In a testimony obtained by Mondoweiss, a resident of Shuja’iyya recounts his motivations for wanting to join Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades to fight against the Israeli army.

Summary by brave leo :

  • Yousef and Maisara, residents of al-Shuja’iyya, a neighborhood in Gaza City, chose not to evacuate despite the area being under siege by Israeli forces.

  • Maisara, a resistance fighter with the Qassam Brigades, was killed by an Israeli drone in mid-July. Yousef, his best friend and a Hamas supporter, stayed behind to bury the dead and protect the neighborhood from looting.

  • Yousef, who was not a member of the Qassam Brigades, wanted to be recruited to fight the invaders head-on. He was inspired by the courage of the fighters he had seen.

  • The Israeli army launched two invasions of al-Shuja’iyya, in December and June, suffering heavy losses during the first battle. Yousef and his friends helped the fighters by bringing them food and providing reconnaissance.

  • Yousef received military training from a young age through Hamas-organized summer camps, which provided youth with basic training.

  • The text highlights the ongoing conflict and resistance in al-Shuja’iyya, with a focus on Yousef’s experiences and desires to contribute to the resistance.