1801-02

Military Communiqué issued by

::: Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades :::

Press Release of Abu Obeida, Al Qassam spokesperson

Our struggling and steadfast people, Our Ummah and the entire world,

The enemy has lied and betrayed you. Betrayal and deceit are traits that the enemy is made of. Yesterday, the enemy violated the ceasefire and perpetrated an outrageous crime by means of a series of raids and savage bombardment operations. The most significant of those operations was the bombing of the Al-Dalu family home in Shaikh Radwan district using a number of the rockets of malice and deceit. The enemy's leaders were waiting eagerly behind their desks and in front of TV screens while their intelligence agencies insinuated to them that the moment for the celebration was drawing near.

First of all, we would like to say to the enemy that you have failed and so has your plan. Time after time you are proving to be a group of failures. Forty-five days since the start of the battle, despite all your intelligence gathering activity, all you have been able to do is kill women and children. You have been unsuccessful and incapable of reaching our Commander in Chief, Abu Khalid Muhammad Al-Daif, by the will of God. Abu Khalid has been responsible for over a quarter of a century for making your failure and incapacity as clear as the midday sun. Abu Khalid Al-Daif is the one who started working right from the beginning of the first uprising and has been on your wanted list for 25 years. He continued to witness your incapacity and failure as well as the fact that you're nothing but a big lie.

Was Abu Khalid Al-Daif, or any other resistance leader, present inside the Al-Lawh family home today, or at the Al-Zeitoun District grocery shop? Abu Khalid is the one who started with stone [-throwing], then he moved to the rifle, then to the martyrdom operations all the way until the Brigades' rockets under his command covered all areas in our beloved usurped homeland. These rockets have forced you to rush like terrified mice to the shelters. Al-Qassam Brigades promise you that Muhammad Al-Daif will, God-willing, be the commander in chief of the conquering and liberating army that will enter into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque until we cleanse all of our land of the filth of the remaining occupiers.

Let it be known to the occupiers that Abu Khalid Muhammad Al-Daif, and behind him the Al-Qassam Brigades and all the resistance groups, happen to be God's destiny against you, for God took it upon Himself to send against you, until the Day of Judgement, those who would afflict you with a grievous punishment.

Our people .. our Ummah and the entire world .. This crime comes amid claims by the enemy about the firing of rockets yesterday in a bid to justify its aggression and violation of the ceasefire, thinking that it was able to make a significant hunt that would enable it to claim victory and decide the way the battle comes to an end. In the meantime, the dance of the demons, or the so-called Cairo negotiations, was going on. We have from the first moment made our position clear regarding these negotiations. We knew beforehand that they were not going to achieve any of the aspirations of our people or achieve what is commensurate with their sacrifices. Despite that, we gave the political leaders of the movement and our people more time than was needed in order to try and reach an agreement that would stop the aggression, lift the siege and bring about reconstruction.

Following these long weeks of futile negotiations, and in the aftermath of the crimes perpetrated by the enemy, we hereby say that this initiative was stillborn and today it was buried together with the body of child martyr Ali Muhammad Al-Daif. Therefore, the Palestinian delegation should withdraw immediately from Cairo and not return. There will be no return to this route after this day. Any dynamic along this route does not oblige us in any way. We would like to stress that the enemy has wasted a golden opportunity to reach a ceasefire agreement in exchange for demands the ceiling of which was much lower than that of the demands it will have to meet in the wake of its crimes and failures.

In the shadow of the crimes perpetrated by the enemy, and after having given the negotiations more than the time needed, and despite the failure of the enemy's instruments and troops in assassinating the commander in chief of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, we hereby declare the following:

1. We warn international airlines against flying to Ben-Gurion Airport. They should stop their flights to and from it as of six o'clock on the morning of Thursday, 21 August 2014.
2. All big rallies by the enemy's supporters are banned in all the areas that fall within the range of Al-Qassam rockets. This applies in particular to football crowds as well as those in other open areas.
3. The inhabitants of what is called the Gaza rim and the towns close by should not return to their homes. Those of them who stay out of necessity should remain inside shelters and protected places.
4. All the above remain effective until further official notice is issued by the commander in chief of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades. Let all be warned not to heed the statement and promises made by the enemy's leaders, for they have proven to be irresponsible and inconsiderate regarding the personal safety of their public.
5. The occupiers, and the entire world, should comprehend the truth about what our people are demanding. All we seek is for the occupation to leave us alone and stop controlling our food, the milk of our children and our fuel. However, the occupiers insist on keeping us on a leash, suffocating us or allowing us to breathe when they will and only as much as they will. The occupiers will not be allowed to continue to do so after this day, God-willing.

This is a struggle that leads to victory or martyrdom

Ezzeddeen Al-Qassam Brigades

Information Office

August 20, 2014