Qatar, which recently announced the resumption of its role as mediator between Israel and Hamas, maintains its unreserved support for Hamas and its flagrantly anti-Israel position, as reflected in its government media. (On this ongoing Qatari stance, see MEMRI report).
On the first anniversary of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 240 were taken hostage, the Qatari government press published a number of articles glorifying the attack, which Hamas calls the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. The articles presented the attack as a "heroic operation," a "miracle" and a "historic turning point" that restored the honor of the Muslim ummah (nation), placed the Palestinian cause back on the world's agenda and proved that "liberating Palestine from the river to the sea is possible." (For more examples of praise for the attack from Qataris, published on the occasion of the attack's first anniversary, see MEMRI report).
The articles also praised the military tactics of Hamas and the other Gazan terror organizations, which "pounded Tel Aviv with their rockets" and "managed to hide dozens of Zionist hostages underground, while eliminating all traces of them." One article compared Hamas' fighters to the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad who fought alongside him in the early days of Islam.
One of the writers, Abdullah Al-Amadi, formerly the deputy editor of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, called to refrain from weeping over the Gazan victims, because great achievements can only be attained "through bloodshed." He added that the Al-Aqsa Flood war is part of the Muslims' upcoming battle with Western civilization, and that Israel is not the true enemy in this battle, but only a tool of the West. Another writer in the same daily called the Palestinian victims "the fuel for this victory" and noted that she had expected "the Arab peoples to glorify the [Palestinian] martyrs of October 7" instead of condemning Hamas for causing their death.
A post on the X account of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), backed and funded by Qatar: October 7 was "the greatest day experienced by our generation…a day on which Allah strengthened his army" (X.com/iumsonline, October 7, 2024)
The following are translated excerpts from the Qatari press articles praising the October 7 attack.
Qatari Columnist: The Al-Aqsa Flood Operation Was A Historic Turning Point That Saved The Ummah; The Gazan Victims Are The Price That Must Be Paid For Liberation
In an article titled "The Al-Aqsa Flood – A Historic Turning Point," Abdullah Al-Amadi, a former deputy editor of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, described Hamas' attack as a historic and effective event that restored the honor of the Muslim ummah, a nation that has long been in constant confrontation with Western civilization, for which Israel, he argued, is merely a tool.
He wrote: “In order to awaken from its deep slumber, the ummah urgently needed an event like a momentous earthquake, or at least a shock, to make it notice what is happening around it and what is being plotted against it. But what [actually] happened was far more effective than an earthquake – it was the Al-Aqsa Flood...
"Some perhaps wonder about this flood and its usefulness, and ask how it will impact the ummah. That is a legitimate and logical question. If the asker is short-sighted, he undoubtedly sees the flood as nothing more than [a source of] destruction, devastation, the spilling of innocent blood and [the death of] thousands of victims...
"But if [the asker] is far-sighted, he undoubtedly sees the Flood as a lifeline that came out of nowhere to save the ummah, despite all the potential repercussions of this salvation, including the effort, exhaustion, difficulty and loss of both life and property. From the perspective of logic and common sense, these are expected and reasonable outcomes; moreover, they were necessary in order to complete the act of salvation... when the ummah was definitely drowning. Those [who take this view] argue that the flood restored the honor of the Muslim ummah and the Muslim people, and let the world see the truth about Al-Aqsa or about the occupation, the aggression, and the Western conspiracies against this ummah...
"Those who still weep over the victims and the destroyed buildings, and blame the Flood for the situation in Gaza, are undoubtedly in denial, because human achievements such as attaining independence and liberation from tyranny, and wresting freedom from occupiers and oppressors, cannot be realized through wishes and dreams, but only through bloodshed...
"The enemy is not the occupying Zionist entity but rather those who created it, supported it and sponsored it [i.e., the West]. This entity is a facade and a tool [of the West]. Defeating it is not the end of the road; on the contrary, its defeat and downfall will cause the real enemy to reveal its face, this time without hypocrisy. Then the ummah will find itself in the true battle with all those filthy [Westerners]…
"The cooperation among the forces of polytheism and evil, and their support for this satanic entity [Israel], delay the decisive clash of civilizations that will determine the fate of Western civilization, which currently controls all of humanity. One or the other: either [this clash] will last for centuries more, or this will be the beginning of the end [of Western civilization]. They [the Westerners] have always understood that a confrontation with an energetic and united Muslim ummah will spell the end of their might and abilities in the world, as the divine traditions state. The longer the forces of evil manage to leave the [Muslim] ummah divided and weak, with its members devouring one another, the more they delay that expected decisive confrontation…
"Therefore, it is crucial to support Gaza's steadfastness by every available and feasible means. Maintaining its steadfastness is the personal duty of every Muslim. We must not allow any weakling, hypocrite or spreader of lies to sow weakness and fear in people's hearts under any excuse or slogan. We must fight them [the weaklings and hypocrites] by every possible means, even before fighting those forces of evil…"[1]
One year after October 7 – the resistance has won ( Al-Sharq, Qatar, October 7, 2024)
Palestinian Author: The October 7 Attack Was Just A Taste Of What Is To Come; Liberating Palestine From The River To The Sea Is Possible; Hamas Is Fighting Like The Warriors Of The Prophet's Era
In a column in the Qatari daily Al-Watan titled “A Year Has Passed – Give Thanks to Gaza,” Palestinian author Adham Sharqawi compared Hamas terrorists to the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad and claimed that the October 7, 2023 attack was just “a drill” for what is yet to come, for it proved that the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea is possible.
He wrote: “A year has passed, [and I] thank you, Gaza: You have taught us that rights are taken by force. You do not beg [for them]; no one will come and tell you that you are good and give you what you want. [So,] if you want something, stretch out your hand and take it, and the world be damned!
“A year has passed, [and I] thank you, Gaza: You have taught us that the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea is possible, and that what happened this time [i.e., the October 7 attack] is but a limited drill for what is to come!
“A year has passed, [and I] thank you, Gaza: You have taught us that where there is a will there is a way, and that the issue was never one of ability but only of will. Who could have conceived – or even imagined – that the besieged Gaza could produce its own weapons, fight with them and astonish those who love it even before its enemies[?]!...
“A year has passed, [and I] thank you, Gaza: You have taught us that the likes of the Prophet's Companions live among us, that the descendants of [the Prophet's Companion] Khalid Ibn Al-Walid[2] are aggressively charging the ranks of the enemy, that the descendants of [the Prophet's cousin] Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqqas[3] are good marksmen, and that the descendants of [the Prophet's Companion] Ikrima [Ibn Abi Jahl][4] still swear allegiance to death…"[5]
"One year after the Al-Aqsa Flood," the Palestinians use the waning Israeli candle to light their own candle ( Al-Sharq, Qatar, October 9, 2024)
Journalist In Qatari Daily: The Al-Aqsa Flood Attack Was A Heroic Palestinian Operation; The Resistance Has Managed To Hide Dozens Of Zionist Hostages Underground, Eliminating All Traces Of Them
In an article titled “Let Us Celebrate the Heroism and Steadfastness of Gaza” in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, Iraqi journalist Jassem Al-Shamari described the October 7 attack as a heroic Palestinian operation in which the military wings of the Gazan Palestinian factions inflicted blows on the enemy and “astonished” it, and called to celebrate the steadfastness of the people of Gaza.
He wrote: "… The Al-Aqsa Flood operation was a heroic Palestinian operation that emerged from the Gaza Strip and attacked the Zionist settlements that border the Strip. It was characterized by great precision, calculated timing, rare courage, great speed, operational organization and determination after the invasion!... Now that we have reached October 7, 2024, we are allowed to celebrate a year of steadfastness, heroism, sacrifice and the ability to fight on the battlefield!
"Today, after a year of Zionist attacks in which the enemy carried out hundreds of massacres against civilians, we see that [the Hamas military wing] the ['Izz Ad-Din] Al-Qassam Brigades are pounding Tel Aviv with their rockets and causing the Zionist sirens to ring out in the Zionist settlements! Every hour during the months of resistance, [the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad], the Jerusalem Brigades, announces a new operation as part of its confrontations with the enemy…
"It has been a year of tactics that have battered the enemy, during which the resistance fighters have managed to hide dozens of Zionist hostages underground, while eliminating all traces of them, in a tunnel war that astounded the countries of the world with its underground organization and planning!
"The Al-Aqsa [operation] instilled confidence [in the Palestinians] in their ability to confront the Zionist war machine!
"The Al-Aqsa Flood [operation] has restored the Islamic nation’s prestige.
"The Al-Aqsa Flood [operation] revealed who is innocent and who is a swindler. It revealed who is a [true] friend and purged the ranks of traitors and spies!
"The Al-Aqsa Flood [operation] proved that courage can achieve the impossible despite [the Israeli] military arsenal!
"Congratulations to the people of Al-Aqsa, the people of Palestine and Gaza and all those who helped them, even with words! Let us celebrate Gaza and its heroism!”[6]
"A year after Al-Aqsa Flood": Israel can't fell the Palestinian tree ( Al-Sharq, Qatar, October 7, 2024)
Editorial in Qatari Daily: The October 7 Attack Paved The Way To Tremendous Political Victories
The October 14 editorial of the Qatari daily Al-Watan, titled “Great Victories,” claimed that Hamas' attack has yielded great achievements for the Palestinians by restoring their issue to the international agenda and changing the positions of many countries regarding the conflict.
It read: "On the first anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle there are many discussions about the benefit of the attack that was carried out by factions of the Palestinian resistance and led to what we are witnessing today [in Gaza].
"No response will make sense without recalling the situation that prevailed on the eve of October 7, 2023, with the rise to power of the most extremist religious Zionist streams in the history of Israel. Like Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, they oppose the very idea of negotiating with the Palestinians, completely reject the two-state solution, and make every effort to Judaize the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The extreme right in Israel wasn’t the only one to deny the legitimate national rights of the Palestinians. The international community was also party to this, when it ignored the [Palestinian] cause and delayed taking action to find a solution in accordance with the UN resolutions.
"But after October 7 the picture soon changed. The Palestinian cause returned to the international agenda, and a shift began to be evident in the positions of many countries. They [now] held that it was no longer possible to rely on security approaches or on military force as a solution to this conflict, because there was need to address its roots and its essence. And in fact, [declarations of] recognition of the Palestinian state [arrived] one after the other, decisions were made by the International Court of Justice, and eventually the UN General Assembly [passed] a resolution demanding to end the Israeli occupation, realize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, and remove all the [Israeli] settlers from the occupied Palestinian lands.
"None of these tremendous political victories would have been achieved without the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the tremendous sacrifices of the Palestinian people for the sake of its homeland and its freedom."[7]
Qatari Columnist: The Al-Aqsa Flood Is The Crown Of Every Muslim; "I Thought The Arab Peoples Would Celebrate The Death Of The October 7 Martyrs"
On November 13, 2024, the Al-Sharq daily published an article by Fatima Bint Yousuf Al-Ghazzal titled "When the Zionist Serpent Was Wounded," in which she praised Hamas' October 7 attack and called it a “historic juncture" and an "intifada of conscience." She also criticized those who condemned Hamas for the attack, stating that the actions of the resistance in Gaza pave the way to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, and to the return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes. The Hamas attack, she added, had renewed the international discourse on the Palestinian issue and serves as a warning that the next battle will be in Jerusalem.
She wrote: "...What the Palestinian resistance has provided and continues to provide to this day is considered, by any standard, a heroic act that will be recorded in history in letters of fire, despite its regrettable consequences for our brothers in Gaza... We know for certain that, from year to year, every victory of the resistance in Gaza paves the way to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa and to the return of the displaced and the refugees to their land and their homes; that the Palestinian people have waged a war that will go down in history; that the martyrs will be the fuel for this victory; that the Al-Aqsa Flood, which wounded the Zionist entity, is a crown for every Muslim and free Arab who calls for the liberation of Al-Aqsa from the defilement of the murderous Zionists; and that the heroes of Gaza will be credited with renewing the [international] discourse on the [Palestinian] cause and reviving the Arab and Muslim street, even before warning that the next battle will be in Jerusalem.
"Isn't it a disgrace that some among us condemn the victim and praise the murderer?... Who would have believed that some people would condemn the resistance [fighters], who are in the right, and rejoice in the misfortune of the victims, who are honored among this nation? It is strange that some [among us] condemn what happened on October 7 and condemn those who placed the [Palestinian] cause back on the global agenda, after it had been completely forgotten. Is it conceivable to criticize honor and condemn bravery? By what right do [these] voices distort the truth, define justice as a crime and praise lies?
"What happened on October 7 was not an adventure, but an intifada of conscience against a world suffering from a blurred vision of oppression. I thought that the Arab peoples would glorify the [Palestinian] martyrs of October 7 and that, on this date, they would celebrate the revival of a nation that had submitted and despised itself, [causing] others to despise it even more. I thought that the first lesson in our schools, the first sermon in the Arab mosques, and the first prayer in the Mass of the [Christian] Arabs would be devoted to the children of Gaza and the victims of Lebanon and to those people who have fulfilled what they promised Allah...
"The Al-Aqsa Flood of October 7 was a historic juncture for the nation and a miracle in the life of a people who refuses to surrender..."[8]
[1] Al-Sharq (Qatar), October 10, 2024.
[2] Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (d. 636) was a prominent Arab military commander who led the Muslim army in and presided over many victorious battles in 624-636, including in what is today Iraq, Syria and Israel. The Prophet gave him the name Saif Allah (Allah’s Sword).
[3] Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas (d. 674), a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, was one of the ten Companions of the Prophet who were promised entry into Paradise. Known as the conqueror of Persia, according to Muslim tradition he was the first man to shoot an arrow for the sake of Islam.
[4] Ikrima Ibn Abi Jahl, of the Quraysh tribe, was a sworn enemy of the Prophet Muhammad who later converted and fought alongside the Muslims in all their battles, until his death in the 634 Battle of Yarmuk.
[5] Al-Watan (Qatar), October 7, 2024.
[6] Al-Sharq (Qatar), October 8, 2024.
[7] Al-Watan (Qatar), June 14, 2024.
[8] Al-Sharq (Qatar), November 13, 2024.
