In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, Ther Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Exalted, said:
مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. [Al-Ma’idah. 32]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
If a person is bold enough to kill someone who does not deserve to be killed, this implies that he does make a distinction between the one he killed and other than him; rather he would commit this act whenever his evil calls him to that. Therefore, his bold attitude that led him to kill is as if he has killed all humankind. On the other hand, if a person saves a life and does not kill – whilst his soul calls him to do so – due to fear of Allah, this is as if he has saved the lives of all humankind because the fear of Allah he possesses stops him killing one who does not deserve to be killed. [An Excerpt from Tafsir As-Sadi]
We shall commence by addressing the title of Jane’s article in the following manner:Opinion: A message from a war criminal to the world – [Engaging in a dialogue with Jane Kiel]
The above article titled, “A message from a terrorist to the world”, written by Jane Kiel presents a troubling account of violence inflicted by armed Palestinians on innocent civilians. If the writer’s portrayal is accurate, it undeniably represents a despicable act that deserves condemnation from anyone with a shred of compassion. However, it is equally crucial to acknowledge the actions of the Zionist forces over the past seven decades, which have surpassed the limits of human imagination in their severity. Just as the writer highlights the traumatic experiences faced by civilians in the Zionist State, it is essential to also shed light on the prolonged suffering endured by Palestinians for over 70 years, culminating in the recent conflict in Gaza.
Some Instances of Historical Zionist Brutality Towards Palestinians
The Deir Yassin Massacre: Took place on April 9, 1948, near Jerusalem, during which between 107 to 254 Palestinians were massacred at the hands of the extremist “Stern” gang.
The Nasr al-Din Massacre: Took place in April 1948. Al-Lajjun Massacre: Took place on April 13, 1948, in a Palestinian Arab village in the Jenin District, where the Zionist Haganah gang attacked it and killed 13 people.
The Saliha Massacre: Took place in May 1948, during which 75 Palestinians were massacred.
The Abu Shusha Massacre: Took place on May 14, 1948, near the village of Deir Yassin, and claimed the lives of (50) citizens, including women, men, children, and the elderly.
The Beit Daras Massacre: Took place in northeastern Gaza on May 21, 1948.
The Tantura Massacre: Took place on May 22, 1948, in the occupied city of Haifa, and claimed the lives of about (200) Palestinians.
The Lydda Massacre: Took place on July 12, 1948, in the occupied city of Lydda, and resulted in the massacre of about (500) Palestinians, including (150) who were massacred inside the city’s Grand Mosque. The Zionists threw many of them alive into the town’s wells.
The Dawayima Massacre: Took place on October 29, 1948, when a battalion from the terrorist “Lehi” organization led by Moshe Dayan attacked the village and then began searching homes and shooting at its residents. Entire families were exterminated in the massacre, which resulted in the killing of 200 men, women, and children.
The Zionist massacres did not stop after the Nakba of 1948, but rather their frequency, intensity, and brutality increased in light of the use of more lethal and destructive weapons. Among the most prominent of these massacres were: The Sharafat Massacre, which took place in February 1951, in which 11 Palestinians were massacred, and the rest of the village’s people were displaced. The Bethlehem Massacre took place in January 1952, in which 10 Palestinians were massacred. The Qibya Massacre took place on October 14, 1953, in the village of Qibya, east of Jerusalem, during which (67) Palestinians were massacred, most of whom were women and children, and during which 56 homes were destroyed. The Qalqilya Massacre took place on October 10, 1956, when the occupation forces attacked citizens in the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank, during which about seventy citizens were massacred.
The Kafr Qasem Massacre took place on October 29, 1956, in which 49 Palestinians were massacred, including 11 children, when they were all returning home from work. The Khan Yunis Massacre took place on November 3 and 12, 1956, in which between 280 and 500 Palestinians were massacred.
In 1970, Zionist aircraft struck Bahr al-Baqar Primary School and Abu Zaabal factories, killing more than 150 Egyptian students and workers. In 1980, the extremist Jewish organization Kach attempted to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a shipment of explosives weighing 120 kg was discovered. The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in September 1982. This massacre lasted three days, and its direct perpetrators were members of the Lebanese Phalange forces allied with the Zionists led by Ariel Sharon. The Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre took place on February 25, 1994, when a Zionist named “Barog Goldstein” stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron, and fired bullets and bombs at the worshipers. This massacre resulted in the massacre of 29 Palestinians. The Qana Massacre took place on April 18, 1995. [1]
Recent developments following the October 7 attack by Hamas have drawn significant criticism from various international organizations regarding the severe retaliation executed by Netanyahu’s military forces. Reports indicate that Netanyahu and his allies have engaged in actions that violate the Genocide Convention, aiming to systematically eliminate the Palestinian population in Gaza. This includes not only killings but also inflicting serious physical and psychological harm, as well as imposing living conditions designed to lead to their physical annihilation. Month after month, the actions of Netanyahu’s military have dehumanised Palestinians in Gaza, treating them as a group devoid of basic human rights and dignity, clearly signaling an intent to eradicate them.
During the height of the conflict, various international organisations reported a harrowing two-month period where the population was under siege, grappling with starvation, displacement, and the threat of annihilation amidst relentless bombardments and crippling restrictions on essential humanitarian aid. Additionally, they highlighted that for several months, the forces under Netanyahu’s command engaged in acts that could be classified as genocidal, fully cognizant of the irreversible damage being inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza. This continued despite numerous warnings regarding the dire humanitarian crisis and binding resolutions from international entities demanding that Netanyahu and his associates take immediate action to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
They stated in their reports that Netanyahu and his associates have consistently maintained that their actions in Gaza are lawful, claiming justification through their military objective of eliminating Hamas. However, the notion of genocidal intent can exist alongside military objectives and does not have to be the only aim. The context of dispossession, apartheid, and unlawful military occupation in which these actions have taken place has led to a singular, reasonable conclusion: that Netanyahu and his associates intended the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, either in conjunction with or as a means to achieve their military goal of dismantling Hamas. Furthermore, while acknowledging the horrific crimes committed by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7, 2023, including unlawful killings and hostage-taking, it is crucial to understand that these actions cannot justify Netanyahu’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The military response from the Zionist army following the attacks on October 7 has pushed Gaza’s population to the brink of disaster. This relentless offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 42,000 Palestinians, including more than 13,300 children, and has injured upwards of 97,000, with many casualties stemming from direct or indiscriminate attacks that have obliterated entire families. The scale of destruction is unprecedented, occurring at a pace and intensity not witnessed in any other 21st-century conflict, decimating entire cities and devastating essential infrastructure, agricultural lands, and cultural and religious sites. As a result, vast areas of Gaza have become uninhabitable.
They also highlighted that Netanyahu’s government created dire living conditions in Gaza, resulting in a lethal combination of malnutrition, hunger, and disease, effectively subjecting Palestinians to a slow and calculated demise. Furthermore, hundreds of Gazans have been subjected to incommunicado detention, torture, and other forms of mistreatment. The total siege imposed on Gaza cut off essential resources such as electricity, water, and fuel. Over nine months during the conflict, Netanyahu’s administration enforced a stifling and illegal blockade, severely restricting access to energy and failing to ensure meaningful humanitarian aid within Gaza. This obstructed the importation and distribution of critical supplies, particularly in the northern regions. Consequently, the already dire humanitarian crisis worsened. The extensive destruction of homes, hospitals, water and sanitation systems, and agricultural land, coupled with mass displacement, led to catastrophic hunger levels and a rapid increase in disease. The effects have been particularly devastating for young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, with serious long-term health implications.
Through its repeated “evacuatio” orders, Netanyahu’s government issued numerous “evacuation” orders, resulting in the displacement of nearly 1.9 million Palestinians—90% of Gaza’s population—into increasingly confined and perilous areas, often under dire conditions, with some individuals being forced to relocate as many as ten times. This relentless cycle of forced displacement rendered countless people unemployed and profoundly traumatised, particularly given that approximately 70% of Gaza’s inhabitants are refugees or descendants of those who were uprooted from their homes during the 1948 Nakba. They stated that Netanyahu’s administration showed a troubling unwillingness to implement measures that could have safeguarded displaced civilians and addressed their fundamental needs, indicating a deliberate choice to ignore their plight. They consistently denied displaced individuals the opportunity to return to their homes in northern Gaza or to seek temporary refuge in other areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territory or lands under Zionist control. This refusal continued to violate the rights of many Palestinians to return to the areas from which they were uprooted in 1948, as recognised by many nations. The administration was fully aware that there were no safe havens for Palestinians in Gaza.
The above information, derived from reports by various international organisations, has faced denial from Zionist factions, despite being evident in daily life. Furthermore, while Jane’s article highlights barbaric actions, it pales in comparison to the brutality faced by Palestinians over the past 70 years. It is crucial to remember that the roots of this conflict do not lie with the Palestinians, who did not instigate it, but rather with the colonial figureheads that supported the Zionists in creating the circumstances over 70 years ago. [Footnote a]
We would like to emphasise, once again, the strong insights shared by Prince Turki al-Faisal, may Allah safeguard him, which can be found in the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3-cWyFcK5w
In addition, some Zionists figureheads have also employed genocidal rhetoric against Palestinians. [Footnote b]
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Footnote a:
Footnote b:
[1] Compiled from various old Arab Newspapers