According to Palestinian sources, Khalid Al-Batsh, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was arrested by Israeli forces during a military operation in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.[1] Israeli authorities have not confirmed the arrest. Al-Batsh is known as the organizer of 2018's "March of Return" Gaza border demonstrations.
Khaled Al-Batsh
The following are reports and clips on Khaled Al-Batsh from the MEMRI archives.
On International Qods Day, Instituted By The Iranian Regime, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah And Other Iran Allies Call For Jihad Against Israel, Threaten Regional War – May 2022
In an April 29, 2022 rally in Gaza, held by the PIJ on the occasion of International Qods Day, Khaled Al-Batsh, member of the organization's political bureau, said: "We have no option but to continue the campaign and cleave to the weapons of the jihad fighters and revolutionaries, the weapons of [PIJ founders Fathi] Al-Shaqaqi and Ramadan Shalah, of Abu 'Ammar [Yasser 'Arafat], of [Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad] Yassin, of [Popular Front secretary-general] Abu 'Ali Mustafa, and of all the martyrs… We have no option but victory or martyrdom…
"The Palestinian people and its brave resistance are recording achievements, and the best proof of this is the Jenin drone, manufactured by the Al-Quds Brigade. We must support the option of resistance in Palestine, the opening of the [Gaza] border crossings, and the uniting of the nation's capabilities for the sake of Palestine and Jerusalem… The sacrifice [operations] continue, giving the resistance a lesson in sacrifice and loyalty…"
Al-Batsh emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian cause as "a magnet for all the freedom-lovers, revolutionaries and supporters of justice," and added: "Fists in Gaza are raised today to meet the fists in Yemen, Tehran, Lebanon, Syria and in all the [city] squares in the world. They are [all] brandishing the slogan 'Jerusalem Is the Capital of the World'… It is the capital of Palestine… [They are all] reiterating our opposition to any plans of a political settlement [with Israel] that recognize the enemy and his legitimacy in Palestine…"
To read the full report, click here.
Gulf States Furious At Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Over Expressions Of Support For Houthis – January 2022
Following reports about heavy loss of life in January 21, 2022 airstrikes by the Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) held a mass rally in the Gaza Strip. At the rally participants held up pictures of Houthi movement leader 'Abd Al-Malik Al-Houthi and of other leaders of the Iran-led resistance axis, such as Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. In his speech at the rally, PIJ political bureau member Khaled Al-Batsh slammed the Saudi-led coalition, accusing it of perpetrating "massacres" and "murdering women, children and unarmed civilians" in the service of the U.S. and Israel. He added that "the Arab armies have abandoned Palestine and now their role is to protect the thrones [of the leaders] from the fury of the peoples." An official PIJ statement harshly condemned the "aggression" of the Arab coalition and of the Arab regimes "that have tied their fate to the American-Zionist policy in the region."
January 21 PIJ rally in Gaza: Participants hold up pictures of PIJ leaders, alongside pictures of resistance axis leaders: Houthi leader 'Abd Al-Malik Al-Houthi, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and assassinated Hizbullah commander 'Imad Mughniyah (Source: Paltoday.ps, January 23, 2021)
In his speech at the rally, PIJ official Khaled Al-Batsh condemned the Arab coalition's airstrikes against the Houthis, while expressing support for the latter and questioning the legitimacy of the Gulf states' rulers. He stated that the "massacres" perpetrated by the Arab coalition in Yemen are a mark of shame for the coalition countries, which, he said, are taking part in the murder of women, children and unarmed civilians in their homes, mosques and workplaces. He added: "The Arab armies have abandoned Palestine and now their role is to protect the thrones [of the leaders] from the fury of the peoples…The tens of thousands of innocent victims and the billions [of dollars] which have been burned in Yemen are a pure achievement for Israel and a loss for the Palestinian cause and the resistance project… The only way to liberate Jerusalem is by means of a [real] Arab coalition supported by the masses, which will turn to besieged Gaza and occupied Palestine and support the resistance [there] with funds and weapons until Palestine is liberated."
Al-Batsh emphasized that it behooves the Arab leaders, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to invest their efforts in stopping the war in Yemen and to maintain neutrality instead of supporting one side at the expense of the other. Stating that the war is "pointless" and serves only Israel and the American interests in the region, he called on the entire Arab nation to come out against the targeting of civilians in Yemen and the hostility against it, and stressed that it is vital to promote national reconciliation among all the sides in Yemen, without exception.
To read the full report, click here.
Islamic Jihad Official Khaled Al-Batsh: Our Resistance Will Start With Songs And Poems, Which Will Be Followed By Rocks, Knives, Guns, And Rockets – September 2020
Khaled Al-Batsh, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said in a September 14, 2020 interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that the meaning of the "comprehensive resistance" agreed upon by the leaders of the Palestinian factions is that the resistance against Israel would start with the pen, songs, and poems, and would be followed by rocks, knives, guns, and rockets.
To view the clip, click here or below:
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Interviewer: "The participants of the historic meeting of [the Palestinian] factions have unanimously agreed to bolster the strategy of 'comprehensive resistance.' This [expression] was mentioned more than once, in various contexts. What is the essence and the structure of this strategy of 'comprehensive resistance'?"
[...]
Khaled Al-Batsh: "The way we, as Palestinians, understand 'comprehensive resistance' is that it begins with rocks, the pen, songs, and poems, followed by rocks, knives, guns, and rockets. This is the essence of 'comprehensive resistance' as we understand it. The resistance of the Palestinian people ranges from rocks to rockets."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader Khaled Al-Batsh Calls Upon Muslims To Besiege U.S. And 'Zionist' Embassies Worldwide – January 2020
Khaled Al-Batsh, a leader in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, addressed a demonstration against the Deal of the Century in Yemen. Al-Batsh said that Palestinians will never negotiate or barter over their land and Jerusalem, even if their "heads are blown off" like in the case of Islamic Jihad field commander Baha Abu Al-Ata or Iranian Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. Al-Batsh called upon "the sons of the Islamic nation everywhere" to besiege American and "Zionist" embassies and consulates around the world and isolate them. He also called upon the people of the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain to disavow from their representatives who were present at the announcement of the Deal of the Century, which he called "Deal of Shame." Al-Batsh said that Arab regimes that are hesitant to reject the Deal of the Century will not be spared by history. He added that these countries should have sent armies and tanks to liberate Jerusalem. The address was aired on Al-Quds Al-Youm, a Gaza-based channel affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, on January 31, 2020.
To view the clip, click here or below:
Khaled Al-Batsh: "Once again, I say to my folk in Yemen: We will never negotiate over our land. We will never bargain over our Jerusalem. We will never disgrace ourselves when it comes to our land and our religion, even if our heads are blown off like the head of the martyr Baha Abu Al-Ata in Gaza or the head of the martyr Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, and the heads of many other martyrs in the region, who confronted the American and Zionist arrogance.
[...]
"I call upon the sons of the Islamic nation everywhere to besiege American embassies and consulates everywhere, and to besiege the embassies and consulates of the Zionist enemy wherever it is possible so that these dens of spies and collaborators are isolated. I also call upon the peoples of the countries whose representatives attended the announcement of the 'Deal of Shame' to disavow [these representatives] as a popular message of support for us. To the regimes that hesitate in their rejection [of the deal]. To the regimes that hesitate in their rejection [of the deal] and recite the text prepared by Pompeo in the American State Department, I say: History will not spare you. You should have sent your armies to recapture Jerusalem. You should have sent your tanks to liberate it. Since you have failed to do so – be quiet. It is better for you to stay silent than to talk."
Islamist Palestinian Leaders Warn Obama Not To Visit Al-Aqsa Mosque: He Will Be Pelted With Shoes And Stones – March 2013
Following are excerpts from statements by various Islamist Palestinian leaders prior to U.S. President Obama’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The statements were made on Al-Aqsa TV on March 8, 2013, and on the Al-Jazeera network on March 8, 2013.
To view the clip, click here or below:
Khaled Al-Batsh: "I call upon our people in Jerusalem... If Obama enters [the Al-Aqsa Mosque] with Israeli guards, they should confront him and prevent him from entering. They should pelt him with shoes and with the sacred stones of Jerusalem. You must not allow him to legitimize the occupation, by entering under the protection of the Zionists."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leaders Admit Missiles Came From Iran – November 2012
Following are excerpts from TV reports featuring leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which aired on various channels between November 15-20, 2012.
To view the clip, click here or below:
Show host: "Are the Fajr-5 missiles produced locally or brought from outside Palestinian lands?"
Khaled Al-Batsh: "These missiles are 100% Iranian made, and are part of the legitimate aid that the Islamic Republic provides to the Palestinian people. This is well known and was announced in the media."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader Khaled Al-Batsh: The Taba Attack Was Justified – October 2004
The following are excerpts from an interview with Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Al-Batsh.
To view the clip, click here or below:
Al-Batsh: "What happened in Taba is directly related to our situation in Gaza. We cannot separate what happened in Taba from the crimes in the Gaza Strip, especially in Jabalya and the Jabalya refugee camp. What happened in Taba is that a group of Arab mujahideen or Arab resistance fighters from either the Islamic or the national movement were not prepared to watch these monstrous acts against the Palestinian people, while they couldn't see any Arab army protecting the Palestinian people. They have not seen a single Arab regime intervening and threatening to stop the massacre in Gaza 'or else'… So they made the decision to avenge and to strike blows…
"We welcome these striking hands despite all our suffering at the hands of the Arab nation. Nevertheless, we say that this is a justified operation in the framework of the response to the occupation's crimes. I believe that since the occupation began exporting the crisis abroad, beyond the borders of Palestine, there were people who stood up and said, 'We, as the Arab and Islamic resistance in Egypt, are prepared...' and they dealt a blow in Taba to this aggression.
"Therefore, the Taba operation was justified, and it should make the occupation feel there will be no security to whoever kills Palestinians. Whoever kills Palestinians must not be safe in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, or Lebanon. Whoever kills a Palestinian must understand that he will not be safe wherever he sets foot. This is a theory that the Zionists must understand. They must understand that as long as Palestinians are being killed, no settler will feel safe anywhere in the world."
[1] Ynetnews.com/article/hjwfwukct, March 20, 2024.
