As of 4:50 pm Pacific time Monday, 8 May, occupation forces are currently targeting the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance in attempted assassination raids, particularly targeting leaders of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. Homes in Rafah, in Gaza City and elsewhere have been hit by Zionist missiles, leading to casualties and martyrs. The homes that have so far been targeted reportedly included those of several resistance leaders. Confirmed Palestinian reports indicate that at least 12 martyrs have been killed by the occupation assault and 20 Palestinians have been injured. These include the leaders of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine: Jihad Ghannam, secretary of the Saraya al-Quds Military Council; Khalil Salah al-Bahtini, member of the Military Council of Saraya al-Quds and commander of the northern region; Tariq Izzedine, a leader of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank; as well as the wives and children of targeted leaders.
Occupation warplanes are continuing to attack central and southern Gaza and occupation forces announced their intention to close the Erez and Kerem Salem crossings “indefinitely,” further tightening the 16-year siege of Gaza. This comes only hours after fishers’ boats were targeted by occupation warships in the Gaza sea.
All Palestinian resistance fighters, police and security personnel are on high alert in Gaza and a state of emergency has been declared. In the meantime, occupation forces are calling on settlers around Gaza to shelter or go to bunkers, in fear of the response of the Palestinian resistance.
Fascist Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted “It’s time!” as occupation forces rained U.S.-made and -provided weaponry on residential neighbourhoods and Palestinian self-defense sites.
These attacks are ongoing Zionist war crimes, funded and supported by US and Western imperialism. As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of Nakba — and 75 years of ongoing resistance to Zionism and imperialism — this is a key example of the ongoing colonial violence perpetrated against the Palestinian people, as well as the strength and steadfastness of the people and their resistance. We urge all to mobilize, organize and make clear that we will not accept the ongoing murder of the Palestinian people and their resistance leaders, and that Palestine will, and must be, free, from the river to the sea.
