The statement relates the Israeli solider was captured “during the recent operation carried out by the Brigades east of At Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, which killed 14 soldiers and wounded more than 50, including the commander of the Golani Brigades.” The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry group that is well known for committing war crimes.

The statement from the Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades also noted, “This operation came as a response of killing more than 480 Palestinian civilians and wounded more than 3200 due to Israeli attacks on Gaza residential districts.”

On July 21 Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades told of a another successful battle. “The Israeli patrol was ambushed by Al Qassam members in Ash Shuja’iya neighborhood east of Gaza city, the Qassam members clashed with them from zero point, killing 10 soldiers and wounding 30 others.”

Another resistance group that has been battling the Israeli assault on Gaza is the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and its armed wing the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades. According to a statement from the PFLP, on July 20 members of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades “infiltrated and engaged occupation forces at the Rafah airport area and confronted them with a variety of weapons including four ‘107’ type missiles,” and they targeted “enemy artillery east of Shuja’iya at 12:45 a.m.”

Also on July 20, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, of Lebanon, pledged to stand with the Palestinian and the people of Gaza. Al –Manar News reports, “In a phone call with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, Sayyed Nasrallah said Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance will support the Palestinian Intifada and resistance, with all their hearts, willpower, hope and destiny.”

According to Al-Manar News, “Sayyed Nasrallah also contacted the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, where they discussed the developments on the battleground in Gaza, including field conditions and political advances.”

#GazaPalestine #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #Israel #Hamas #Hezbollah #SoldierEzzedeenAlQassamBrigades #ShaulAaron #GazaCity #AbuAliMustafaBrigades #MiddleEast

On September 24th last year, FBI agents raided the homes of peace and anti-war activists in Minneapolis and Chicago as well as our office, and issued subpoenas to 14 activists to appear before a federal grand jury in an investigation of alleged material support for terrorism. The number of activists subpoenaed to date has grown to 23, and one of the common threads that has emerged in this “investigation” is related to the activists’ solidarity work with the people of occupied Palestine.

We are outraged that history is repeating itself. Not only is the second Gaza Flotilla being prevented from delivering humanitarian aid to Palestine, this act of solidarity is being demonized as material support for terrorism by the U.S. State Department. It has been widely reported that the State Department regards the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza as equivalent to “conspiring to deliver material support” to Hamas, and could result in lengthy prison sentences for flotilla participants. It is outlandish that rather than using their influence with the Israeli government to help the American citizens on the Flotilla that the U.S. State Department is threatening prosecution. The Flotilla is an incredibly brave act of international solidarity, not a criminal act punishable by the United States. The real criminals are the people working to keep badly needed supplies out of Gaza!

The Anti-War Committee knows that now more than ever it is essential that we stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and that we truly change U.S. foreign policy. We urge our supporters to take action in solidarity with the Flotilla and to keep sending humanitarian aid to the people affected by U.S. sponsored warfare – including Palestinians.

What you can do:

• U.S. Boat to Gaza is urging supporters to immediately contact the Greek Embassy in Washington, DC at 202-939-1300 and by fax at 202-939-1324. Please tell them to let The Audacity of Hope leave Athens safely and sail to Gaza.
• End the Occupation is calling of supporters to call the State Department at 202-647-6575 and demand that it retract its June 24 statement that the flotilla and the U.S. Boat to Gaza are “irresponsible and provocative actions.”

We should demand that the United States stop threatening U.S. citizens acting peacefully to break Israel's illegal and immoral blockade of Gaza that their actions “could violate U.S. civil and criminal statutes and could lead to fines and incarceration.”

Demand that the United States ensures safe passage for the flotilla and that it ends U.S. support for Israel’s illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip. * For updates: Follow @USBOATTOGAZA on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/usboattogaza) for breaking news and info on emergency actions).

#MinneaoplisMN #MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #Palestine #GazaFlotilla #Hamas #MiddleEast