Abdel Nasser Issa, the dean of released prisoners in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), shared during his participation in the program "Witness to the Era" the fundamental transformations that led to the formation of the initial core of military action in the West Bank. These testimonies come in the context of the First Intifada and the preceding accumulations of field and popular movements.
In the second episode of his testimony, Issa recalls the atmosphere before the outbreak of the Intifada in 1987, indicating that the moment was not born out of a specific incident but was the result of a long accumulation of Israeli occupation practices that created a state of popular tension that peaked, exploding in the face of the occupation after years of repression, arrests, and daily violations.
Details of the Event
Issa pointed out that this phase witnessed a repetition of cycles of popular explosion, but they did not achieve the ultimate goal of liberation, despite the positive outcomes that reinforced the culture of resistance and rejection of the occupation. Until the moment of the First Intifada arrived, which he considered a pivotal turning point in the history of the conflict.
Regarding the specificity of the Intifada's outbreak in the West Bank, Issa clarified that the spark there was not directly linked to the incident of workers being run over in Gaza, but rather resulted from the escalation of violations in areas such as the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, where he lived. He emphasized that daily assaults and repeated provocations ignited popular anger.
Background & Context
Abdel Nasser Issa recounts the moment when camp residents responded to a call from the mosque's imam, before the confrontation with an Israeli patrol turned into a direct clash that led to the martyrdom of three Palestinians, which was then considered a "massacre" that ignited the Intifada in the West Bank and prompted crowds to flood the streets.
He confirmed that the essence of the Intifada in Gaza and the West Bank was the same, represented in the rejection of the occupation, despite the different sparks of ignition. The overall scene reflected an unprecedented popular state, where everyone participated in the demonstrations from various age and social groups.
Impact & Consequences
In this context, Issa spoke about the emergence of Hamas with the outbreak of the Intifada, explaining that members of the Islamic movement transitioned from a position of execution to active participation in leading demonstrations, as part of a strategic decision to engage directly in confronting the occupation.
He recalled his early memories of distributing the movement's statements, noting that this task, despite its apparent simplicity, represented at that time the pinnacle of the struggle work, given the risks associated with it and the security context that imposed strict restrictions on any political activity.
Regional Significance
This transformation, according to Issa, reflected the nature of the phase that preceded the development of resistance tools, where stones and wall statements represented the primary confrontation tools, before the features of military action began to gradually take shape. He revealed that the idea of transitioning to military action was not merely a top-down decision, but rather resulted from pressure from the young bases within the movement that demanded the development of confrontation methods.
He explained that the first stages of this development were represented in the use of Molotov cocktails, which were considered at that time a qualitative leap in resistance tools, noting that he personally participated in executing the first of these operations against occupation patrols. He described that moment as a significant psychological shift, where participants felt they had moved to a new level of confrontation, despite the simplicity of the means used compared to what resistance later achieved.
However, the development did not stop there, as the dean of Hamas prisoners pointed to the beginning of introducing primitive explosive devices that were made with simple means, but they represented a real beginning for the path of organized military action in the West Bank.
He clarified that this phase also witnessed the beginnings of organizational work for cells through monitoring and planning operations, before some operations were postponed by leadership decisions, at a time when arrests were intensifying against activists.
He reviewed his arrest experience, indicating that he underwent harsh interrogation that lasted about 70 days without giving any confession, affirming that the goal of these practices was to break the will of the resistors, but they failed to achieve that.
He also addressed the policy of home demolitions adopted by the occupation, considering that it aimed to deter families, but in reality increased Palestinians' determination to continue resisting, despite the significant losses incurred by families.
In a related context, Issa pointed out that Israeli prisons turned into an organizational environment that contributed to the development of the movement, where internal communication networks were built, and political and organizational awareness among prisoners was enhanced, which later reflected on the development of the movement's structure.
Issa concluded this episode of his testimony by indicating that those foundational stages, despite their simplicity, laid the groundwork for what resistance later became, affirming that no one expected Hamas to reach the capabilities and influence it has achieved on both regional and international levels.