Palestinian websites have recently published photos of military courses and exercises undertaken by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in Gaza. Spokesmen for these factions stressed that they were preparing their fighters for resistance actions and jihad against Israel. A PRC spokesman promised that Gilad Shalit would not be the last kidnapped Israeli soldier.
PRC: Training For Jihad; Gilad Shalit Will Not Be The Last Kidnapped Soldier
On June 3, 2013, the Gaza-based website alwatanvoice.com, which is hosted in Germany, reported that trainees at the PRC's 'Imad Hamad Military Academy in the Gaza Strip have completed two military courses, which were named after the martyred prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiya in order to express the committees' loyalty to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. PRC spokesman Muhammad Al-Brim said that the completion of the two courses is "proof that the mujahideen are totally prepared to deal with any Zionist escapade against our Palestinian people" and claimed that "[Gilad] Shalit will not be the last [kidnapped soldier]." According to him, the military wing of the PRC – the Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades – has promised the prisoners "to use any means to release them from the Israeli prisons."
Al-Brim added that "this arena, in which the mujahideen show their strength and train for resistance and jihad [operations], is the real arena where men are created."[1]
The site published photos from the graduation ceremony of the two courses:
Simulating Infiltration Of Military Bases And Use Of Weapons
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On June 3, 2013, a forum close to Hamas – paldf.net, which is hosted in the Netherlands - reported that members of the military wing of the PRC had carried out a military maneuver called "Palestine Is Not For Sale," with the media in attendance, in which they practiced the use of weapons and simulated an armed infiltration of a military base.
PRC spokesman Abu 'Attaya said: "The maneuver is preparation for confronting the Zionist enemy in the coming rounds [of fighting]." Addressing Israel, he said: "In this place you assassinated Jamal Abu Samhadana[2] and we are now honoring his memory. From this place we will continue his path until the banner of Islam flies over Palestine."[3] The following are photos of the maneuver that were posted on the forum:
On June 10, the electronic newspaper alwatanvoice.com reported that female DFLP fighters, masked and armed, were also undergoing training in the Gaza strip. The report was accompanied by the following photos:[4]
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