During the 100 days of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – revealed the reasons for the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, its objectives, the course of the confrontation, and the latest developments on the ground and those related to the exchange of prisoners.
On October 7, the Chief of Staff of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Al-Deif, spoke about the causes of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, including the occupation’s continued crimes in occupied Jerusalem and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He also highlighted – in his speech – the tragic conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, and the occupation’s refusal to conclude a humanitarian exchange deal among the reasons for the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” as well as the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
In turn, the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, painted a permanent picture of the field and negotiation scenes, and said at the beginning of the Israeli war, that there is no negotiating the issue of prisoners under fire, and in light of aggression and battle.
Before the ground war that Tel Aviv was threatening, Abu Ubaida threatened last October 16 that Gaza would be a graveyard for its invaders “as it has always been.”
On October 28, 2023, with the development of the ground war, Abu Ubaida sent a special message to the rulers of the Arab and Islamic nations. He did not ask them to defend the children of Gaza and move armies and tanks, but rather to bring aid into Gaza in light of the stifling siege that was imposed on it.
At the end of the past year, the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades saluted the Palestinian people who are subjected to an unprecedented war, stressing that what the occupation had demolished would be built, “the aggression will be broken, and our people will emerge with their heads held high.”
On the other hand, the Israeli narrative emphasized that the goal of the war was to eliminate Hamas, destroy its military capabilities, and end its political rule in the Gaza Strip, in addition to recovering the prisoners.
The occupation leaders – including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Council member Benny Gantz – stressed that achieving victory requires more time, but these statements were accompanied by severe internal crises and disputes over the course of 100 days, amid calls to hold elections and form a new government.