The Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement, Ziad Al-Nakhalah

The Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement, Ziad Al-Nakhalah, confirmed on Friday that "Tel Aviv" and other cities of the Zionist entity "are within the range of our rockets and the bullets of our fighters."

During a speech at the festival commemorating the martyrs of Operation Avenging the Free in the city of Saida, south Lebanon, Al-Nakhalah said, "We meet today to honor a great group of martyrs and leaders who were killed in the treacherous aggression and to honor the two martyrs, Commander Khader Adnan and Commander Ali Al-Aswad, and everyone who ascended to martyrdom in Operation Avenging the Free."

The PIJ memorizes the names, faces, and wills of the martyrs and will convey their names, titles, and dreams to future generations, he said.

Al-Nakhalah continued, "Someday, we will inevitably write the names of the martyrs on the walls, mosque, and gates of Al-Quds," stressing that "the enemy's illusions of strength and arrogance will be shattered when faced with the Palestinian people's will, ability, and determination to uphold confrontation and fight until victory is achieved."

The PIJ Secretary-General underlined that the Palestinian people will not hesitate to offer sacrifices and that "our martyrs are the ones who lead our path in achieving a balance of power with the enemy," stressing that the success of Operation Avenging the Free came "with the blessing of the martyrs' spilled blood and the preservation of the unity of the Palestinian people."

Al-Nakhalah said the movement stood strong and fought despite the martyrdom of commanders, fighters, and whole families, stressing that the PIJ has proven to the enemy that it is always ready "to fight successive battles in defense of our people and to prevent our blood from being spilled."

He warned the Israeli occupation that the PIJ's response to any assassination "will be strong, clear and painful," stressing that "Tel Aviv and other cities of the Zionist entity are within the range of our rockets and the bullets of our fighters."

Operation Avenging the Free new chapter in life of Palestinian people

Al-Nakhalah pointed out that despite "all the difficult circumstances and the imbalance of military power in favor of the enemy, our people are still fighting," adding, "We have steadfastly and patiently fought major battles in defense of our identity and adherence to our rights, and our cause has remained alive."

The PIJ chief considered that the occupation wanted to cast a shadow "over our cause with politics and wars, but today we stand stronger and more determined to adhere to our rights and Al-Quds."

He said Operation Avenging the Free "is a new chapter in the life of our people, a chapter of unity, and a chapter for the integration of the Resistance with all its different factions."

Al-Nakhalah pointed out that Operation Avenging the Free "is a great day for the PIJ and for the people who stood united in defiance of the Zionist aggression."

He said PIJ top commanders were martyred, leaving behind a legacy of fighters ready to engage in any battle necessary, adding, "We are the people of jihad and resistance."

The Palestinian leader explained that after the assassination of martyr Khader Adnan and Al-Quds Brigades commanders, "the enemy thought that we would let their martyrdom go unanswered, but our fighters went out to rearrange the equations again," stressing that "our battles prove that our nation can triumph over the Zionist project that conquered it and was the cause of its dependence and weakness."

He pointed out that the Palestinian people were able to "rub the enemy's nose in the dirt and shatter its arrogance more than once, and Operation Avenging the Free is the greatest proof of that."

Al-Nakhalah said the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire entered into force "based on the approval of the Palestinian and Israeli parties."

"Didn't anyone wonder who this Palestinian side is?" he said.

He stressed that the Palestinian side is the "PIJ - one faction that has nothing but its fighters and a people standing behind it and a Resistance that embraces it."

He noted that one faction fought on the battlefield and negotiated to stop the aggression and obliged the enemy to stop its crimes, even if it does not commit to that later.

He continued mockingly, "Where is the arrogance? Where is the invincible army? Where is the power of Israel and its rejection of international resolutions?"

Arab summit must assume its responsibility toward the Palestinian cause

Regarding the ceasefire, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement said the enemy was lying claiming that it "withdrew from the negotiations, and this is not true. It is us who put off the negotiations more than once."

He added that on the fifth day of the aggression, "we presented the text of the agreement and preconditioned them either the enemy accepts it or we withdraw from the negotiations.”

“Our nation possesses capabilities that exceed by far the capabilities of the enemy, but all it lacks is the will to fight and the will to stand strong,” he further added.

Al-Nakhalah explained that the Zionist entity, despite "possessing all the material elements of strength, it does not possess the [spirit of the] fighter we have."

Reflecting a state of realism, the Resistance leader said, "We do know that we have great challenges ahead and we are very well aware that one or more battles will not be able to achieve all our goals and aspirations, but "our previous battles and today's Operation Avenging the Free have put us on the right track, and we have set out in that direction with no intention to stop.”

In this context, PIJ Secretary-General stressed that the Palestinian people are "the vital element in the equation of struggle standing up to the balance of power,” adding that the nation today has a rare opportunity, which it must seize if it is serious about supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

Al-Nakhalah stressed that the Arab League Summit currently being held in Jeddah must "assume its responsibility toward the Palestinian cause and the suffering of the Palestinian people," adding that "the unity of our people and the Resistance forces is of paramount importance, and we must preserve and strengthen it."

He also pointed out that "the Palestinian Resistance can fight the enemy and defeat when it receives strong and permanent support," adding that "the position of our brethren in Hezbollah, represented by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech, was highly appreciated by the Resistance and our people."

In conclusion, Al-Nakhalah stressed that "the permanent [presence] of the joint room and its willingness to enter the battle was an important factor in shortening the days of the aggression,” calling on the Resistance fighters wherever they may be to stay away from any tools and means that the enemy can use to locate them.