In a February 5, 2025 column titled "Gaza's Victory, the Beginning of Israel's Defeat" in the Qatari government daily Al-Sharq, journalist Fatimah bint Yousuf Al-Ghazal responded to the proposal of U.S. President Donald Trump to evacuate Gaza of its residents. She wrote that the people of Gaza will never leave it, even if six nuclear bombs are dropped on them and they lose their children, their homes and their and property. Al-Ghazal extolled Hamas' military wing and its "heroic performance," which, she said, was not affected by the killing of its commanders, and stressed that Hamas will continue to fight Israel until the latter is "uprooted." Stating that Hamas has proved itself to be "a real state," she added that it is in a position of strength and "is negotiating with powers like the U.S. and Israel." She said further that Hamas' displays of military might during the release of the Israeli hostages were "a miracle that amazed the world." She also praised Qatar for achieving the present ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, calling it "the greatest international agreement [ever achieved] in modern history for the sake of the Palestinian cause."
Hamas hostage release ceremony (Image: Aljazeera.net, January 26, 2025)
The following are translated excerpts from her article: [1]
"Oh world, the residents of Gaza will not do it. They will not leave [Gaza] even if the world pours its wrath and hatred upon them. They will not leave it even if their people abandon them before their enemies do. They will not leave it even if six nuclear bombs are dropped on them.
They will not leave even if they lose their property, their homes and their children. Rest assured, oh world, that they will not leave it to the enemies, the murderers and the terrorists.
"They will not leave and become a burden on countries that will keep them under strict surveillance and make their lives miserable. They will not leave, for Gaza is soaked in the blood of their children and parents, and the scent of the martyrs rises from it. They will not leave it even if it has turned to rubble.
"Hamas wouldn't have announced that several of its leaders, of such caliber and in such a [large] number, have been martyred were it not in a position of strength. In other words, it has overcome its distress and the moments of confusion and imbalance, [as evident from] the heroic military performance of [its military wing, the Izz Al-Din] Al-Qassam [Brigades] in northern Gaza during the last weeks before the ceasefire. The Al-Qassam [Brigades] are performing as usual and their professional and operational performance has not suffered as a result of the loss of their senior commanders. Furthermore, the martyrdom of leaders is not a sign of surrender: every martyred commander is replaced by [even] stronger and bolder leaders…
"The battle of the resistance against the usurping entity [Israel] will continue until [the latter] is uprooted, and one indication of this is that the martyred [commander of Hamas' military wing], Muhammad Deif, died six months ago, yet the campaign continued without him and Hamas won without him. This means that there are many [like] Muhammad Deif. All of the jihad fighters are like Muhammad Deif, [Yahya] Sinwar, [Isma'il] Haniyya, [Al-Qassam Brigades founder] Salah Shhade, [Hamas founders Abd Al-Aziz] Al-Rantisi and Ahmad Yassin and the rest of the pure and blameless martyrs. This is true jihad: [ending in either] victory or martyrdom.
"At the beginning of the war, Israel announced the main goals of its war in Gaza, including the elimination of the resistance, the release of its prisoners and the elimination of Hamas as a ruling power in the [Gaza] Strip – but it has not managed to achieve any of these goals by means of the war. The only victory the world has seen is that of the resistance and of Hamas. The defeated [side] is the one that failed to achieve its goals, and the victor is the one that did achieve them. Hamas achieved what it wanted in this war: it released its prisoners who had been sentenced in Israel to decades in prison, and delivered humanitarian aid to its citizens… The resistance showed the entire world that it is a state that negotiates with powers like the U.S. and Israel, which described it as a gang that hides underground. The resistance showed the entire world that it is a real state through the way in which the international agreement and the exchange of the prisoners were implemented, with [Hamas' operatives] displaying their military gear, their weapons and their vehicles. [This was] a miracle that amazed the world. This small area was hit by bombs that were [collectively] seven times more [powerful] than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, yet [Hamas' fighters] managed to emerge from their hideouts at the peak of their strength…
"The countries of the world, and especially the neighboring countries, thought that Hamas and the resistance had been wiped out after Israel pulverized the entire Gaza Strip. But they were all amazed when the resistance emerged at the peak of its strength and might, [still possessing its] army and weapons. It led to [the signing of] the best international agreement [ever achieved] in modern history for the sake of the Palestinian cause, and forced Israel to comply with its terms… We are proud that Qatar, thanks to its wise leadership, its rulers and its wise people, played a key role in achieving this agreement…"
[1] Al-Sharq (Qatar), February 5, 2025.
