An epic of sacrifice and heroism in Balata and Jenin, and a call for the Ummah to launch jihad

Crescent International

Muharram 02, 1423 2002-03-16

Islamic Movement

by Crescent International (Islamic Movement, Crescent International Vol. 31, No. 2, Muharram, 1423)

Hamas statement

In the name of Allah the most Gracious the most Merciful...

So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: for ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith. (Al-Qur'an 3:139)

Our Muslim, Palestinian and Arab peoples:

The refugee camps of Balata and Jenin have been withstanding Zionist aggressions and occupation army attempts to storm them, to arrest mujahideen and to repress our people for the past eleven days. Our people in both camps have recorded an epic of pride that did only repelled ferocious attacks but also registered great unity in confronting the enemy, and displayed unity of lines in face of occupation. Such a grand achievement has affirmed anew that jihad and resistance lead to unity, while settlement and humiliation before the enemy lead to disintegration and disunity.

Despite this heroism the mujahideen and fighters were forced to withdraw from the heroic and proud Balata refugee camp affirming, God willing, that they will return. They did not evacuate the camp out of fear of fighting the enemy or to save their lives but rather because they ran out of ammunition. The enemy then stormed the camp, mobilizing more than 60 tanks for the mission. It stormed houses, damaged all contents, and harassed inhabitants. The enemy troops went from one house to another, destroying walls in an all-out destruction campaign amidst total siege, electricity and water cut-off in addition to blocking the entry of food supplies.

As for the patient camp in Jenin, the mujahideen and fighters are still employing their limited arms in defeating the occupation army at the entrance of the camp, destroying a tank, burning another and retaliating to the occupation soldiers with their bullets and blood. Thus they affirm that the commandos have prepared themselves for war.

We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in face of recent developments in the land of Palestine in general, and in the Balata and Jenin refugee camps in particular, affirm the following:

1. We urge the Palestinian Authority to shoulder its duty to our people and to provide arms to themujahideen, instead of prosecuting them. We also call on them to end the farce of security meetings. Our people are wondering what was taking place in those meetings and about feasibility of their continuation in the light of the continued repression of our people.

2. We invite the PA to benefit from the field unity lessons that boosted our people's resolution in the face of aggression for the sake of building unity on the basis of resistance, steadfastness and confrontation against occupation.

3. We denounce Arab and Islamic silence towards the terrorism and repression against our people and wonder what is our Ummah waiting for? Will the response to such aggression remain silence as if the Ummah is not concerned with the matter? Our Arab and Muslim governments are called upon to act immediately and urgently to stop what is taking place by backing resistance and the Palestinian people's steadfastness along with their stand that sticks to their rights and rejects all forms of settlements with the usurping enemy.

4. We call on the Arab and Islamic parties and movements and the Ummah's scholars, intellectuals and politicians to shoulder their responsibility to what was going on in Palestine before, God forbid, the Sabra and Shatila massacres are repeated in the land of Palestine.

5. The international community that continues to talk about peace and about halting the bloodletting is facing a test today over its credibility and over truthfulness of its principles and values. The community's behavior reveals that its values are not real but rather hollow slogans aimed at protecting the occupation's aggression on our people. It is high time that this community restored its awareness and checked the occupation's crimes against our people.

6. We affirm that our mujahideen in the Qassam Brigades, along with all armed resistance brigades, will continue to live up to their pledge. The enemy will soon suffer and its terrorism will never affect our determination, insha'Allah.

And Allah hath full power and control over His affairs; but most among mankind know it not. (12:21).

And it is a jihad until either victory or martyrdom.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas - Palestine
Friday 17 Dhul Hijjah 1422AH
(1 March 2002 CE)