Red Ant notes the news reports on many media outlets of a Palestinian offensive, launched out of Gaza, against apartheid Israel’s war of occupation. Peoples Despatch news service reported:

“In a major turn of events, Hamas fighters in the early morning of October 7 launched a surprise offensive called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” against Israel from Gaza.  The operation involves land, sea and air attacks across Israel, breaking through a nearly 17-year long blockade.

As per reports, Hamas claims to have launched over 5,000 rockets across Israeli territory from Gaza. The rockets were reported to have hit as far north as Tel Aviv. The attack also included Hamas fighters pushing through the land and sea routes and penetrating into Israeli territory.”

It is reported that the Palestinian military forces have captured Israeli defence force personnel and civilians.

In response to the offensive, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “We are at war”. Netanyahu’s statement hypocritically ignores the reality that Israel has been conducting a war of occupation for decades. Cowardly Israeli air attacks against positions in Gaza, including high-rise apartment blocks, have already taken place. Gaza has no means to defend itself against air attacks,

In 2023, as Peoples Despatch reported in the same article quoted above:

Israeli violence and oppression against Palestinians have increased substantially with deadly raids becoming increasingly regular. Prior to the attacks, Israeli forces had already killed over 224 Palestinians, including 38 children, already this year. Of the total, 187 were killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and 37 in Gaza. This figure had already surpassed the record high of 178 killings in the whole of 2022.

The widespread occupation violence can also be seen in the 1,264 Palestinians currently being held in administrative detention without charge or trial, a two-decade high, as well as the 170 children that are currently being held in Israeli prisons.

Israeli settlers, often armed, continue to build settlements in Palestinian territories, indicating no let-up in the Israeli expansion of occupation. On October 5, over 800 Israeli settlers invaded the Al Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli troops.

Demonstrations regularly occur in Israel echoing with the cries of “Kill the Arabs”.

Any military action taken by the elected government of Gaza against Israel must be seen as a part of a legitimate resistance to occupation. It is the right of Palestinians and the Palestinian nation to resist. It is the occupation which is an act of terror and not any resistance to the occupation. It is the grossest hypocrisy for Western governments to condemn Palestinian resistance as terrorist while diplomatically supporting and funding the terrorist occupation of Palestine.

The war of occupation is a million times more difficult to end while Western governments prop up the Israeli government with billions in aid. No resolution of the situation in Palestine – whatever  form that might eventually take – can occur while Israeli military occupation continues,

The occupation must end!

Israeli military back to their barracks!

Free all Palestinian political prisoners!

End military aid to the Israeli apartheid state!

Free Palestine!

—

UPCOMING PALESTINE SOLIDARITY ACTIONS

Sydney – 5.30pm Monday, 9 October, Sydney Town Hall

Canberra – 5:30pm Friday, 13 October, Garema Place

Perth – 5:30 Friday, 13 October, Murray Street Mall

Brisbane – 6pm Friday, 13 October, King George Square

Adelaide – 2pm Sunday, 15 October, Parliament House

Melbourne – 5:30pm Friday, 27 October, Federation Square