest proof that this arrogant enemy fails to grasp the lessons of history, the realities of the present, or the culture and determination of our people and nation. Their joy over these assassinations is but a fleeting illusion, a temporary moment of false happiness and intoxication.
When have assassinations ever marked the end of liberation movements or resistance anywhere in the world, especially within the context of our Palestinian and Arab revolution? If assassinations were a sign of victory, the resistance would have ceased when Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam was martyred in the forests of Ya’bad in Jenin nearly ninety years ago. If assassinations could truly end a movement, the Al-Qassam Brigades would not have launched the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan al-Aqsa) operation two decades after the assassination of the most prominent founders of Hamas and Al-Qassam.
If oppression, demolishing homes, and retaliating against innocent civilians could halt the resistance, the heroes of Gaza would not continue to humble the enemy in every street and alley, even after enduring a brutal war of extermination. Likewise, the brave resistance fighters in the West Bank would not rise up, fight, and defy the enemy from Jenin to Hebron, 22 years after the aggression known as “Operation Defensive Shield“.
The policy of assassinations targeting our great heroes is, in truth, the pinnacle of goodness and a sign of true victory for the free. At the same time, it brings regret and disappointment to the aggressors. As our All-knowing, Wise LORD has said:
“But they plan, and ALLAH plans. And ALLAH is the best of planners“3
(Suurat ‘Al-‘Anfaal, 8:30)
We act by ALLAH’s will and under HIS ever-watchful eye. For every leader martyred, new leaders arise; for every fallen soldier, ten more emerge; and for every martyr, a thousand resisters take their place. This land nurtures its resisters just as it grows its olive trees, passing on the legacy of pride to future generations.
Affirmations on the Anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan Al-Aqsa)
O our families, our people, and all the free people of the world, we, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, after a year since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan Al-Aqsa) battle and the Zionist aggression against our people and the peoples of our nation, reaffirm the following:
Regional Support and Solidarity
Firstly, what is happening today across the region—from operations supporting the resistance in Gaza and direct involvement in an increasingly open battle, to the naval blockade and displacement efforts particularly led by the fronts in Yemen and Lebanon, and the intensifying, effective resistance operations in Iraq despite the immense sacrifices and Zionist crimes against the peoples of the region—are highly esteemed by our people. These actions resonate deeply with their hearts, consciences, and emotions. We stand firmly with our brothers in all the resistance forces across the region, offering our salute to them and to their free, faithful, and brotherly peoples.
Today, we address our fighting brothers in Hezbollah in Lebanon:
“We are confident in your steadfastness and strength in inflicting significant and painful losses on the Zionist enemy forces, just as the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah promised in his powerful and renowned declarations. Over the past year, we have exhausted this distressed army in Gaza following its humiliating defeat on October 7th, stripping it of much of its ground capabilities, eliminating hundreds of its so-called elite forces, and engaging face-to-face with their soldiers, rendering their aircraft, tanks, and intelligence powerless. We are certain that, with ALLAH’s will, you will continue this mission with zeal, skill, and efficiency should the enemy dare to commit further folly on the land of great Lebanon”.
In this moment, we also extend our blessings to the efforts of the blessed Yemeni front, led by our truthful brothers in “Ansar Allah”. We hold in the highest regard the continuous million-strong popular movement of our free brethren in generous, resilient Yemen over the past year. Their heartfelt calls, chants, and fervor for ALLAH and Al-Aqsa echo in our ears, lifting our spirits and strengthening our resolve. Furthermore, we deeply value all the movements and expressions of solidarity from our friends and brothers across the world, spanning all continents and countries without exception.
The Situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem
Secondly, the current situation in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem—marked by aggressive and barbaric warfare, with the latest atrocity being the Tulkarm massacre—demonstrates that the enemy’s war crimes in Gaza are part of a systematic policy targeting our people wherever they are. The ongoing violence in the camps and cities of the West Bank confirms this brutal approach. It is for this reason that we made the decision to ignite the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan Al-Aqsa), a cry of defiance against this enemy and a response to the silence, complicity, or helplessness of the world in the face of our people’s oppression and the attempt to erase our identity.
What has the world done for our people in the West Bank, who are facing slow, systematic displacement and genocide? The occupation, particularly under its current terrorist government, seeks to eliminate any Palestinian presence west of the Jordan River. This intent is unmistakable, as shown by the maps proudly presented by the criminal Netanyahu, echoing a policy akin to the Nazi ideology, which he has shamelessly displayed before the world.
Therefore, the resisters, youth, and fighters from all spectrums of our people have come to understand that this enemy recognizes only the language of force, and that weapons must be met with weapons. They have taught the enemy painful lessons in the West Bank, honoring the legacy of “Ayyash“, “Al-Karmi“, “Tawalbe“, “Al-Nabulsi“, “Al-Qawasmi“, and “Al-Arouri“.
The recent operation in Jaffa, along with the heroic actions carried out by our fighters in the West Bank, are just part of what is to come. What the enemy will face in the future, by ALLAH’s will, will be even greater and more severe. Every target within our occupied land is permissible as a response to the genocide of our people.
We salute our heroic fighters and resisters in Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, Nablus, Qalqilya, Salfit, Jericho, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron. Your operations have shaken the very foundations of the enemy’s entity, and we urge you to escalate these actions in response to the arrogance of the enemy’s Nazi government. The hopes and dignity of our people have always been tied to the muzzles of rifles and the sacred strikes of retaliation against the settlers and occupation forces.
Regarding Captives and Exchange
Thirdly, addressing the issue of the enemy’s captives and the potential for an exchange, we say this to the occupier’s public, especially to the families of those held captive: You could have retrieved all your captives alive a year ago, had this aligned with Netanyahu’s ambitions and served his interests. From the very first day, we have made every effort to safeguard the captives in our possession and to protect their lives. It is neither in our ethics nor in the teachings of our great religion to intend harm or death for them. Our primary humanitarian goal in capturing them has always been to negotiate an exchange for our prisoners and to secure the rights of our people.
Therefore, the unfortunate incident involving the six captives in Rafah could happen again, as long as Netanyahu and his bloodthirsty government continue their obstinate stance and place barriers in the way of an exchange deal, a situation witnessed by the entire world. We reaffirm that we have given clear instructions to all groups responsible for guarding the captives: entering any combat zone or area of engagement places the fate of the enemy’s captives in the hands of their direct guards. This is an absolute and non-negotiable matter.
In the engagement zones, captives may be exposed to the dangers of crossfire, as has occurred in certain cases—sometimes even as a result of the enemy’s own fire, as has been seen on multiple occasions. Other scenarios are subject to the assessment of the direct field commanders operating in these areas.
It is no secret that after many of the enemy’s captives were killed by their own army’s fire or due to the actions of their government, the remaining captives are now facing extremely challenging moral and health conditions. The risks to them are increasing day by day.
In summary, the fate of the enemy’s captives depends entirely on the decisions made by the leadership of the occupation government. This is a very serious and dangerous matter. We do not rule out the possibility that this issue could enter a dark, indefinite path—perhaps leading to a hundred more cases like “Ron Arads” on the horizon. This would represent the greatest strategic and moral failure in the enemy’s history.
Call for Solidarity and Support
Fourthly, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood (Tufan Al-Aqsa) battle, we call for the strongest Islamic, Arab, and global solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause, as well as with the Palestinian resistance. We urge military support in the form of weapons, funds, and equipment, and we encourage popular and public backing through demonstrations, protests, and boycotts of the enemy and its allies. We call for the launch of the largest Arab, Islamic, and international campaign to support the Palestinian people and their resistance, and to challenge the false and deceptive Zionist-American propaganda machine.
We also call for a widespread cyberattack against the Zionist entity, led by all those who stand with the Palestinian people and the resistance, particularly experts in electronic warfare. The Zionists must come to realize that they are rejected by the entire free world, and that the shameful protection offered to them by the American administration and certain Western European governments is a fragile, torn shield that cannot hide the undeniable truth, as clear as the sun.
Moreover, we extend an invitation to the scholars, intellectuals, and preachers of our nation to rise beyond mere timid emotional or verbal expressions of solidarity—save for those whom ALLAH has blessed with courage—and we say to them:
“O our scholars and preachers, are you waiting for the day when we wake to the news of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque being demolished, may ALLAH forbid? As we have just concluded the month celebrating the birth of our noble Prophet, Peace be upon Him, it is our duty to honor Him by defending the sanctity of His night journey and ascension to the heavens. Al-Aqsa is desecrated daily by the enemies of faith, who openly seek to demolish and Judaize it. Defending it is the least we can do, as a basic expression of faith.
What is needed now is a scholarly mobilization across the nation to clarify the true nature of this struggle. You must provide a clear, explicit, and continuous statement about the grave dangers facing our people and our holy sites, the legitimacy and sanctity of our battle, and the obligation upon the entire Ummah to engage in Jihad with all its resources to protect Al-Aqsa and our sacred land. This mobilization should also focus on eliminating the sectarian discourse that divides and weakens the Ummah.
This is what is expected from you, O descendants of Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Taymiyyah, and the many other scholars of Islam who became role models for the Ummah and its generations throughout the ages with their courageous and principled stances on the vital issues of the nation”.
Conclusion
Finally, we send our deepest salutations to the souls of our righteous and pure martyrs who have ascended and continue to ascend in the greatest battle for the sake of ALLAH’s religion, for the sanctity of the Prophet’s night journey, and for the noblest goal and most just cause known to history. We pray for healing for the wounded and injured, and freedom for the brave prisoners of conscience held in the prisons of oppressive forces. Greetings to our great, generous, patient, and victorious people—victorious with ALLAH’s help—and to our heroic fighters on all fronts, in every arena and battlefield.
“And do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you should be suffering – so are they suffering as you are suffering, but you expect from ALLAH that which they expect not. And ALLAH is ever Knowing and Wise“4
(Suurat ‘An-Nissaa‘, 4:104)
Indeed, this is Jihad—victory or martyrdom.
And peace be upon you, along with ALLAH’s mercy and blessings.
Sources:
- Abu Ubaydah, the spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam. كلمة أبو عبيدة الناطق باسم كتائب القسام في اليوم الـ367 من العدوان على غزة. YouTube Video.
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