The Four-Day Truce is a Tremendous Victory

For maybe the first time in the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood, the western supporters of the resistance seem to be slightly out of sync with it. The news of a four-day truce has been greeted by them as insufficient in comparison to the permanent ceasefire they have demanded.

The resistance, however, is rightly heralding it as a victory. The permanent ceasefire demand was never theirs, it was that of western sympathisers. Although they in their own way have been educated and wisened by the ongoing Flood, they still operate from a position of weakness, essentially begging “their own” governments to press for a ceasefire.

The Palestinian resistance is in no such position of weakness, and therefore its view of the situation differs.

Via the Resistance News Network:

🚨🟢 Hamas:

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Regarding the Announcement of the Ceasefire Agreement

Driven by our responsibility towards our enduring and steadfast Palestinian people, and our continuous effort to bolster the steadfastness of our heroic people in the Gaza Strip, to provide relief and heal their wounds, and to strengthen the will of our victorious resistance on the seventh of October in the face of the zionist enemy:

After difficult and complicated negotiations over many days, we announce, with the help and success granted by Allah Almighty, the reaching of the agreement of a humanitarian truce (a temporary ceasefire) for a duration of four days with diligent and appreciated Qatari and Egyptian efforts, which stipulates:

- The cessation of fire from both sides, the stopping of all military activities of the occupation army in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the halt of the movement of its military vehicles infiltrating the Gaza Strip.

- The entry of hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, relief, medical, and fuel aid into all areas of the Gaza Strip, without exception, north and south.

- The release of 50 of the occupation detainees, women and children under 19 years old, in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under 19 years old from among our people from the occupation prisons, all according to seniority.

- The cessation of air traffic in (the south) for the four days.

- The cessation of air traffic in (the north) for six hours daily from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

- During the ceasefire, the occupation commits to not attacking or arresting anyone in all areas of the Gaza Strip.

- Guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people (from north to south) along Salah Al-Din Street.

The terms of this agreement were formulated according to the vision of the resistance and its determinants, which aim to serve our people and enhance their steadfastness in the face of aggression, constantly mindful of their sacrifices, suffering, concerns, and managing these negotiations from a position of steadfastness and strength in the field, despite the occupation’s attempts to prolong and procrastinate the negotiations.

As we announce the reaching of the truce agreement, we affirm that our hands will remain on the trigger, and our victorious brigades will remain on the lookout to defend our people and defeat the occupation and aggression.

We promise our people that we will remain loyal to their blood, sacrifices, patience, steadfastness, and aspirations for liberation, freedom, restoration of rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital, God willing.

Islamic Resistance Movement — Hamas

Wednesday: 08 Jumada Al-Awwal 1445H

Corresponding to: November 22, 2023

Further,

⚫️ Member of the Political Bureau in Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Ali Abu Shaheen:

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The occupation finally succumbed to the will of the resistance by agreeing to the exchange deal.

We previously said that the “israeli” prisoners held by the resistance will not be released before the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners inside the jails.

All the terms of the exchange deal are in favor of the Palestinian people and their resistance, which was steadfast during the days of fighting.

The occupation government accepted the exchange deal under duress. It is a retreat in the “israeli” stance compared to the previously declared objectives of the aggression.

The battlefield had the decisive word in the prisoner exchange deal.

And:

⚫ Palesitinian Islamic Jihad:

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We announce to our steadfast and patient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and to the entire Palestinian nation the reaching of an agreement on a partial prisoner exchange deal and a humanitarian truce for four days. This includes the entry of hundreds of aid and fuel trucks, freedom of movement for our people in the Strip, cessation of targeting and arrests, and commitment to not attack or arrest anyone in all areas of the Gaza Strip.

The agreement came after strenuous efforts in negotiations through mediators, following procrastination and stubbornness from the zionist enemy who deluded themselves into thinking they could recover their prisoners without conditions, especially after the enemy’s failure in the field and their inability to break the will of our people and our resistance.

The steadfastness of our people in the Gaza Strip, their adherence to their land in the face of the massacres committed by the enemy, and the heroics written by the resistance fighters in the field of confronting the aggression, are what forced the enemy to submit to conducting a prisoner exchange deal.

The terms included in the prisoner exchange agreement aim to strengthen the steadfastness of our people in the Gaza Strip and to achieve victory for the cause of our heroic prisoners in the enemy’s prisons, as a prelude to the liberation of all prisoners and lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip.

We affirm our firm stance that the non-civilian enemy prisoners in our hands will not gain freedom until all our prisoners are liberated from the enemy’s prisons.

We confirm our continued confrontation of the aggression, on all field and political levels, to thwart all the objectives of this aggression.

We salute our people in steadfast and proud Gaza, who astonished the world with their good reliance on Allah, their belief in victory, and their adherence to their land, particularly mentioning the families of the martyrs and the wounded.

The western supporters of the resistance on the other hand have responded with a fundamentally correct commitment to continue and redouble propaganda efforts over the course of this truce. But they see it as a failed attempt by the occupation to cast itself as a humanitarian, from a position of advantaged benevolence over the struggling Palestinians. They are outraged over this supposed ruse, which, in truth, nobody is attempting. The occupation and the “international community”, which has parroted its fascist slogans for the better part of a century, have been light on praise for the step.

This is a result of the under-reporting of the military victories achieved by the resistance over the course of the Battle of Al-Aqsa Storm. They have seen much of the occupation’s rampage through civilian populations. But they have not placed as much emphasis on the equally brutal rampage of the resistance through the occupation’s military resources, the defeat and destruction of its infrastructure, the disruption of its supply lines, the demoralisation of its militants, its loss of credibility on the global stage and even that of its allies and supporters, the destruction of its industries and economy, etc.

The loss of population in the Gaza Strip has been horrific and devastating. But in terms of sheer numbers, it is significantly less than the number of “Israelis” who have up and left the “country” — and who can fault them for that!

“Israel” is falling apart at the seams. In four days, can the occupation repair any of this damage?

The occupation’s major “victories” in the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood have been the brutalisation of civilians. Four days is not significant when building a “country”. But to a civilian population, four days of free mobility, food, and medical aid, is really a tremendous amount of time. It is enough to have their first meal in a month. It is enough for a full night’s sleep. It’s enough to sew some limbs back on. It’s enough to disinfect the illnesses and infections they’ve acquired from the lack of water. They can talk. They can pray for their dead. They can decide what to do for the rest of the battle. When the fighting resumes, they will not be caught by surprise. They will make their decisions about how to act based on what has happened thus far and make the right decisions for their survival. In what way is that conducive to the continued existence of the occupation?

This incredible opportunity to build power among those fighting for their essential and immutable interests against a shrinking cohort of fascist cowards who only attack schools and hospitals is a hard-won victory of the resistance. The attempt of the occupation to black out its atrocities through targeting journalists and annihilating the people has failed. New journalists will come in and tell us everything. These four days will not be good press for the occupation. They will damn it further. They will damn the west and its “international community”. They will damn the end of history.

To greet the ceasefire as an insufficient act of charity is completely incorrect. The ceasefire is an enormous defeat for the occupation, that it could have only agreed to under significant duress. It is impossible to frame as “humanitarian”. They are not trying to do that. It is simply a concession forced upon them during a war.

And so for the Palestinians, and for all the honest and upstanding people of the world, it is a victory to be celebrated. A permanent ceasefire would not be a victory. A permanent ceasefire would be the end of the war that is destroying the occupation. The brutalisation of civilians should end, but won’t. The war, therefore and regardless, must continue.

It is not the ceasefire demanded by “the international community”. It is the ceasefire demanded by armed resistance at the point of a gun. That’s better.

It is better than what you asked for. Your demand was one forged from a position of weakness, theirs, from one of strength. Bring your positions more in line with theirs. For instance, consider emphasising the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by the illegitimate apartheid system.

Celebrate, because it means the weakening of the occupation and the strengthening of the resistance. And learn this lesson well.