No. 49

December 20, 2024

Stand with Palestine!

Unrelenting Palestinian Resistance

Photo Review

December Actions in Support of Palestinian Resistance
Do Not Falter

Ottawa, December 14

• Protestors Denounce Blinken as "Butcher of Gaza" During Testimony in Congress

• U.S./Zionist Genocide Also Results in Worsening
Socio-Economic Conditions in Israel

Stand with Palestine!

Unrelenting Palestinian Resistance

Al Qassam targets Israeli tank in northern Gaza

Resistance in Gaza remains relentless, making clear to Israel and the world that no matter what hopes the U.S./Zionist forces harbour, as well as those who conciliate with them, their plans to wipe out the Palestinian people and their Resistance organizations will fail. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and the Resistance is steadfast. The people will decide future arrangements, not those who do not even recognize the Palestinians as human beings, let alone that they comprise a people.

The Resistance is countering the brutal U.S./Zionist massacres and use of starvation and extreme violence against the people, as well as their incitement of agents provocateurs to gain a foothold in Palestine, to no avail.

Since the takeover of Syria by U.S. sponsored terrorists, the Resistance has regularly provided information about their actions with reports and videos, including in areas Israel claims are "secure."

The Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip has been a main area where the U.S./Zionist forces are committing heinous crimes, but due to the actions of the Resistance they have failed to establish control. On December 18, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, said its fighters blew up an Israeli troop carrier near the Martyr Imad Aqel Mosque, east of Jabaliya. They also eliminated five Israeli soldiers near the Al-Khulafaa Mosque in the center of the camp. For its part, Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad announced the targeting of Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the center of Jabaliya.

Displaced in northern Gaza

Al-Qassam reported that its fighters again targeted the occupation's command and control site in the Netzarim axis with 107 rockets. Netzarim axis separates northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip. This action follows earlier joint operations by Al-Quds, Al-Qassam, and other resistance groups targeting the command and control headquarters. Actions also targeted the Israeli occupation's logistical support and supplies for the area.

Also on December 18, Al-Qassam said that it targeted an Israeli force that had barricaded itself inside a house with a TBG shell near the Abu Sharkh roundabout, west of Jabaliya.

An Al-Qassam fighter killed an Israeli soldier next to a Merkava tank, seized his weapon, and threw two hand grenades into the tank west of Beit Lahia, also in northern Gaza Strip.

These actions follow those on December 13 and since when Al-Qassam Brigades reported that they shelled the Israeli occupation forces in the Al-Bareed area of the Jabaliya camp, using heavy caliber mortars. They also reported the targeting of two Israeli D-9 bulldozers and a Nemer personnel carrier, using a Shuath explosive device, near the Falluja cemetery, west of Jabaliya. Al-Quds Brigades shelled gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the Jabaliya Services Club.

Joint actions also succeeded in blowing up a Zionist troop carrier loaded with explosives in the Al-Khulafa area in Jabaliya camp. Israel admitted that several of its soldiers were killed or wounded. Palestinian sources, judging by the number of helicopters that evacuated the dead and wounded, suggest that the number of Israeli casualties was significantly higher than the Israelis admitted.

A few days before, Al-Quds reported: "We bombed with regular mortar shells (60 mm caliber) the soldiers and vehicles of the Zionist enemy who penetrated the vicinity of Al-Fawz Mosque in the Saftawi area," in northern Gaza.

In Rafah, in southern Gaza, Al-Quds Brigades reported December 18: "We took control of a Zionist drone while it was carrying out intelligence missions in the skies of Rafah city." Days before, east of Rafah, Al-Qassam fighters took control of three Quadcopter drones while they were conducting intelligence missions in the Al-Jeneina neighborhood.

Additionally, Al-Quds provided a video of an artillery operation against Israeli soldiers and vehicles that were penetrating the Al-Jeneina neighborhood. The video showed the vehicles being monitored during their incursion into the operation area and targeted with mortar shells between December 12 and 15.

The Abu Ali Mustafa Martyr Brigades, military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has also reported successful actions. They were part of the joint operations against the Israeli occupiers in the Netzarim axis and also targeted the new Israeli military sites in the Philadelphi axis in the southern Gaza Strip near Rafah with a rocket barrage. Their rocket unit targeted Israeli military gatherings in central Gaza with a 107-caliber rocket barrage.

Resistance in the West Bank

Protest in Jenin in support of the Resistance, December 14, 2024

Actions against the Israeli occupiers in the West Bank also persist. Resistance fighters in the West Bank confronted Israeli occupation forces during a series of incursions in several cities, using gunfire and explosive devices to repel the Israeli troops. The clashes come amid an intensification of Israeli military activities in the occupied territories, marked by heightened repression, mass detentions, and killing of Palestinians.

The Al-Quds Jenin Brigade reported blowing up an occupation military vehicle with an explosive device on the Janzour axis in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the West Bank.

Reports inform that the U.S./Zionist forces are also once again instigating agents of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to act against the Resistance in Jenin. In the name of "maintaining law and order" they raided Jenin on December 14. Resistance fighters there have continued to fight against the Israeli occupiers and refuse to permit the enemy to incite internecine warfare and refuse to abandon the Resistance or their arms. They stand firm in the necessity to continue opposing the U.S./Zionist genocide.

In the city of Tubas, fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades reported engaging Israeli forces in fierce confrontations near the city's main street. The Resistance employed automatic weapons during the battle, forcing the Israeli troops to retreat.

Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, called on Palestinians in the West Bank to intensify their attacks on the Israeli army. In a statement issued on December 12, Abu Obeida hailed the operation carried out by a Palestinian at the Al-Khader checkpoint south of Jerusalem that killed Israeli forces. He said "we call on our youth and resistance fighters in the West Bank to intensify their operations against the enemy's soldiers and its gangs of usurpers in order to thwart the occupation's plans, which are accelerating in pace to annex the West Bank and impose new facts on the ground."

(The Palestine Chronicle, Telegram, Al Mayadeen)

Protestors Denounce Blinken as "Butcher of Gaza" During Testimony in Congress

Pro-Palestinian protesters took action during testimony by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken before a House of Representatives' panel December 12. As he began his testimony one person yelled: "Bloody Blinken, Secretary of Genocide, Butcher of Gaza!" He denounced Blinken as a liar saying, "You've lied to Congress, and you've lied to the American public." This refers to Blinken's testimony that Israel was abiding by U.S. and humanitarian laws concerning use of weapons in Gaza and should continue receiving weapons shipments. It was already known at the time that Israel was committing genocide.

No sooner had one protester been handcuffed and removed than another stood up to say "Blinken, you scum! The blood of your victims will surround you forever." He continued "You've killed hundreds of thousands from your cozy little office." From the hallway as he was being removed, he shouted "And he's responsible for the deaths of all of Gaza, and people in Yemen, people in Iraq, people in Syria."

Then a third blocked Blinken from speaking by yelling, "Secretary Blinken, stop killing kids in Gaza!" Trying to humanize the situation for the people present he said, "Like you, I have young kids. You're a father, I don't know how you can sleep at night when you're killing so many kids in tents in their homes, killing entire families."

Guilty of genocide in Gaza, the U.S. continues to provide 70 per cent of Israel's weapons, including nearly all its fighter jets.

At the end of November, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a $680 million weapons sale to Israel including precision munitions. This follows a $20 billion sale in August of fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel. The U.S. has sent Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of the genocide against Gaza in October 2023. The 2,000-pound bombs are designed to destroy people and civilian infrastructure. They were also used in Lebanon where they killed hundreds of civilians.

Many actions supporting Palestine continue in the U.S. and Canada on campuses and cities coast to coast, as well as in towns and cities across the world.

U.S./Zionist Genocide Also Results in Worsening Socio-Economic Conditions in Israel

In its 2024 Alternative Poverty Report the Israeli humanitarian organization Latet examines the socioeconomic repercussions of the war on Gaza. According to the report, millions of Israelis are grappling with poverty and economic challenges, including one million settlers.

Latet found that 678,200 families (22.3 per cent) and 2,756,000 individuals (28.7 per cent) are living in poverty, including 1,240,000 children (39.6 per cent).

It reports that the economic situation has deteriorated for 65 per cent of Israeli aid recipients, and for 32.1 per cent of the general public over the past year. Additionally, children in families receiving benefits have been significantly affected by the war: 44.6 per cent in terms of academic achievements and 46.7 per cent in their psychological condition.

As for the elderly, 52.6 per cent of those supported by the government suffer from severe poverty, while more than a third of them (34.8 per cent) experience severe food insecurity.

Furthermore, 84.8 per cent of aid recipients suffer from energy shortages, 68.6 per cent report that their mental health is poor, and 70.8 per cent have forgone purchasing necessary medications and medical treatment. Additionally, the monthly expenditure of supported families is 1.7 times higher than their average income.

Further evidence of the gravity of the situation is the fact that 94.2 per cent of food aid organizations did not receive government support to meet the needs arising from the war, and 70.9 per cent reported a decrease in donations.

In this context, the Israeli Srugim website reported that the minimum monthly cost of living in Israel is 5,355 shekels per individual (CAD$2123.97) and 13,617 shekels for a household of two adults and two children (CAD$5401.13) and that most supported families are far from reaching this threshold.

The economic forecasts for 2025 indicate that the situation will worsen due to sharp increases in the prices of essential goods.

According to economist Jacques Bendelac, quoted by Al Mayadeen, settler families have been unable to pay off their debts and loans, particularly amid the current circumstances. This means the recovery of Israel's "consumer economy" will be "slower and more challenging" after the war. High living costs, combined with an economic slowdown, would "inevitably lead to an increase in poverty," Bendelac said.

Founder Eli Cohen of the organization Pitchon-Lev, or "Open Heart," which provides free baskets of fruits, vegetables, and meat twice a week, stated that since the war began, the organization's activities have more than doubled, and it is now supporting nearly 200,000 families across occupied territories. New beneficiaries include "young individuals, families with husbands serving as reservists, many former donors, and all those who were evacuated from northern settlements due to the ignition of the northern front."

Photo Review

December Actions in Support of Palestinian Resistance Do Not Falter

CANADA
Ottawa

Labour for Palestine held a March for Palestine and Lebanon on December 1. Among the hundreds of people who participated were contingents of workers from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), among others.

Labour for Palestine calls for:

- Support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement

- Divestment by union pension funds and by employers from Israeli companies and companies involved in the genocide;

- Actions to stop the flow of arms that sustain the genocide in Palestine and for the Canadian government to declare an arms embargo.

At the Human Rights Monument before the march a speaker denounced interference by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) which accuses those who call for an arms embargo, for a ceasefire and for donating funds to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) of discriminating against the Jewish community. CIJA demands that unions not "exceed their mandate" which should, according to them, be restricted to negotiating better working conditions.

She reported that on September 27, a complaint against the Israeli government for blatant violations of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Protection of Wages Convention was filed by ten global trade unions, representing 207 million workers in over 160 countries. The complaint highlights the obligations of Israeli authorities to redress and remedy a range of abuses, including unpaid wages and withheld benefits for more than 200,000 Palestinian workers from the West Bank and Gaza, formally or informally employed in Israel before October 7, 2023, who have experienced widespread wage theft due to the suspension of work permits and the unilateral termination of their contracts.

She also read a letter of solidarity from the Palestinian Postal Service Workers Union to striking Canadian postal workers which says, in part: "In your struggle for better pay, working conditions and secure pensions, you represent our common and shared aspirations for a better future for working people across the globe, a future free from class exploitation, national repression and all forms of discrimination. We witnessed your commitment to this vision when you supported the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel in 2008 and your steadfast position and support of our union and Palestinian workers over the years. Decades of occupation, apartheid, and genocide have taught us the importance of international solidarity. Today, we offer our unconditional support and solidarity to you and the thousands of CUPW workers on picket lines across Canada."

December 1

December 3

Several hundred people gathered at the Human Rights Monument on December 14, to demand an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Canada's continued complicity. An Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) spokesperson thanked people for having come out in spite of the cold, and in spite of police harassment in recent weeks and the targeting of youth, particularly leaders in the Palestinian community.

"The genocide has gone on for more than 435 days. Just this week, we have seen Israel undertake the largest aerial bombing operation in its history, launching almost 500 airstrikes in a matter of days in Syria. The Zionist regime took over large swaths of lands, expanding its already illegal occupation of Syria's Golan Heights. It also continues to bomb Lebanon where it has already killed 5,000 people, despite a ceasefire," he said.

He also spoke of the ongoing massacres in Gaza. "While the news cycle is focused on recent developments, let us not forget that the Israeli genocide has killed at least 44,875 Palestinians and injured over 106,000, and that it has not slowed down in the slightest. On Monday, the Israeli Occupation Forces bombed a school, killing and wounding Palestinians who had taken shelter there with their families. On Tuesday, they targeted a home near the Kamal Adwan Hospital. With limited resources, rescuers were able to pull 22 bodies from the rubble. On Wednesday night, they killed at least 36 Palestinians in three horrific massacres, one of which was at the Nuseirat refugee camp where an entire family was wiped from the civil registry. Despite all these crimes and the fact that they are being livestreamed for all to watch, our government continues to fail to impose a two-way arms embargo on the criminal State of Israel," he pointed out.

He said that reports such as the one by Amnesty International on its investigation into Israel's crimes in Gaza and its assessment that Israel is committing a genocide "strengthen our effort to hold Israel accountable and to isolate it as the pariah State that it is." A spokesperson for Amnesty International then spoke of the report herself before people took to the streets.

December 14

Montreal

December 8

December 14

December 15

Halifax

A rally for Palestine was held in Victoria Park on December 7, organized by Halifax for Palestine.

In spite of high winds and heavy rain, the rally was lively, with young Palestinians leading the chants and playing Palestinian music. This was the first rally organized by Halifax for Palestine.

Supporters of the struggle of the Palestinian people to end the genocide and end the occupation continue to organize militant actions in support of the Palestinian Resistance.

Toronto

On December 7 protesters braved the cold in downtown Toronto to condemn the ongoing bombing and ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza and the overall genocide against the Palestinian people by the U.S./Zionist forces.

Speakers denounced the U.S./Zionist forces for deliberately targeting women and children and affirmed that the Resistance will prevail. They again condemned the Trudeau government for its silence in the face of this genocide while it funds and arms the Zionist war criminals.

On this occasion the anniversary of the First Intifada which lasted from 1987 to 1993 was also remembered and honoured. The spokesperson for the Palestinian youth who are organizing these ongoing actions made clear that the spirit of the Palestinian people and their resolve to liberate their occupied homeland cannot be defeated. They also pointed out that the support the Resistance is receiving from the Canadian people and people around the world sustains their resolve and steadfastness.

Participants were urged to continue to speak out and to mobilize for upcoming actions so that the U.S./Zionist forces and their enablers such as the Canadian state have nowhere to hide and are held to account.

A short march followed the speeches with participants chanting slogans accompanied by drumming, before the action ended where it began at Union Station.