Hamas has said in a statement that the struggle of our nation against the occupying regime and colonialism did not begin on October 7, but 105 years ago as a result of occupation. Our people lived under British colonialism for 30 years and under the Zionist regime for 75 years.

 The Al-Aqsa Storm was necessary to end the unjust siege of the Gaza Strip and a natural step in the framework of liberation from the occupation.

 On the eve of 3rd anniversary of the October 7, “Storm Al-Aqsa’s Operation, Canadian writer, senior journalist and political expert, Eric Walberg, in an exclusive interview with the Qods News Agency talked about the operation.

 Qodsna: What is your opinion on Operation Al-Aqsa Flood?

Walberg: October 7, 2023 will remain a defining moment in world history long into the future, up there with September 11, 2001. We still don't know the real story behind it either event. For 10/7, of course, the legendary Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind, though as always Israel jumped at this opportunity to genocide Palestinians.

Sinwar's parent were refugees from Ashkelon, close to Gaza. Yahya was born in Gaza. In 1989, Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences in Israel for orchestrating the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he considered to be collaborators. He spent 22 years in prison until his release among 1,026 others in a 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. His many years in Israeli jails gave him time to learn Hebrew to better understand what Israelis both think and say about their plans of war and conquest.

He saw military confrontation as the only path to liberate Palestine, saying that this would be achieved by force, not negotiations. He realized Iran was the only foreign actor he could rely on and was grateful, not grudging.

There are hints that Israel, even Prime Minister Netanyahu were aware of the impending 'invasion' of illegal settlements nearby Gaza, which was intended to humiliate Israel for its inability to snuff out the Gazans' determination to live good lives and struggle to free Palestine from the Israeli yoke. Clearly the IDF used the attack, which did not target civilians but rather military bases at the settlements, to further their criminal theft of Gaza and the West Bank.

Turning against its own jewish citizens, Israel activated the 'Hannibal doctrine' to kill Israelis rather than let them be taken hostage. the IDF killed almost all the fleeing Israelis, many of them young hippies attended a rave' concert in the desert just a few kilometers from the open prison Gazans. Many of those Gazans, like Sinwar, were driven from the territory that these hippies were defiling with their nightly drug-infused orgy.  The IDF also obliterated 21 kibbutzes and any Israelis held there by their Palestinian captors. The IDF killed around 1000 of the total of 1200 Israeli casualties.

10/7 was awake up call to the world and shattered the phony peace enjoyed by traitorous Arab leaders who are eager to please US-Israel and abandon Palestine. Instead of joining the Abraham Accords, Saudi was forced to issue an ultimatum: no peace with Israel until a clear Palestinian state is established. After 3 years, this commitment remains in place.

Qodsna: What achievements has this operation yielded for the Palestinians?

Walberg: Tragically, 10/7 was followed by the obliteration of Gaza and the murder of more than 100,000 Gazans. Some estimates are one million dead, countless maimed. Probably most dead are rotting under the rubble of Gaza. Survivors of the genocide now starve and face death as Israel continues to flaunt its commitment to a ceasefire, and obstructs Trump's suspicious Board of Peace, which is loudly pro-Israel. Despite that Israel balks at giving away any control of Gazan development. Outrages perpetrated by Israel occur daily. The latest news is of Israel denying Gazans 700 wheelchairs for children maimed by Israel. Israel is also creating militias in Gaza composed of Palestinian criminals who are happy to oppress their fellow citizens in the service of Israel and Israeli shekels. So the genocide continues, with no end in sight, as the world looks on in horror, though it appears that the narrative is shifting. A majority of Americans now want to stop arming Israel, and to end the reign of terror in West Asia. The Palestinian people are sacrifical lambs in this demonic carnival of death, financed by not only the US, but by Canada and Europe, who collectively send billions of dollars to arm the Israel murderers, while timidly offering crocodile tears and minimal sanctions of violent Israeli settlers.

Qodsna: Some analysts believe that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm dealt a massive, crushing blow to the Zionist regime—one from which it will never fully recover. What is your opinion?

Walberg: The world power of Jewry is on full display. Even as the slaughter continues, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Israel and praised it for its dynamism and innovations, basking in hypocritical praise from his Israeli colleagues. He later backtracked when he realized how disgusted other countries and his own citizens were. He joined the BRICS members' declaration calling for Israel to withdraw its occupying forces from all Lebanese territories and demanded an immediate halt to policies aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians.

AIPAC saw its control over US elections falling, as many candidates in the November US elections publicly rejected taking their funds. One particularly exciting primary put Dr Abdel el-Seyyed on the ballot, hopefully ensuring his election to the Senate in the Democratic Michigan stronghold.

Politics is moving away from 'Friends of Israel' in Europe too. Spain leads the way, boycotting Israeli settlements and urging the EU to formalize a boycott. Countries who joined in the boycott include United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Recently, Israel complains that EU boycott measures mean Israel's German gift, a nuclear-capable submarine, cannot get spare parts. Mazel tof, EU!

Entertainers boycotting Israel and calling for a 'free Palestine' include Roger Waters and rapper Macklemore, whose call for a 'free Palestine' resulted in his expulsion from a US tour of rock stars by the Jewish stadium owner Robert Kraft. The owners of the major stadia in the US are Jewish Zionists and they control who can entertain. This prompting the other stars to withdraw, creating a huge scandal. This recalls the moment when South African apartheid began to crumble in the 1960s. It still took 30 years to bring an end to apartheid. Let's hope that this final battle against Israeli apartheid will succeed in less time. The accumulating crises in the world, now on the verge of WWIII, demand no less.