Fatah: Hamas massacre brought “a morning of victory, joy, [and] pride”
- Abbas: Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians is “self-defense” and “Israeli escalation”
- Fatah calls for Palestinian “escalation” and to “intensify the confrontation in all arenas of confrontation with the occupation”
- Fatah urges all Palestinians to join the terror against Israel and “to take action and participate in this story of heroism”
- Fatah: “Glory to the Martyrs, healing to the wounded, and victory to our mighty Palestinian people”
- Fatah’s antisemitic legitimization of terror: The Jews “defile our Jerusalem and our holy places”
- Fatah stresses its participation in the “heroic battle” to “defend” the Palestinian people’s “honor and holy sites”
Yesterday, the Hamas terror organization surprised Israel with a massive attack from the Gaza Strip and Israel is now at war.
This morning Israelis were notified that at least 300 Israelis had been murdered - since then that number has risen to 600 - and nearly 2,000 wounded, in addition to nearly 100 Israelis taken hostage, some of whom were abducted into the Gaza Strip, including small children, teenagers, and senior Israeli civilians as well as soldiers.
Early saturday morning approximately 200 Hamas terrorists broke through Israel's security fence at the Gaza Strip border and launched a surprise attack, murdering or taking hostage every Israeli civilian they saw, while taking control of several Israeli towns on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Hamas terrorists also fired at least 3,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. In response, Israel has launched Operation Iron Swords to counter the Hamas terror threat.
The massacre on Israel is fully supported by the PA and Fatah.
While Israel counted more than 600 dead, 2,000 wounded, and around 100 hostages, a Fatah official said that this is a “morning of victory, joy, and pride.” He then urged all Palestinians to participate in the terror against Israel – in what he termed “this story of heroism”:
Fatah Jenin branch member Abd Al-Rahman Abu Al-Rub: “We say to our people and to the members of the Palestinian people: A morning of victory, and morning of joy, a morning of pride (refers to Hamas terror massacre; see note below -Ed.). We ask Allah to send a blessing to our heroic Martyrs in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and wherever the Palestinian people is… We in the Fatah Movement in the Jenin district convey the message to all our brothers and to all our Palestinian people that they are compelled to take action and participate in this story of heroism with the Palestinian people that is realizing its natural right to fight the occupation and liberate the occupied lands.”
[Official PA TV, Oct. 8, 2023]
PA Chairman Abbas justified Hamas’ attack and massacre of civilians as “self-defense”:
Posted text: “[PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] instructs to provide defense to our people and emphasizes our right to defend ourselves (refers to Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.). In the coming hours he will lead a convention of the Palestinian leadership.”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Oct. 7, 2023]
“[PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] instructed to provide defense to our people, and he emphasized the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense facing the terror of the settlers and the occupation forces.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh echoed this, calling the Hamas massacre a “natural result of Israel’s continued crimes,” blaming Israel for not “acceding to [the Palestinian] recurring warning against the severe consequences”:
[PA] Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh emphasized… that Israel’s destruction of the two-state solution will not cause it to enjoy peace, which will only be achieved when the Palestinian people receives its legitimate rights.
Shtayyeh emphasized the Palestinian people’s right to defend its land and its holy sites, which are always being violated [by Israel].
Shtayyeh said that what is happening today (refers to Hamas terror war -Ed.) is a natural result of not acceding to our recurring warning against the severe consequences of Israel’s continued crimes, while it feels that it can evade punishment.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
Furthermore, Abbas’ Fatah Movement called to “escalate the confrontation in all arenas” – obviously urging terror in the West Bank as well:
“The Fatah Movement called on the masses of our people to hold a general strike tomorrow, Sunday [Oct. 8, 2023], and to escalate the confrontation in all arenas in order to defend our people and our right to freedom, a state, and independence.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
Fatah used this photo of a masked man wearing a yellow Fatah headband swinging a slingshot to fire a rock while facing an explosion to accompany its call for terror “in all arenas,” while cheering for the Palestinian terrorists already involved:
“Fatah calls on the masses of our people to declare tomorrow, Sunday, as a day of general strike and intensifying the confrontation in all arenas of confrontation with the occupation, in order to defend our people and our sacred right to freedom, a state, and independence. Glory to the Martyrs, healing to the wounded, and victory to our mighty Palestinian people.”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Oct. 7, 2023]
The PA and Fatah has justified the Hamas massacre, claiming it is a “natural response” to what they say is Jews “defiling” their Jerusalem and holy places and Israel’s “aggression and crimes against our people and its Islamic and Christian holy sites”:
“In a statement this evening, Saturday [Oct. 7, 2023], Fatah added that the occupation is continuing its aggression and its crimes against our people and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, and that it is continuing it cruel attack against our male and female prisoners amid international silence. It called to provide our people with defense.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
Another statement by Fatah, this time issued by the Revolutionary Council, praised “the greatness” of the Palestinian people, legitimizing its:
“waging the battle of defending its honor and its holy sites, and foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023 and
Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Oct. 7, 2023]
Fatah added that “our people is defending its Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the shadow of the continued violations by the occupation and the settlers against it.”
Fatah’s statement also emphasized “the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense” and Fatah’s participation in terror – “the heroic battle”:
“Fatah is participating in defending our people everywhere, and we emphasize to the Fatah members in particular and to all our people that we must strengthen the cohesion in this heroic battle. We hope that everyone everywhere will defend our villages, our towns, and our cities against the attacks of the occupation and its settlers.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
The chairman of the legislative body of the PLO, Rawhi Fattouh also stressed the unity between Fatah and Hamas – in his words “the solidarity of the people” – while referring to the massacre of murders, wounding, and hostage taking as “brave resistance.” He vowed that this “defense of Palestinian honor” will “continue”:
“[Palestinian] National Council Chairman Rawhi Fattouh also praised the solidarity of our people throughout the homeland, its resolve, and its brave resistance. He added that this legendary resolve will increase its determination to continue defending its honor, and that Palestine will remain a symbol of resolve.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 8, 2023]
The extraordinary ability to ignore and deny Palestinian terror atrocities hasn’t failed them this time either. Without mentioning Hamas’ massive attack on Israel and murder of hundreds, Fatah turned everything upside down and cheered the Palestinian people as “creating heroism and miracles” while facing an attack from Israel! Abbas’ movement further added the well-known antisemitic “excuse” for violence: That Jews are “defiling” Jerusalem and the holy sites:
“The masses of our mighty people that refuses to fall, who are creating heroism and miracles facing the criminal and ugly attack to which our people is being subjected in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and out of a continuation of the acts that harm and defile our Jerusalem and our holy sites, and also in the shadow of the ongoing attack and oppression against our female and male prisoners, and facing the strengthening attack on our Gaza Strip and the cities, villages, and [refugee] camps of our Palestinian West Bank – we bid farewell to the processions of Martyrs who died on the altar of freedom in order to be rid of the occupation.”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Oct. 7, 2023]
Fattouh echoed this reverse way of presenting the terror war on Israel, when he “held the Israeli occupation’s racist government fully responsible for the attacks that are taking place and the bombing of the Gaza Strip” without mentioning that Hamas started with its massive attack on Israel. [WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023] Fattouh even added a demand of “immediate intervention by the UN Security Council to defend the Palestinian people.”
Similarly, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Abbas to condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel, Abbas had the audacity to present the war as “the bloody Israeli escalation” against which the “defenseless” Palestinians need “international protection”:
“His Honor [Abbas] emphasized that the current Israeli escalation against our people must be stopped, and that the reason for this is the actions of the settlers and the Israeli occupation forces, the aggression against the Islamic and Christian holy sites, and especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque – which we have warned about… He also emphasized that it is necessary to provide international protection to our defenseless people that is being subjected to bloody Israeli aggression.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
The following are longer excerpts of the statements above:
Hamas war on Israel October 2023 - At least 600 Israelis were murdered and over 2,000 wounded, in addition to nearly 100 Israelis who were taken hostage, some of whom were abducted into the Gaza Strip, when approximately 200 Hamas terrorists broke through Israel's security fence at the Gaza Strip border and launched a surprise attack, taking control of several Israeli towns on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret (Simchat Torah), which fell on the Sabbath, Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas terrorists also fired at least 3,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords to counter the Hamas terror threat.
Headline: “The [PA] president instructs to provide defense to our [Palestinian] peopleand emphasizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense”
“[PA] President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas led a special meeting today, Saturday [Oct. 7, 2023], which included a number of senior civilian and security officials.
The president instructed to provide defense to our people, and he emphasized the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense facing the terror of the settlers and the occupation forces (refers to Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.). He instructed to provide all that is needed to strengthen the resolve of our people against the crimes that are being committed by the Israeli occupation and the settler gangs.
His Honor [Abbas] will lead a meeting of the Palestinian leadership.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
“The Fatah Movement called on the masses of our people to hold a general strike tomorrow, Sunday [Oct. 8, 2023], and to escalate the confrontation in all arenas in order to defend our people and our right to freedom, a state, and independence (the call follows the Hamas war on Israel October 2023 that began the same day; see note below -Ed.).
In a statement this evening, Saturday, Fatah added that the occupation is continuing its aggression and its crimes against our people and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, and that it is continuing it cruel attack against our male and female prisoners amid international silence. It called to provide our people with defense.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
Posted text: “Fatah declares tomorrow, Sunday [Oct. 8, 2023], as a day of a general strike and intensifying the confrontation in all arenas as a defense of our people (refers to Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.).
The masses of our mighty people that refuses to fall, who are creating heroism and miracles facing the criminal and ugly attack to which our people is being subjected in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and out of a continuation of the acts that harm and defile our Jerusalem and our holy sites, and also in the shadow of the ongoing attack and oppression against our female and male prisoners, and facing the strengthening attack on our Gaza Strip and the cities, villages, and [refugee] camps of our Palestinian West Bank – we bid farewell to the processions of Martyrs who died on the altar of freedom in order to be rid of the occupation.
The Palestinian National Liberation Movement ‘Fatah’ calls on the masses of our people to declare tomorrow, Sunday, as a day of general strike and intensifying the confrontation in all arenas of confrontation with the occupation, in order to defend our people and our sacred right to freedom, a state, and independence. Glory to the Martyrs, healing to the wounded, and victory to our mighty Palestinian people.”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Oct. 7, 2023]
Headline: “The Fatah Revolutionary Council emphasizes our people’s right to self-defense as part of its national unity”
The following is the full text of a statement by the Fatah Revolutionary Council issued on Oct. 7, 2023, several hours after Hamas launched a terror war on Israel; see note below -Ed.
“In light of the greatness of our people as it is waging the battle of defending its honor and its holy sites, and foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,the first direction of prayer of the Muslims, and in light of what has happened and is still happening to the Gaza Strip that is standing firm, which was and still is under the most despicable siege that has continued for more than 20 years, our people has demonstrated historic and awe-inspiring heroism.
Our people has carried out acts of heroism one after the other since the launch of the revolution on Jan. 1, 1965 (refers to “the Launch” of Fatah, counted from its first terror attack against Israel -Ed.), and after it the victory in the Karameh battle (see note below -Ed.), our people’s acts of heroism at Beaufort Castle (refers to site of a battle in the 1982 first Lebanon War in which 6 Israeli soldiers were killed -Ed.), and all of its intifadas for freedom and independence.
Our people is defending its Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the shadow of the continued violations by the occupation and the settlers against it and suspicious international silence, as the government of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu – [Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar] Ben Gvir – [Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel] Smotrich has given free rein to the fascist settlers to go too far in the acts of murder against our defenseless people, its holy sites, and its prisoners in the occupation’s prisons.
We in the [Fatah] Revolutionary Council emphasize the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense as part of its national unity, which all sides in the Palestinian arena must maintain. We emphasize that Fatah is participating in defending our people everywhere, and we emphasize to the Fatah members in particular and to all our people that we must strengthen the cohesion in this heroic battle. We hope that everyone everywhere will defend our villages, our towns, and our cities against the attacks of the occupation and its settlers.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
Headline: “Fattouh demands that the world immediately intervene to stop the occupation’s aggression against our people”
“[Palestinian] National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) Chairman Rawhi Fattouh demanded that the free people of the world and the international organizations, foremost among them the [UN] Security Council, take more serious positions and immediately intervene to stop the occupation’s aggression against our people and to demand an accounting from the extremist occupation government (refers to Operation Iron Swords in response to the Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.).
In a statement that was issued today, Sunday [Oct. 8, 2023], Fattouh called on the Arab and Islamic nations and the free world to demonstrate solidarity with our Palestinian people and to protest in order to exert pressure on the occupation government and force it to stop the aggression.
Fattouh also praised the solidarity of our people throughout the homeland, its resolve, and its brave resistance. He added that this legendary resolve will increase its determination to continue defending its honor, and that Palestine will remain a symbol of resolve.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 8, 2023]
Rawhi Fattouh also serves as Fatah Commissioner of International Relations and Fatah Central Committee member.
Headline: “Fattouh holds the occupation government fully responsible for the attacks and bombing of the Gaza Strip”
“Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) Chairman Rawhi Fattouh held the Israeli occupation’s racist government fully responsible for the attacks that are taking place and the bombing of the Gaza Strip(refers to Israel’s Operation Iron Swords in response to Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.).
In a statement from the National Council today, Saturday [Oct. 7, 2023], Fattouh said that Israel’s rejection of any political process whose goal is establishing peace; its ongoing denial of our people’s rights; its non-recognition of the Palestinian people’s existence, as [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu showed in his recent speech at the UN [General Assembly] (refers to Netanyahu displaying a map entitled “The New Middle East,” which highlighted Israel including Judea and Samaria together with its Arab neighbors in a speech on Sept. 22, 2023 -Ed.); the legalization of new outposts; the illegal taking control of the occupied Palestinian land; giving a green light to the settlers to murder Palestinians and protecting them from being put on trial; the daily acts of murder and executions in the Palestinian cities and towns; the recurring invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the attacks on the worshippers – [all of this] has detonated the gunpowder keg, which we have warned the right-wing [Israeli] government about time after time for a long time.
Fattouh, who is currently in the Gaza Strip, added that our people in the Palestinian land and in the diaspora is one, and that it is its right to defend itself, its land, and its holy sites. He also said that resistance is a legitimate right of all the occupied and oppressed peoples, including the Palestinian people, the only people that is suffering from the racism and fascism of the occupation.
Fattouh demanded immediate intervention by the UN Security Council to defend the Palestinian peopleand force Israel to honor the international resolutions and conventions that defend civilians in a time of war and conflict.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]
The PA and its leaders misrepresent all of the Temple Mount as an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore, they vilify any presence of Jews on the mount as an "invasion." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. Israeli police ban Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount because of threats of violence by Palestinians.
Headline: “The [PA] president receives a phone call from the American secretary of state”
“[PA] President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call this evening, Saturday [Oct. 7, 2023], from American Secretary of State Antony Blinken (refers to Blinken’s call asking Abbas to condemn the Hamas terror war; see note below -Ed.).
During the call, His Honor [Abbas] emphasized that the current Israeli escalation against our people must be stopped, and that the reason for this is the actions of the settlers and the Israeli occupation forces, the aggression against the Islamic and Christian holy sites, and especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque – which we have warned about – and this is in addition to the absence of a political prospect and the fact that our people is not being given its legitimate right to self-determination and to realizing its independence and sovereignty in its state whose capital is East Jerusalem.
He emphasized that non-implementation of the international institutions’ resolutions and international law vis-à-vis Israel and the continued discrimination and oppression against our people are what are pushing towards the direction of an explosion, whose results no one will be able to bear. He also emphasized that it is necessary to provide international protection to our defenseless people that is being subjected to bloody Israeli aggression.
The American secretary of state emphasized that his country is working with all sides to stop the current escalation, and that it is important to remain in contact.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Oct. 7, 2023]