Tribute: Martyr Abu Hamza, Islamic Jihad spokesperson and voice of the resistance

By Humaira Ahad

Since Tuesday, a photograph taken in 2023 has been circulating on social media, showing a handsome young man in a crisp black suit with a red tie, smiling shyly at his wedding photographer.

Only days after that wedding shoot, the same man appeared on TV screens worldwide, clad in a green camouflaged military uniform, his face covered with a black cloth.

The shy smile had transformed into firm, resolute words. He spoke, and the world listened.

Naji Abu Saif, known by his nom de guerre, Abu Hamza, became a household name after the historic Al Aqsa Storm Operation on October 7, 2023, which exposed the frailty of the Israeli regime and its much-hyped military and intelligence apparatus.

Recognized as the voice of the resistance, the military spokesperson for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was martyred on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip.

"With pride and honor, the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine announces to our great Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic nations the martyrdom of leader Naji Abu Saif (Abu Hamza), the spokesperson for Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. He was assassinated by the criminal army in a treacherous attack that also targeted his family and the family of his brother," the PIJ said in a statement.

Abu Hamza was known as a voice of the resistance, “eloquent in his speech, fearless in speaking the truth, and courageous in his steadfast defense of our people’s rights. He never wavered in his commitment to the cause,” the statement added.

Abu Hamza, the spokesperson of resistance

In 2014, Abu Hamza was appointed as the spokesperson for the PIJ’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades. He became known for his frequent appearances at press conferences, where his statements were highly anticipated, conveying the resistance group’s messages to Palestinian and international audiences.

In May 2021, Abu Hamza appeared in a video that sent shockwaves across the occupied territories. He warned Israel about the resistance group’s military capabilities.

“Our missile range reached Hadera and Tel Aviv in this campaign,” noting the introduction of new and advanced missiles into military service, including the “advanced Qasem” missile.

In June 2021, following Operation Sword of Al-Quds, Abu Hamza made significant statements emphasizing that the Al-Quds Brigades would continue its attacks on Israeli occupation sites at any time and that "the Palestinian resistance will not submit to any pressure or threats.”

Three days after Israel launched its military operation against the Gaza Strip in August 2022, Abu Hamza declared that the resistance movement’s demonstrated missile capabilities "are only a small part of what we have prepared.”

Following Al Aqsa Storm, Abu Hamza frequently appeared in videos, issuing statements on the latest developments in Gaza, both on the political and military front,

The PIJ spokesperson described Al Aqsa Storm as the “largest and most successful complex qualitative operation in the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

"We embarked on this battle trusting God, leaving behind our homes, families, and possessions, fully aware of the gravity of the responsibility upon us and our people," Abu Hamza said in an eloquent speech following the operation’s success.

On October 15, 2023, Abu Hamza issued a statement that shattered the perceived invincibility of the Zionist military.

"As we defeated you deep inside your entity, what do you think about coming to us on your feet? We have prepared for you men who love being killed in the path of God as much as you love life. So, welcome to Hell.”

In March 2024, Abu Hamza addressed the Arab world, reminding them of Palestine’s significance for the Muslim world.

"We remind the Arabs, who may have forgotten, that the land we are fighting over today is occupied Arab Palestinian Islamic land, mentioned in Surat Al-Isra in the Holy Quran. You must all fight to reclaim it. Just as you turn to God with prayer and fasting, turn to Palestine with weapons. Whoever no longer cares about the Muslims is not a Muslim.”

Abu Hamza expressed gratitude to the Palestinian people for their resilience in the face of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has claimed nearly 50,000 lives since October 2023.

"We salute the steadfastness of our dear, courageous people, who wrote the most beautiful chapters of the story with their blood. We urge our people to unite and rally around the struggle during this difficult phase, which will only end with the defeat of the enemy,” he said.

“I say to our people, who have endured what even mountains cannot bear, we share your pain and suffering, and rest assured that victory is coming, God willing."

In December 2023, Abu Hamza stated that the Al-Quds Brigade was engaged in urban warfare with Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, killing dozens of Israeli soldiers.

"We will not surrender; we will not wave the white banner no matter how long the battle drags on. The battle today is no longer a matter of ending the resistance or freeing the captives; it is a matter of reckoning with the Palestinian people and their Resistance."

The PIJ spokesperson exposed the fallibility of the Israeli army for the world to witness.

"In the past weeks, we have carried out many sniper operations targeting the heads of enemy soldiers and snipers in all areas of incursion. We announce the disabling and destruction of dozens of vehicles in Rafah, Jabalia, Al-Zaytoun, and on the outskirts of the central governorate with tandem shells, high-explosive barrel bombs, and Ababil," Abu Hamza said in June 2024.

"We downed 11 Israeli aircraft, including 'SkyLark,' 'Quadcopter,' and other intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft across the confrontation zone in the fighting Gaza Strip," the young spokesperson added.

In his statements Abu Hamza reiterated that the resistance remains "in great shape," and vowed that "the horror of attrition will drive the occupation outside of Gaza."

In a statement on July 6, 2024, he spoke about the spiritual strength that fuels the resistance movement against the Zionist occupation.

"We, as a resistance, have only a small amount of equipment and numbers, but the moral and ideological elements we possess provide motivation and spiritual support, allowing us to withstand the enemy with unparalleled equanimity and courage."

In his video addresses, he emphasized that the Palestinian resistance was engaged in an existential battle in Gaza and the West Bank, asserting that “victory for the resistance is inevitable.”

"By God, if they placed the sun on our right hand and the moon on our left, we would not abandon Al-Quds, Gaza, Palestine, and every corner of our dear homeland until the land is returned, or we perish without it," Abu Hamza reiterated the resistance group’s commitment to the Palestinian cause on July 16, 2024.

In the same video address, he spoke about the capabilities of the resistance groups.

“Our resistance is engaged in the most complex and difficult type of combat (urban warfare), for which it has trained and prepared itself in a manner that aligns with its capabilities and resources, yielding results that match every military operation it conducts,” Abu Hamza stated.

“The enemy knows that even fighting in Gaza for years will not help it achieve its objectives, as the ammunition we possess is hard to count, in terms of equipment and types, the creative ability to manufacture in the harshest conditions still exists.”

Earlier this year, Abu Hamza warned Netanyahu that Palestinians have prepared an “awakened generation for confronting the enemy, no matter how long it takes.”

He exposed the danger and threat faced by the Zionist regime and asked the world to see the desperation of Israel “that sends thousands of soldiers into a small city and bombards homes, mosques, churches, and universities with American missiles?"

"Yet it has not eliminated our resistance, nor recovered its prisoners, nor achieved anything other than destruction and devastation.”

Following Iran’s retaliatory military operation, True Promise 2, against the Israeli regime, the PIJ spokesman expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Greetings to Iran, which humiliated the occupier’s pride on the streets of Tel Aviv during the operations 'True Promise I and II,'” he said.

"The Axis of Resistance fought on behalf of 1.5 billion Muslims. The Islamic Republic of Iran supported the Palestinian people with all its means,” Abu Hamza declared.

On January 21, he also expressed gratitude to Hezbollah and Yemen for their unwavering support, acknowledging their role in the struggle against the occupation.

“We extend greetings to the fighters of Hezbollah, and we remember the esteemed leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his martyred brothers, both leaders and fighters.”

Abu Hamza announced that the Palestinian resistance was facing the “occupation alongside a group of believers in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, on behalf of one and a half billion Muslims. Our religious and national duty required us to confront the occupation by all means, and we had faith in God to guide us.”

Acknowledging Yemen’s unwavering support to the Palestinian resistance, Abu Hamza said, “Salutations to our people in Yemen and to the courageous leader Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi, who launched their missiles and drones to strike at the heart of the entity.”

Following the news of Abu Hamza’s martyrdom, netizens worldwide took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the young spokesperson of the Al-Quds Brigades.

Journalist S. Haidar Hashmi from Afghanistan praised Abu Hamza’s bravery:

"Martyr Abu Hamza was not just a spokesman; he was also a strong warrior. Beyond his role as a spokesman, he often fought alongside his brothers on the front lines against the occupation," the Kandahar-based journalist tweeted.

Japanese journalist and human rights activist Thoton Akimoto admired his style:

"I loved the way Abu Hamza wore the flag patch. He had it a little anterior, not in the center of his shoulder. I'll continue following your style. Rest in Power."

“We will remain & you will perish, a lesson from history & a curse for every age." —Spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, the martyr Abu Hamza to the eternal gardens, Oh our lofty voice & the stubborn, steadfast tongue of Gaza,” wrote Anesia J.

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