The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 8, 2023, the West Bank-based Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Fatah movement, issued a series of statements inciting Palestinians to bear arms and clash with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) across all confrontation lines with Israel. The West Bank-based group also extended the call to people in Lebanon, Syria, and Sinai to stand with Gaza. The group calls on Palestinians everywhere to execute attacks with explosives and "restore the glory" of suicide attacks.[1]
The calls from the West Bank came one day after Hamas launched on October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a surprise attack on Israel on the early morning of a major Jewish holiday, firing thousands of rockets into Israel and dispatching fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip.[2]
The following report compiles statements by The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and its West Bank branch in the wake of Hamas's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood regarding the course of the conflict and the means of action.
Message To Lone Wolves: "Restore The Glory Of Martyrdom Operations Targeting Buses, Hotels, And Gatherings"
"Prepare [explosive] belts and IEDs, ambush them on roads, shut roads down, burn tires, and restore the glories of martyrdom operations targeting buses, hotels, and gatherings," said the statement, which was posted on the group's channel on Telegram,[3] addressing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and inside Israel, as well as the "free people" in Syria, Lebanon, and Sinai.
"Show Allah all goodness in you, and do not abandon Gaza, for it is taking revenge on your behalf."
PIJ's Saraya Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' "Joint Operation"
On the early hours of October 8, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued a statement claiming fighters from its affiliate faction, the Tulkarm Brigade – Rapid Response joined by fighters from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ's) Saraya Al-Quds' Tulkarm Brigade executed a joint operation opening fire at the Al-Taybeh checkpoint and military camp, adjacent to the Artah suburbs. The Saraya Al-Quds' Tulkarm Brigade was formed following the escalation in Nablus in February 2023.[4] Further, the statement declared the attack was part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, adding:
"Oh free people, today is your day.
"Oh honorable people, today is your day.
"It is the second of the warnings, Allah willing.
"Oh dear people in the West Bank, be fully prepared. Hit them, burn them, and slaughter them.
"Take to the street with your weapons. Here you saw fighters from the beloved Gaza crossing the distances and assaulting them…you are even closer to kill them in Hebron, the occupied land, Nablus, Tulkarm and everywhere else in our proud West Bank."
A Call To Clash With IDF Across All "Lines Of Confrontation"
In an ensuing post on Telegram, the same day October 8, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades shared a call by the West Bank branch instructing fighters from all Palestinian groups involved in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood to clash with Israeli forces across all "lines of confrontation" and set 6 pm local time as the time for clashes to start.
A "Golden Opportunity" To Strike Enemy With All Force And End It
Still on October 8, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued another statement to its Telegram channel, calling on all Palestinians to "unite in this glorious battle, the battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood, the battle of liberation."
It further urged people to take immediate action, saying that the Hamas attack exposed the IDF as a "conquered," "paper tiger," and Israel as an "entity weaker than a spider's web."
Capitalizing on the West Bank's closeness to Israel, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades called for "targeting and liberating" the nearby settlements, emphasizing that the losses among Israelis will be "significantly severe and greater."
"Attack all settlements with whatever you can and whatever weapon you have, even with knives, and you will see the cowardly Zionist enemy's troops and herds of settlers fleeing in front of you like rats," it added.
It then argued that the battle launched to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, the prisoners, and the women encamped in Jerusalem ought to be "supported by all means available to us."
"Stand up as one man. Raid them and storm Zionist occupation settlements and military points. Inflict pain upon them with bullets, explosive devices, knives, daggers, and stones," said the statement.
Concluding, the statement urged Palestinians in the West Bank to reject "inaction," saying that a "golden opportunity" is presented as they are facing an "occupying enemy whose shame, terror, weakness, weakness, and cowardice have been exposed."
"[Israel] is beginning to falter, so let us strike it with all force and end it," it concluded.
"Engage In Open Confrontation Across All Sectors" In West Bank, And Raid Homes Using Guns, Axes, And Knives
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued one more "military" statement reporting clashes between the group's fighters and IDF troops in Jalamah checkpoint.
In light of the ongoing reporting, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades called all its fighters to engage in an "open confrontation" in all sectors of the cities of the West Bank, and to raid Israelis' homes using guns, axes, and knives: "We call on our free people in the West Bank to support the mujahideen with knives, machetes, and arms by those who own one."
[1] Telegram.me, October 8, 2023.
[2] Hamas.ps, October 7, 2023.
[3] Telegram, October 8, 2023.
[4] Al-monitor.
The full text of this post is available to subscribers.
Please login or register to request subscription information from MEMRI
