While Hamas is number one target in Israel's current offensive, there are other groups fighting in the streets of Gaza City too. Amongst them, the al-Quds Brigades, who are posting their IDF defeats online.
The militant we see in the video is a member of Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an extremist group which aims to destroy the state of Israel in order to replace it with an Islamic, Palestinian state. We don't know if the information he gives in the video is correct.
"Our brigades have attacked an armoured vehicle which came in from the eastern town of Khan Younès [south of the Gaza Strip]. We hit the vehicle with an RPG. Here's a piece of the tank. One of our snipers, hidden in a house, also killed an Israeli soldier. We seized this LAW [bazooka] after it was abandoned by a Zionist being shot at by our militants."
Amatzia Baram is a historian who specialises in Middle Eastern conflict. He teaches at the University of Haifa, Israel.
Despite the
Islamic Jihad originally being a part of Fatah, they're actually even more
extreme than Hamas. One reason that they can be much more radical is because
they're not responsible for the population: they're purely a military
organisation. Another reason is that they're very close to Islamic Jihad in Iran. They've
been following Iran for 20
years, whereas Hamas only became close to Iran in the last two years. In
terms of religious positioning they're the same as Hamas, but in terms of
practical politics the Islamic Jihad never had any constraints at all. In the
1980s they were already fighting Israel while Hamas was saying no. [Hamas
was created in 1987, the Islamic Jihad in 1970].
Al-Quds in Gaza is not a big group; they have no political weight and are not a very effective terrorist organisation. Even the family-run organisations in the south, like Darmush, are stronger than al-Quds. Exactly what al-Quds is doing we are not sure, because right now it's impossible to tell who is firing what. But for sure they are fighting, and probably in line with Hamas. However if Hamas is defeated by Israel, then al-Quds will do as they please afterwards."
Sameh Habeeb is a blogger and journalist from eastern Gaza City.
No-one sees
the militants, they're all hidden. We normal people don't see the real clashes.
We have 10 to 14 resistance groups in Gaza,
al-Quds being one of them; we don't know the difference. I think every group is
involved now. It's just chaos."
Comments
The ugly face of truth
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 28/01/2009 - 00:03.Nothing can express the war crimes committed by israel's army in Gaza more than the pictures of truth, see this link "http://www.wntube.net/play.php?vid=1981"
Unregistered user
xtrem
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 19/01/2009 - 03:11.Super- jihad,Xjihad,Addicted to violence,adrenaline rush,need for glory...What about being doctor,engeneer,scientist...boring...
Unregistered user
fighters
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 19/01/2009 - 02:37.too much chiefs not enough indians...All united in the defeat...Try radical peace,foundemmental peace,extrem peace,Jihad peace,...go to school become a doctor,ingeneer,scientist...Train and bring olympic medal for your country.Make palestine shine in the world events Allah o akbar.Be carefull using the internet is a US product with jewish enginering,Drop your lewis -jean too,Make Ghaza a big trade center like it was for so long...Salam
Unregistered user
Who is the terrorist?
Submitted by Lamia (not verified) on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 22:52.WHO IS THE TERRORIST? Israel is saying she's fighting terrorism by destroying a whole town and using forbidden weapons that cause destructive injuries as stated by UN and foreign doctors were helping there. And she is hiding what is going from press. WHO IS THE TERRORIST?
They say that Arabs hate Israel. How can we expect Arabs to love Israel while she is performing continuous massacres where ever she is? Why there are lots of things not shown on the media in western countries? Why they say Israel is protecting her self and Palestine cannot do that? How come we ask Palestine to love Israel, show pleasance and grace for her, while they are humiliated, deprived of their rights. The stories about what happened in Gaza are too horrible to believe humans did so, We all know that Israel even before it existed, they are planning to expand their nation from Nile to Al forat, and that’s why they attacked Egypt before in 1967 trying to achieve their plans. Israel will not stop, They’ll always try to find an excuse to attack and steal another peace of land until they achieve their plans. And of course thanks to the USA support. Unfortunately we are living in a world where existence is for the powerful only, all organizations constructed to settle justice between nations are no longer useful, they are too week to do their role.
This link is exposing Israel’s massacres in Gaza
http://www.elfarra.ps/gallery/gaza.htm#
These are only SOME of the massacres committed by Israel, and the list can go on for pages, who wants to find out the truth, will find it.
Unregistered user
It's not only about religion. It's much more
Submitted by Falastine on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 14:25.A comment someone called Davided urged me to write this reply. David argued that religion can't be the cause of all this because Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same God.
I'm a Palestinian who lives in Palestine, and I know that if you want to know whats really going on on ground, don't concentrate on symptoms, but find out the cause. Palestinians are not fundamentalists or extremists by nature. This can't - their lives & history is the proof. What urges some Palestinians to fight is not religion, it is the humiliation, their depriviation from their freedoms, dignity, and right of self determination. Religion is a secondary reason. It probably supports their position. But it can't be the one and only cause. During the few peaceful years following Oslo, Palestinians lived side by side with Israelis so peacefully, simply because they had a taste of freedom. End the occupation and give Palestinians their state and freedom, and the whole worold will then realize that Palestinians are not terrorists, they only react to the Israeli state terrorism.
Falastine
Militants, murderers, freedom fighters,: What's the difference?
Submitted by shutterbug on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 01:43.Sameh Habeeb posted the following: No-one sees the militants, they're all hidden. We normal people don't see the real clashes. We have 10 to 14 resistance groups in Gaza, al-Quds being one of them; we don't know the difference. I think every group is involved now. It's just chaos."
Can anyone explain just why there is so much hatred, racism, political and religious division. Hand on heart, I cannot truly see where religion comes into the equation. If there really is a God up there, he/she must be crying into his/her (whatever s/he wears on his/her feet).
From what I remember from my school days, (and I was brought up a good catholic boy), Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God, but in differing ways. The main point here is 'THE SAME GOD'. Our religions stem from the same roots, going way back to Abraham. Poor old God, all of the troubles the world suffers gets thrown back in His face. 'We blow ourselves and others up in the name of God, we shoot children and other innocents, but we can justify it by saying we do it in the name of God'. The word for that, I think, was, and as far as I know, still is, sophistry: or is that hypocrisy? The Irish had the same problem for years: the catholics fought the protestants, and they used religion as their excuse. When will these so called 'religious fanatics' wake up and smell the roses. Religion has NOTHING to do with inter-racial strife, only the quest for power is important to them.
Every day, radio and television broadcasts demands, threats, justification for atrocities, claims of atrocities, bombing, shooting and general mayhem. While I believe the media thrives on conflict, would it not be better one day to have the news full of good things just for a change.
There are factions which believe that if they murder as many 'infidels' as possible, dying themselves while they are at it, they will go straight to heaven. Let's crash or blow up a plane with hundreds of passengers and we'll go to heaven while they - the innocents, will go to hell because they don't believe the same as us. Well sunshine, I've got news for you. Kill without reason, and indiscriminately, and you shall fry in the deepest pit that hell can reserve for you. And not a virgin in sight.
In the words of a contemporary of mine, though not a personal favourite, 'GIVE PEACE A CHANCE'
David
shutterbug
No one see the militant they
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 19/01/2009 - 02:40.No one see the militant they all hidden ,specially during the fights...
Unregistered user
It's not only about religion. It's much more
Submitted by Falastine on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 14:26.A comment someone called Davided urged me to write this reply. David argued that religion can't be the cause of all this because Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same God.
I'm a Palestinian who lives in Palestine, and I know that if you want to know whats really going on on ground, don't concentrate on symptoms, but find out the cause. Palestinians are not fundamentalists or extremists by nature. This can't - their lives & history is the proof. What urges some Palestinians to fight is not religion, it is the humiliation, their depriviation from their freedoms, dignity, and right of self determination. Religion is a secondary reason. It probably supports their position. But it can't be the one and only cause. During the few peaceful years following Oslo, Palestinians lived side by side with Israelis so peacefully, simply because they had a taste of freedom. End the occupation and give Palestinians their state and freedom, and the whole worold will then realize that Palestinians are not terrorists, they only react to the Israeli state terrorism.
Falastine
It's not only about religion. It's much more
Submitted by shutterbug on Mon, 19/01/2009 - 01:52.Thank you Falastine, you sound like a very gentle person.
I agree completely and whole-heartedly that religion should not be blamed or even quoted for any and all violence perpetrated on anyone, no matter what their colour or creed, but it always seems to be. Young men and women march to war or immolation, and the last voice that follows them is their priest/vicar/rabbi/imam or whatever telling them that they are fighting with God on their side. The other side is always told the same thing. If there is only one God, how can he be fighting on both sides. Young men and women (martyr) themselves by blowing themselves and as many other people as they can to smithereens, and all with the name of God on their lips. All they are doing is committing suicide and murdering innocents: nothing more. More lives, young lives in most cases, wasted. Truly sad.
As you said, I agree that the average Palestinian is just like me. He's an OK guy who wants to live in peace with his family, work, grow old and see his children and grandchildren do the same. Luckily, I live in a place where this actually happens, and it saddens me to see anyone suffer the way you do.
I am far from being a religious person, even though, or should I say probably, because I have studied different religions and their effects throughout the ages, and I can honestly say that organised religion is responsible for more bloodshed and abuse to the human race over the centuries than any (ordinary) form of warfare. My daughter teaches world history, and it saddens her to re-count to her pupils (students) the depredations committed in the name of religion over the years.
As I said before, poor old God; He/She takes the blame for everything.
In all religions, if they are to be believed, there will will one day be a reckoning. The murderers will fry in hell.
I don't know which way I'll go, but I've never killed anyone - at least, not to my knowledge, so hopefully, if I go up instead of down, I won't have to share eternity with the garbage of the world.
David
shutterbug
difference is not important
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 00:30.the most important thing is that they fight the colonizer regardeless of the group they belong to
Unregistered user
difference is not important
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 00:30.the most important thing is that they fight the colonizer regardeless of the group they belong to
Unregistered user
Al Quds is Hamas
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 15/01/2009 - 22:51.there is no difference between Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and their military wing called Al Quds...so it's no surprise that the "ordinary" Palestinians don't know the difference or can't "see" them...until they pull an AK47 on them...and proof that Hamas purposely hides amongst the population using them as human shields against any attacker
Unregistered user
difference
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 19/01/2009 - 02:58.There is no difference the matter is to kill no mater who....
Unregistered user