by Seddighe Alipur:
One of the social duties that God considers a responsibility for all humans is resistance and perseverance against the oppression of tyrants. The literature of resistance expresses the confrontation between two ideologies: one based on injustice and domination, and the other striving to establish justice.
Women have always played a significant role in preserving and sustaining resistance, acting as one of the pillars of social civilization in battles against enemies, resistance, and jihad.
Since the arrival of British occupiers in Palestine, and later under the fake Zionist regime, women in Palestine have been active in both political and military spheres. The situation of women in Gaza, under the governance of Hamas, has differed, as they symbolized resistance and were closely involved with women’s activities.
Before reaching power, Hamas, in a statement, held no beliefs other than raising strong children for Palestine and supporting men. However, after taking power in 2007, their perspective completely shifted, and the role of women in Hamas was no longer confined to family matters or issues concerning women and children.
Since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, stronger women entered the field, directly participating in the military resistance movement, including carrying out martyrdom operations, such as that of Ayat al-Akhras, an 18-year-old girl from the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, who carried out a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in March 2002.
Two years later, a girl named Reem Riyashi, affiliated with Hamas, carried out a similar operation at the Erez crossing in northern Gaza among Israeli soldiers. As a result, Hamas recognized this core strength and independently established a women’s military branch, referred to by the media outlet Al-Monitor as the Hamas Women’s Movement.
Mona Mansour, the wife of the late Hamas leader Jamal Mansour, has conducted numerous interviews regarding issues like the peace process with the Zionist regime and the impossibility of such peace. She believes that Palestinians must regain their country’s independence without any conditions.
Thus, it can be said that women are the hidden power of Hamas and a significant factor in the party’s victories.
Palestinian women fought side by side with men in the battlefield against the Israeli regime, participating directly in military operations. Many women also supported and assisted the fighters from behind the frontlines, engaging in roles such as nursing, logistics, and networking.
The political role of women such as the martyr Jamila al-Shanti, the first and only woman member of Hamas’s political office, has been highly influential in the founding and political activities of the movement. This indicates that, under the umbrella of Hamas resistance, women were politically aware and engaged, contributing to the movement with insight and vision.
Palestinian women used various tools to resist and also engaged in media and social activism to promote their struggle. Women like Mona al-Kurd, with her media and social activities, drew global attention to Palestinian resistance.
Through their presence in the resistance field, these women experienced the taste of captivity through their jihadi struggle, and upon release from prison, they did not become isolated. Instead, they inspired their families to join the struggle, creating waves of hope in the West Bank and among the Palestinian people.
The history of Palestinian women’s sacrifice and perseverance is portrayed in various fields, such as hunger strikes in Israeli prisons, military resistance against occupiers, and political and social struggles. According to a report from the Palestinian Prisoners Club, more than 16,000 Palestinian women have been imprisoned in Israeli prisons from 1967 to the present.
Overall, Palestinian women have played a prominent role in the Palestinian resistance and in supporting its causes, contributing significantly in various roles, from raising the next generation of fighters and martyrs to participating in martyrdom and military operations, media and social activism, protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque, supporting the resistance front, and fighting alongside men in the battlefield.