The following is a collection of research and translations from the MEMRI Palestinian Project this past year.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said in a September 25, 2024 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the PA no longer maintains security coordination with Israel and that Hamas's claims that the PA arrests its fighters in the West Bank on Israel's behalf are false. He explained that Israel has no problem finding wanted individuals without the help of the PA and its security agencies, and that "they just go in and do it." He said he has "no idea" why Hamas has made these claims, and that in the PA's eyes, all the Palestinian factions are "patriotic" groups that should speak in one voice for the interest of the Palestinian people.
On August 15, 2024, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas delivered an address before the Turkish parliament. In his address, Abbas criticized the United States, which he referred to as "the plague," for having used its veto power in the UN Security Council on several occasions in favor of continuing the Israeli "aggression" in Gaza. He also declared that he has decided to visit the Gaza Strip with the other members of the PA leadership, promising to do everything he can to stop Israel's "barbaric aggression," even if it costs him his life. He said: "We adhere to shari'a law: Victory or martyrdom."
Head of the political department of Hamas abroad Sami Abu Zuhri discussed the U.S. Department of Justice terrorism charges brought against six senior Hamas leaders for the October 7 Hamas attack, in a September 4, 2024 interview with Al-Araby TV (Qatar). He said that the American citizens that were victims of the October 7 attack were "murderers," soldiers who were killed or taken captive during the fighting "in Gaza or on its border." Abu Zuhri suggested that they were mercenaries who had been sent by the United States to kill Palestinian women and children. He said that these are "stupid decisions," and Hamas has no intention of paying them any thought. On September 3, 2024, the Department of Justice announced terrorism charges against six senior Hamas leaders for orchestrating the attack in which more than 1,000 innocent civilians were murdered, including 40 American citizens. The DOJ singled out Hamas leaders alive and dead, including, Ismail Haniyeh, Muhammad Deif, Marwan Issa, Yahya Sinwar, Khaled Mashal, and Ali Baraka.
Palestinian Islamic scholar Sheikh Muhammad Qaddura said in an August 16, 2024, interview on Al-Alam TV (Iran) that Palestinians understand that the gun is the only way to liberate Palestine. He said that Palestine is a bride, and her dowry is blood. Qaddura added that Palestinians welcome their martyrs with exclamations of joy. He said that once they liberate Palestine, Palestinians will not accept a single grave of a Jew nor allow a single Hebrew word to remain, "so no trace of memory of them remains." Qaddura said that the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Ruhollah Khomeini should rest assured in Paradise that his slogan of eradicating Israel will be realized soon.
Dr. Abdallah Harb, the head of Judicial Inspection at the Court of the Chief Justice, supplicated to Allah, in his July 5, 2024 Friday sermon that was aired on Palestine TV, saying: "Oh Allah, annihilate the transgressor Jews, their allies, as well as those who support them." He added: "Oh Allah, count them, kill them one by one, and do not spare a single one of them."
Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashal said in his May 18, 2024 address to the Flood of the Free conference hosted by the Muslims Brotherhood in Istanbul, Turkey that the Al-Aqsa Flood war is good for Mankind, for the Muslims, and Arabs, their countries, and their security and stability. He thanked the "great student Flood" emerging from America, European, and Western universities. Mashal called for a "financial Flood" supplying Palestinians with food and other supplies, as well as weapons for the mujahideen. He called for a "media Flood" spreading the Palestinian narrative and a "legal Flood" such as in the international courts in the Hague. Mashal said: "We should prosecute the criminal killers." He added that being far away from Palestine does not absolve Muslims from Jihad and resistance, and he called for a "Jihadi Flood." Khaled Mashal's address was posted on the Global Coalition for Quds and Palestine on Facebook. At the same conference, Indian Islamic scholar Maulana Salman Hussaini Nadwi called for Muslims worldwide to attack Israel, eliminate "this worm," and destroy Tel Aviv (see MEMRI TV clip 11102).
Khalil Al-Hayya of Hamas's political bureau said on a May 16, 2024 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that the Arab and Islamic nations must not become acclimated to the bloodshed. He called on them to besiege Israeli and American embassies in Arab countries, letting them know that the "Arab nations do not accept any injustice against the Palestinians."
In a November 19, 2024 video posted on his YouTube channel, Palestinian journalist Ayman Khaled accused Hamas of being complicit in stealing humanitarian aid entering Gaza and selling it in local markets. Khaled made these claims following the execution of two men by Hamas authorities for allegedly stealing 97 aid trucks. Khaled argued that it was implausible for two individuals to carry out such an operation alone, suggesting it was an organized operation.
In his November 8, 2024, Friday sermon in Jericho, West Bank, Dr. Nasser Al-Qaram, head of the Shari'a Court of Appeals in Nablus, declared that "the greatest triumph is martyrdom for Allah." He spoke of the souls of martyrs ascending to Allah above the destruction in Gaza and emphasized that martyrdom is a priority for Muslims. Quoting the Quran, he described martyrdom as a "transaction" in which Allah "purchases" the lives and possessions of believers in exchange for Paradise. The sermon was aired on Palestine TV.
In an October 24, 2024 appearance on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon), Osama Hamdan, a member of the Hamas political bureau, stated that the October 7 attack represented the first step in the campaign to eliminate the "Zionist entity" from Palestine. He emphasized that Hamas is not focused on repeating the events of October 7, but rather on advancing to the next phase, which he described as "larger, more profound, and more important." Hamdan further asserted that "Israel has no future in the region."
Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan said in a video that was posted to SamaQuds on YouTube on October 11, 2024 that achieving victory and living in freedom and dignity comes with a price, but that living in humiliation comes with an even greater price. He said that living in submission and obedience is a despicable, insignificant, and worthless existence, and that when you fight the enemy, at least he knows that he is also paying a price, and he does not have the same faith and conviction that you have. He also said that for the enemy, Palestine is merely a place to lead a pleasant and happy life, and that if the enemy suffers enough losses, it will ultimately lose and surrender.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, discussed in an October 12, 2024, interview with AL24 TV (Algeria) Hamas's relations with countries such as China, Russia, and India. He said that as these countries progress, a multipolar world draws near. Abu Marzouk advocated for the replacement of international organizations, such as UNESCO, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, which he claimed America uses to control the world, as well as establishing alternatives for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), the Federal Reserve, and the World Bank, in order to reach a "more just multipolar world."
Osama Hamdan, a member of the Hamas political bureau said in an episode of SamaQuds podcast, which was posted on YouTube on October 11, 2024 that he doesn't think Israel will exist on the map of the region in 10 years. He added that the people who launched the October 7, 2023 Al-Aqsa Flood will be praised then, for starting the end of Israel. He claimed that Hamas doesn't attack civilian targets like cinemas and that the bus bombings mainly targeted soldiers.
Khaled Mashal, leader of Hamas abroad, said in an October 7, 2024 address to the Kuala Lumpur Forum, which was aired on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar), that the Palestinian losses since the October 7, 2023 attack have been "tactical," whereas the enemy's losses are strategic. He explained that while Hamas's losses have been "tremendous and painful," they will lead them to "great horizons, whereas the enemy's losses will lead to annihilation. Mashal continued to call upon Muslims worldwide to "open new fronts" and join the Jihad with money as well as weapons and sacrifice of life.
Palestinian terrorist Abdul Aziz Saleha bragged about participating in the 2000 Ramallah lynching of two Israeli reservist soldiers Vadim Nurzhitz and Yosef Avrahami, in a video posted on March 1, 2021. Saleha said that he stabbed and strangled one of the soldiers, "until he died," then he raised his hands that were covered in his blood through the window so people could see what had happened. Saleha raising his bloodied hands was captured in an iconic photo of the lynching. He had served ten years in Israeli prison and was released in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal in 2011. On October 3, 2024 he was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. The video was posted on the YouTube channel of Ali Asafra, who had served time in Israeli prison with Abdul Aziz Saleha.
Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki said in a September 14, 2024 interview on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah- Lebanon) that he is inspired and influenced by people who are serious about the Palestinian struggle, and he criticized those who curse or regret the war with Israel. He says that Israel had decided to "finish off" the Palestinian people, the two-state solution, and the entire Middle East, even before the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel, about which he said: "May Allah bless it! It reshuffled the deck." He said that Palestinians abroad are today demonstrating against Israel while Palestinians domestically are taking part in an uprising against Israel, and he thanked Allah that the Palestinian people are steadfast and have faith in victory regardless of the losses.
Abd Al-Salam Haniyeh, son of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in late July, talked in an interview with SamaQuds that was posted on YouTube on August 15, 2024, about the beauty of Gaza in recent years. He said that people who visited the Gaza Strip in 2020-2021 couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Haniyeh said that following the 2008-2009 conflict with Israel, Gaza received world attention through Al-Jazeera and other media outlets, which led to convoys intended at breaking the siege and the tunnels started becoming active. He continued to say that when the Emir of Qatar visited the Gaza Strip in 2012, this was "a time of progress," and the reconstruction process had begun. Haniyeh stated: "The kind of beauty that was there [in Gaza] could not be found in many Arab countries."
Gaza makeup artist Abd Al-Baset Al-Lulu, who specializes in creating "cinematic illusions" with makeup that replicates war wounds, demonstrated his skills in a series of social media posts and journalistic reports between 2015 and 2021. He demonstrated how he recreates open wounds of various sorts and the illusion of severed members and limbs. Al-Lulu explains that he also has a set of pre-prepared faux wounds that can be used according to the director's specification without taking up much filming time.
Fatah official Abd Al-Fattah Dawla criticized Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) for downplaying the role members of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority are playing in clashes with Israeli military in the northern West Bank, in Jenin, and elsewhere during a September 6, 2024 interview with Awda TV (Palestinian Authority). He said that Fatah and Palestinian Authority security forces members are present on the scene, but Al-Jazeera is not showing the "honorable role " they are playing. Dawla said that it does not even attribute Fatah's martyrs to Fatah, while it highlights "the martyrs " of Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He claimed that people should attend the funerals in order to realize that a "large number of these martyrs " belong to Fatah and the PA security forces. Dawla said: "We know how to fight. […] If you exclude Fatah, you will fail. "
Deputy secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Muhammad Al-Hindi spoke about his organization's operation in the West Bank, in an episode of the SamaQuds podcast that was uploaded to YouTube on September 5, 2024. He said that the PIJ is building positive relations with members of Fatah, and that it does not seek confrontation with the Palestinian Authority. Al-Hindi continued to say that the two-state solution "is over" and that members of the Palestinian Authority security forces and Fatah "will have no choice but to become part of the resistance."
Palestinian freelance journalist Shatha Hammad described at length the "armed resistance" activity of various brigades in the West Bank on the SamaQuds podcast. In an episode uploaded to YouTube on September 2, 2023, she talked about the military activity in the Jenin and Nablus area. Hammad described a military tunnel in Jenin which was dug under the Al-Ansar Mosque, and she explained how the local armed brigade established its military headquarters inside the mosque. She continued to detail how the armed brigades use teenagers as young as 15 for monitoring and surveillance missions in Jenin and Nablus. Hammad revealed that Wadee Al-Houh, the leader of the Lion's Den in Nablus, who was killed by Israel in 2022, had provided teenagers in Nablus with bicycles for such missions.
Lebanon-based Palestinian researcher Hesham Dibsi slammed Hamas in an August 30, 2024 video posted on Voice of Lebanon on YouTube. He said that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, but rather it is a Sunni-Islamic project, similar to the Iranian Shiite-Islamic enterprise. Dibsi said that Palestinians strive to build a civil and secular state. He criticized Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashal for calling upon Palestinians to return to suicide operations and increase the escalation with Israel, saying that Mashal is sitting in Qatar, while Palestinians are dying from hunger and polio.
In a pre-recorded speech aired at the "Eye on Jerusalem" conference held in Istanbul by the Al-Quds International Institute, Hamas's leader abroad Khaled Mashal called for a return to suicide attacks, which he referred to as "martyrdom operations." He said: "We should unleash all forms of resistance." Mashal said that Palestinians in the West Bank and within Israel's 1948 borders should reignite the spirit, and he called upon student leaders in Arab and Islamic countries, as well as in the West, to renew the student movement, adding: "You should be proud of yourself." The video was posted on August 20, 2024 on the X account of Abdulaziz Mucahit, an Al-Jazeera reporter in Turkey.
Palestinian filmmaker and activist Bisan Owda, who has been nominated for a 2024 News and Documentary Emmy Award, was interviewed at a PFLP Anniversary Rally in Gaza in a video posted on Alwatanvoice.com on December 12, 2015. Wearing what appears to be military fatigues and a red PFLP scarf, Owda said that the policy of the PFLP is that all the "people of the Intifada" in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem are united as one. The video continues to showcase PFLP activists brandishing swords, knives, and other sharp weapons. Bisan Owda is nominated for her Al-Jazeera (Qatar) show "It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive."
Palestinian terrorist Muhammad Jaber "Abu Shujaa," the commander of the Tulkarm Brigade who survived an assassination attempt by Israel in April, said in an August 15, 2024 interview with Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that the Al-Aqsa Flood War "has proved to everyone that the people of Gaza are capable of terminating the State of Israel." He said that the factions in the West Bank have learned their perseverance, resistance, and morale from the people of Gaza. Abu Shujaa said that it is "no big deal" whether he is assassinated because just like he came along, new generations will complete his path. He saluted "all our fighters, all the brigades, the Al-Majdoub Brigade of the Al-Quds Brigades," as well as "the resistance axis - from Sanaa to Tehran – in south Lebanon, and in the Dahia suburb."
Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub said in an August 6, 2024 interview with Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is a "pragmatic, patriotic, and realistic man" and that Israel is attempting to demonize him. He added that Israel is also demonizing Iran and preventing it from being admitted into international society. Rajoub stated that Israel's "unilateral attacks" on Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and the whole world are threatening the stability of the region and world peace. On August 6 it was announced that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, would replace Ismail Haniyeh as the Hamas political leader, after the latter's assassination in Tehran in late July.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a member of Hamas political bureau spoke at the Tehran funeral of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on August 1, 2024. He said that the "Zionist entity" is the source of evil, injustice, and instability and that the world must unite to "uproot this cancer." Al-Hayya vowed to "go after" Israel until it is uprooted from the land of Palestine and from Jerusalem. The funeral was posted on Khameni.ir.
Dr. Abdallah Harb, the head of Judicial Inspection at the Court of the Chief Justice said in an August 2, 2024 Ramallah Friday sermon that the Jews and the Israelites spread corruption on earth. He said that Israel's long arms have killed a long list of Palestinian leaders including, Abu Jihad – Khalil Al-Wazir, Palestinian Islamic Jihad founder Fathi Shaqaqi, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, whom he referred to as a "patriotic Palestinian leader." The sermon was aired on Palestine TV.
Hours before he was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh toured an exhibition of "Islamic lands" in Tehran on July 30, 2024 with the mayor of Tehran and leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad Nakhalah, where he gave an interview to SNN.ir that was uploaded to the media outlet's Telegram channel. Haniyeh said that 'false civilizations' that are based on plundering and bloodshed are not destined to last, while the Islamic civilization, which is based on "divine shari'a" is destined to last for eternity. Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of July 31, 2024, during a visit to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas representative in Lebanon Ahmad Abd Al-Hadi said that if Hamas could go back in time, it would still carry out the October 7 attack on Israel, because it would still be justified. He spoke in an interview with Annahar Newspaper (Lebanon), which was uploaded to its YouTube channel on June 14, 2024.
In videos posted on Tulkarm Baladna and Tulkarm News on Telegram on June 16, 2024, children in the Tulkarm refugee camp can be seen celebrating the first day of Eid Al-Adha by wearing headbands of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas and brandishing weapons. In one of the videos the children can be seen marching in the streets and chanting: "We are the soldiers of Mohammed Deif." According to Tulkarm News on Telegram, they are following the commander of the local Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades battalion. In another video, shots are fired while the children brandish weapons.
Osama Hamdan of the Hamas Political Bureau discussed in a May 5, 2024 symposium that was uploaded to the Masar Badil YouTube channel his vision for the "Al-Aqsa Flood" war with Israel that was launched on October 7. He said that Hamas maintains contact with Russia and China and that the power of the "resistance axis" is at the service of their international role. Hamdan continued to say that the next phase of the war will be resistance in the West Bank. He stated that after October 7, it is clear that the discussion can only be about a Palestine from the River to the Sea, with Israel being dismantled. However, he qualified, this does not mean the "annihilation" of Israelis, they are welcome to stay as citizens of the Palestinian state or foreign residents, as long as they respect its laws. Charlotte Kates, the international coordinator of Samidoun, who was arrested by Canadian law enforcement following her speech in which she saluted October 7, also spoke at the symposium. Kates is the wife of Khaled Barakat, a Canada-based former PFLP official who is also on the executive committee of Masar Badil, Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement.
Ramzi Awda, Secretary-General of the International Campaign to Combat the Occupation and Apartheid slammed Hamas in an April 4, 2024 interview that aired on Awda TV (Palestine), saying that Hamas steals most of the aid coming into Gaza and selling it again to the people in Gaza for exorbitant prices. He continued to say that Hamas rejects any political solution that involves its removal from power in Gaza.
Palestinian Author Hassan Hamid said on a March 17, 2204 show on Palestine TV that the Israelis know they will leave Palestine. He said that they are a "wild Western weed," which is culturally linked to "the savage blond whites."
An elderly woman from Ramallah, who was introduced only as "Umm Muhammad," told Palestine TV on March 15, 2024 that she wants to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah and to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque. She called on all Palestinians to come to the crossings into Israel and attempt to enter the mosque. Umm Muhammad said: "We want Paradise. We want to die as martyrs." She added that she offers herself for martyrdom.
On February 1 and February 21, 2024, videos of anti-Hamas protests in the Gaza Strip were uploaded to Ahrar Gaza on Telegram. In the videos, which were filmed in Rafah, the Jabalya refugee camp, and Deir Al-Balah, protesters chanted slogans against Hamas and its leadership such as: "The people want to topple Hamas." They accused Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar of being a collaborator and a traitor, they said, "f*ck off" and called him an "ass." Protesters called to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh: "Haniyeh, you ass! We want to return home!" They called on Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan to return from Lebanon.
Fatah spokesman and Revolutionary Council member Dr. Jamal Nazzal responded to Hamas's criticism of President Mahmoud Abbas appointing his new cabinet "unilaterally" in a March 16, 2024 interview with Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia). He said: "The assassination of Saleh Al-Arouri has caused a decline in the IQ level manifest in Hamas's statements." Nazzal added that the Hamas leadership doesn't know what is happening on the ground in Palestine, because its leadership has left Gaza to live in luxury in Turkey, Qatar, and elsewhere. He suggested that Hamas should incorporate in the PLO and support Mahmoud Abbas, who will get them out of this crisis.
Former UNRWA official Ahmad Oueidat said in a March 14, 2024 interview on Al-Hiwar TV (U.K.) that the West was unhappy with UNRWA for giving rise to the top cadre of Palestinian leaders. He continued to say that both Hamas leader Ismaily Haniyeh and the Secretary-General of the PFLP-GC Dr. Talal Naji were teachers in UNRWA schools. Oueidat went on to say that Western countries, Israel, and the U.S. "corrupted" the UNRWA curricula, by "planting" topics that have "nothing to do" with Palestinian values and heritage, and they forced it to remove certain pictures and topics. In his last position, Oueidat was UNRWA's Director of Professional Development and Curriculum Unit.
Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan slammed the recent UN report on sexual violence committed against Israelis during the October 7 attack. In a March 6, 2024, interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon), he said that Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), Ms. Pramila Patten who compiled the report, should be fired. Hamdan explained that the report was a "scandal in the halls of the UN"; that it was not based on evidence, and that it was unprofessional. He continued to claim that the Israeli women who were "taken captive" on October 7 stated upon their release that they were not sexually attacked. Hamdan asserted that one of the women (referring to Mia Schem) even underwent cosmetic surgery because she thought she was not attractive enough to be sexually assaulted. In other parts of the interview, Hamdan said that America had not thought anyone would dare strike U.S. targets, but the Houthi attack on MV True Confidence shows that harming Americans has become "normal." He said that Israel is still suffering the pain of October 7, and that the attack on Israel has "opened the gate towards the end of the Zionist entity."
Former Palestinian ambassador to India Osama Al-Ali slammed Hamas on a February 12, 2024 show on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia). Al-Ali said that Hamas's leaders have no right to talk while they are not in Palestine. He called on Hamas to be "reasonable" and release the Israeli hostages at no cost in order to save what is left of Gaza. Al-Ali also said that Hamas is attacking the Palestinian Authority and claiming that it seeks to take over Gaza, however, the PA is Palestine and Gaza belongs to them. He added that while Hamas carried out a terrible and murderous coup against the PA, it in turn forgave them, and begged for reconciliation. Al-Ali suggested that Hamas leaders should not return to Gaza, "because the people of Gaza will slaughter them."
Hamas official Ali Baraka said on a January 30, 2024 show on Al-Manar TV [Lebanon-Hizbullah] that Palestinians can repeat the "Al-Aqsa Storm" on October 7, many times. He said that the mujahideen stormed the Gaza Envelope on October 7, and "tomorrow" they will storm the Galilee, and he added that they will storm into Israel "from wherever they can." Baraka said that October 7 has "turned the tables," Israel did not expect a ground assault, and once the mujahideen, stormed into it, it started to collapse. He said: "we can defeat them. the world has changed."
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke at a conference of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in Doha, Qatar, which was aired on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) on January 9, 2024, about the role of Islamic scholars worldwide in the wake of October 7. He said: "We should hold on to the victory that took place on October 7 and build upon it," and he added: "Time is on our side." Haniyeh said that Islamic scholars should advocate for the Palestinians in their respective countries and that donations to Gaza were not humanitarian aid, but "financial Jihad." He stated that "the time has come for the Jihad of the swords."
Sami Abu Zuhri, the head of the political department of Hamas abroad, warned in a January 5, 2024, broadcast on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the West and the U.S. need to reconsider their position regarding Israel. He said that if they do not stop their support for Israel, Hamas will consider them as enemies like the "Zionist occupation." Abu Zuhri said that the conflict will continue as long as there is an occupation, and that if the U.S. continues with the same policy, "this conflict might go beyond the borders of Palestine, and it might expand in scope."
