Father of Martyr Hazem to Al-Ahed: Palestinian Ops to Continue until We Expel the “Israeli” Occupier

By Ali Madi

Like a boulder that shatters the arrogance of the occupation, Fathi Hazem, father of Palestinian martyr Raad, the hero of the Tel Aviv operation, gave lessons in valor when he announced the martyrdom of his son.

He spoke to Al-Ahed news with the same determination he exhibited when he appeared on television. Despite the pain caused by the separation between father and son, he can show you the meaning of patience.

His remarks are full of messages to the Palestinian people, including the need to preserve the sanctities and the cause, especially Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa. For those who left their homes, he asks them to hold on to their right of return. Despite the problems facing the Arab and Islamic peoples, martyr Raad’s father hopes that their problems won’t distract them from their primary cause.

Fathi describes his feeling when he was informed of his son’s martyrdom, saying it was difficult in the beginning, cruel, and painful.

"In the end, the boy is your flesh and blood. One's son is dear to a person. His death is a painful tragedy for the heart, but with faith, we accept it and realize that there is a purpose even after a while. They went first, and we are going to follow them."

 "God, Glory be to Him, inspires patience in people's hearts, and if he is able to pray, ‘Our Lord, pour out patience on us,’ God will bestow patience on him," he adds. “My Lord, you have given me eight [children] and You have taken one, so thank you, and to God what He gave and to God what He takes.”

Raad’s operation was not an ordinary one, nor was it like a passing cloud on a summer’s day. He clashed and maneuvered in more than one place and remained standing for several hours before he was martyred. He carried out his operation in the center of the entity and as the “Israelis” like to claim, in the most secure and controlled streets of Tel Aviv.

Commenting on this achievement, the father of the martyr says, “To be honest, we are the people of this city, and we know it and know the widespread Zionist security presence everywhere. Therefore, what happened was strange. Usually, the timeframe for such operations lasts for minutes. The previous operation in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv carried out by the hero Diaa Hamrasha from Jenin lasted 6 minutes. Before that was the occupied Hadera operation that lasted 8 minutes. We are used to the timeframe of these operations not exceeding a few minutes. However, the length of this operation indicates that there is something not normal, and the answer is difficult – why, how did he maneuver, and what happened?"

Hazem points out that for years, the waves of operations in the West Bank have been rising and falling, increasing, and decreasing. Sometimes the operations disappear, but they always return.

"As long as the occupation exists, these operations will continue until this enemy is destroyed and leaves our land."

The young man who humiliated hundreds of soldiers and hostile police was friendly, kind, and polite at home. That’s how his father describes him. He was very kind and gentle. He was tended to his parents. He loved his friends and life, a fact that contradicts the enemy’s claims that we love death and want death. He was a charitable person. He prayed and fasted. He feared God and loved His Messenger and the believers.

Between the pain of separation and his composure, Hazem does not forget to send messages in more than one direction. The first of these is to the Palestinian people. He demands “that the people remain committed to their cause and principles and to their right to return to their homeland, adhering to Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, even if the whole world denies these rights. We must remain committed to the right of return, the right to self-determination, and the right to independence, as all nations.”

"My message to the Palestinians is hold on to your rights wherever you are. Tell your hosts that we will leave one day, so do not rush to push us out, as some despicable regimes are doing – pressuring the Palestinian people and treating them not as a citizen but as a third-class human being. There are some countries in which a Palestinian cannot work as a cleaner in a municipality or a neighborhood. We tell our people, be patient, for relief is near and coming soon, God willing. Our pride and faith in God is great, and our belief that God will help us and bring us back to our homes and our people is great.”

"We are convinced that the weak will be helped by God. We are weak and nations have rallied against us, but we are clinging to our land, no matter what sacrifices that cost us," the father of the martyr adds.

He also sends a message to the Arab and Muslim peoples.

“Do not focus solely on your internal problems, as they want to preoccupy you with them, but pay attention to the problems of your brothers in Palestine and elsewhere, for we are one nation. When we hear about the economic collapse in Lebanon, does this not hurt us as Palestinians? It does. When we know that a state has declared bankruptcy, do we not know that there is a people suffering from poverty and economic pressure and in attaining their livelihood? Yes, there are problems, but do not let these problems make you forget other causes, the causes of your nation, and your core cause, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.”

He singles out Lebanon saying, "It is a host country. They are brothers and dear ones. It is a country that paid with the blood of its children in the long and short wars waged by ‘Israel’ against it. We shared blood with them and broke bread. Lebanon is a great country. We love you, but eventually, we want to go back to our country.”

Martyr Raad Hazem’s father points out that the resistance fighters do not need a message, wishing that God would preserve and protect them. He prays for their success and reward and that their passion for victory be realized in the near future, God willing.