Press TV - December 31, 2024
Press TV Person of the Year 2024: Axis of Resistance
By Maryam Qarehgozlou
As the curtain falls on 2024, it will be etched in the annals of history as a year of cataclysmic events, seismic global shifts, and the phenomenal rise of the 'Axis of Resistance'.
The relentless military operations by the Axis of Resistance against the Israeli occupation and its Western backers, which captured global attention, have been the highlight of this year.
The unflinching support of people in the region and beyond for the Axis of Resistance has also contributed to its growth and popularity, making people an integral part of this axis.
What sets 2024 apart from preceding years, however, have been the unparalleled scale and intensity of resistance operations, stretching from Gaza to Lebanon to Yemen, and Iraq.
These nearly-daily operations, which continue to gain momentum, have managed to send a powerful message to the Tel Aviv regime and its Western allies, underscoring a new phase in the struggle for the liberation of occupied Palestinian territories.
It all started 452 days ago with Hamas’s pathbreaking Operation al-Aqsa Flood (Storm), launched on October 7, 2023. The surprise attack shattered Israel’s illusion of military invulnerability, exposing the cracks in its heavily fortified military systems.
The unprecedented operation was a direct response to decades of Zionist aggression, apartheid policies, and attempts to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
Al-Aqsa Flood marked a watershed moment, igniting near-daily operations by the Axis of Resistance and redefining the balance of power in the region.
As 2024 ends, the reverberations of these events continue to shape the geopolitical landscape, signaling a transformative era in the struggle against occupation and settler-colonialism.
Al-Aqsa Flood in 2024
Amid an extraordinary operation, Hamas resistance fighters successfully captured at least 240 Israeli soldiers and settlers, shaking the regime in Tel Aviv and unsettling its Western allies.
This bold move played a key role in negotiations for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Nearly 10,000 Palestinians remain confined in Israeli prisons, held on bogus charges and languishing behind bars under harsh and inhumane conditions.
In November last year, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners, including 107 minors aged 14 to 17, through a high-stakes swap deal. Remarkably, three-quarters of these detainees had not been convicted of any crime. In return, Hamas released 105 Israeli captives.
Most of the Israeli captives are still held in Gaza, though some have fallen victim to Israeli airstrikes over the past 14 months. The issue has become a significant challenge for the Netanyahu regime.
Throughout the year, settlers in the occupied territories have intensified their protests against the embattled regime, accusing it of failing to secure the captives' release. This crisis has also deepened political divisions within the political circles of Tel Aviv.
The aftermath of Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the Israeli genocidal war crimes that aggravated throughout 2024 also effectively put the US-brokered normalization farce on the back burner.
According to political analysts, Arab states that were previously inclined to make their secret relationship with the Israeli regime official were forced to shelve the plans to avoid ruffling feathers.
Moreover, despite Western media's censorship and restrictions on Israeli genocidal crimes in Gaza, the child-murdering regime's actions, broadcasted on various social media platforms, have brought the Palestinian cause to the forefront of the international community’s attention.
Social media has been replete with graphic videos and photos of Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon this year. documented by Palestinian citizen journalists and activists themselves. And despite attempts by Israeli lobbies to censor such content, the truth has prevailed.
Although Western governments remain complicit and continue to reject calls for classifying Israel’s deadly onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza as genocide, mounting evidence has placed them in an increasingly uncomfortable position.
This opposition is evident in the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling against Israel in a case presented by South Africa, ordering Israel to stop and prevent the genocide in Gaza.
Additionally, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on war crime charges, meaning they could face arrest in any of the 124 countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, as these nations are legally obligated to apprehend war criminals.
The ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 45,600 Palestinians in 452 days, has also caused irreparable harm to the regime in terms of its international alliances.
Several governments this year recalled their ambassadors or severed diplomatic ties with Israel, including Bahrain, Chad, Chile, Honduras, Jordan, South Africa, and Turkey. Even some of these countries with covert ties with Tel Aviv were forced to publicly denounce the regime.
Latin American and Caribbean countries have been among the countries at the forefront of global efforts to stop the genocide in Gaza and defend the human rights of Palestinians.
In May, Colombia, one of Israel’s most vocal critics in the Latin America region, followed Nicaragua, Belize, and Bolivia in severing diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime.
Colombia also halted weapons purchases from and coal exports to the occupied territories, which previously accounted for more than 50 percent of Israel’s annual coal supply.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian sentiment continued to surge across the globe this year, including in European countries and the United States, as evidenced by massive pro-Palestine rallies.
The biggest demonstrations were held on university campuses across the United States, with US law enforcement agencies using brutal force to disperse the pro-Gaza solidarity encampments.
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel, with branches in 40 countries, continued its campaign against the regime this year and achieved tremendous success.
This year saw several apps hitting the market and encouraging consumers to boycott businesses that support the Israeli regime and its genocidal actions in Gaza. Apps like Boycat allow users to scan a product’s barcode to reveal any connections to Israel and suggest alternative products they can buy.
Growing support for resistance
As witnessed in 2024, Israel failed to make any progress in its stated goal of eradicating Hamas or other Palestinian resistance groups. Rather, these movements only grew in strength and capabilities, evidenced by powerful military operations in Gaza and beyond.
Former Israeli Major General Itzhak Brik in February criticized the “total chaos” among the ranks of Israeli soldiers in Gaza. He has long warned that the destruction of Hamas "is not feasible" and that Netanyahu’s statements regarding this matter "are only intended to deceive others.”
The US Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner also admitted that “the idea that you’re going to eliminate every Hamas fighter, I don’t think is a realistic goal.”
Hamas represents more than just a military force; it embodies an ideology deeply rooted in the Palestinian struggle for national liberation, experts insist as the Gaza-based movement and its armed wing continue to inflict deadly blows on the Israeli occupation.
Despite Israel’s targeted assassinations of top Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Yahya Sinwar in southern Gaza and Saleh al-Arouri in Beorut, and several other senior leaders, the Gaza-based movement remains unwavering in its commitment to fighting the occupation.
Martyr Sinwar, in his poetic and powerful last will, called for the continuation of resistance against the Israeli occupation and urged Palestinians to carry the dream of Palestine in their hearts, as he and other resistance fighters had done throughout their lives.
“My will is for you to remain steadfast, clinging to your dignity and to the dream that never dies. The enemy wants us to abandon resistance, to turn our cause into endless negotiations, but I say to you, do not negotiate over what is rightfully yours,” said Sinwar in his last will.
“Be a thorn in their throat, a flood that knows no retreat, and do not rest until the world acknowledges that we are the rightful owners and that we are not just numbers in the news."
The military operations by the Palestinian armed resistance groups in Gaza and occupied West Bank - Al-Qassam Brigades, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Al-Quds Brigades, Al-Mujahideen Brigades etc have only increased this year, inflicting blows on the occupation.
In a complex operation on Monday, Al-Qassam fighters stormed a newly established Israeli military post in Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip, and eliminated five soldiers at point-blank range, destroyed a Merkava tank, and targeted a military jeep with several soldiers inside with hand grenades.
On the same day, Al-Quds Brigades fighters launched missiles at the occupied cities of Jerusalem al-Quds, Tel Aviv, Sderot and the settlements of the Gaza Envelope.
So, contrary to the claims made by the Tel Aviv regime and its propaganda mills, these resistance movements are very much active and steadfast and carrying out daily operations in Gaza and beyond.
The martyrdom of top-ranking leaders has infused more energy in Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance fighters instead of demoralizing them, according to military experts who follow the developments.
