Besieged, starving but unbroken: Palestinian fighters in Rafah tunnel redefine resistance

By Marzieh Hashemi

While speaking to Press TV correspondent Motee Abu Mosabeh in Gaza during a live broadcast on Monday, he compared the current situation of Palestinian resistance fighters in Rafah to the ordeal faced by Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and his companions in Karbala nearly 1,400 years ago.

But what exactly is happening in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, which prompted Abu Mosabeh to draw this comparison?

In Rafah, dozens of Palestinian resistance fighters are surrounded by enemy forces and trapped underground in an area now occupied and controlled by Israeli regime forces.

These fighters courageously fought against the Israeli military throughout the past two years of genocide, during which significant losses were inflicted on the occupation in Rafah.

However, there has been no communication with these fighters for months. They have almost no food or ammunition left, and they remain completely cut off.

Despite this isolation and the overwhelming odds, they continue to endure and resist.

Recently, when some of the fighters emerged from the tunnels in search of food, they were immediately targeted by drones operated by the Israeli occupation forces. The IOF continues to bomb and destroy tunnels in Rafah in an attempt to weaken and eliminate the resistance.

At this point, the Israeli occupation forces occupy roughly 58 percent of Gaza and are using advanced tracking technology to locate fighters the moment they surface.

Reports vary regarding how long these fighters have been underground. Some claim they have been trapped since February, shortly after the second truce came into effect, while others say they have been underground since October, following the previous ceasefire.

Regardless of the timeline, the fighters are under immense pressure and facing severe starvation.

Hamas resistance movement says that the guarantors of the ceasefire must ensure the fighters’ safe passage, yet no progress has materialized.

The reality is that the Western countries that claim to champion democracy and human rights are also among Israel’s closest allies, which is itself an oxymoron.  

These are the same countries that have supplied the Zionist regime with sophisticated and lethal weaponry used against Palestinian civilians during the genocidal war. They are the same countries that not only failed to stop the regime from slaughtering more than 70,000 people in Gaza, but have also been equal partners in the horrendous war crimes.

And these are the same countries that now pretend the genocide has ended with the sham ceasefire, even as Palestinians continue to be killed on a daily basis.

While the regime continues its campaign of starvation against the people of Gaza, the collective West acts as though this is not happening. These are also the countries that have jailed their own citizens for standing up and speaking out against the genocide.

So it is not surprising that they have not pushed for safe passage for the fighters.

There are ongoing talks with regional “guarantors” of the so-called “ceasefire” regarding the implementation of safe passage, but so far, no concrete steps have been taken.

The IOF claims to have killed at least 40 of these resistance fighters. Though this has not been independently confirmed, it is estimated that dozens of resistance fighters are still stuck in the tunnels in Rafah, an area almost totally under the control and occupation of the Zionists.

These Palestinian fighters are surrounded by an enemy with some of the most technologically advanced equipment and armaments in the world.

And yet, they continue to endure and refuse to surrender, despite having little or no food and water. There are reports that the Zionists wanted the fighters to surrender en masse, which would be a propaganda coup for the regime, but that is not likely to happen.

Thus, we return to the analogy from our correspondent about Imam Hussain (AS) and his 72 brave companions, who were surrounded by tens of thousands of well-equipped enemy troops.

The tyrant Umayyad ruler Yazid had his military prevent this small group from reaching or drinking water for days, and then attacked and martyred each one of them.

Imam Hussain (AS) and his followers stood for justice and put up a valiant fight; however, the brutality of the enemy was beyond words. Nevertheless, Imam Hussain (AS) did not surrender, telling the corrupt ruler that a man like himself could never pay allegiance to a man like him.

Western countries and their Israeli allies that claim to stand for democracy and human rights, accuse the Palestinian fighters of being terrorists. The leaders of these countries seem to have amnesia when it comes to the international law their own countries supported.

The Geneva Convention gives the right to resist to those who are occupied, including the right to armed resistance to attain self-determination. This is part of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which provides protection to civilians while others are fighting and resisting occupation.

There are 196 countries that are signatories to this convention. However, these countries simply watch as the Israeli regime continuously violates the ceasefire without facing any repercussions.

These are the same countries watching the IOF surround these resistance fighters in Rafah, waiting for these starving men to appear above ground where they will be killed one after another in the most cowardly fashion.

This is the state of affairs in a world that rewards those who commit genocide and demonizes those who fight against it. The reality is that resistance is a natural response to oppression.

And the way of Imam Hussain (AS) is a natural choice for revolutionaries who will never submit to oppression and would rather give their lives in order to be truly free.

In the words of Imam Hussain (AS), “To die with dignity is better than to live in humiliation.”

The free people of the world must demand accountability and insist that these fighters be granted immediate safe passage, and that the Zionist regime abide by all of its commitments to the truce deal.

Do not stop protesting, boycotting, and demanding an end to this genocidal war, and do not stop saying “Free Palestine” until it becomes a reality.

Marzieh Hashemi is a US-born, Iran-based journalist, commentator and documentary filmmaker.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV.)

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