Today, we honor Ghassan Kanafani, a revolutionary whose name is eternally carved in struggle for the liberation of Palestine.
Ghassan was not only a writer or thinker. A leader of PFLP along with George Habash, he was a military strategist, an embodiment of what martyr Basil Al-Araj called “the clashing intellectual,” despite having never fired a weapon.
It is indisputable that Ghassan's name embodies all the qualities of a real resistance fighter in his life and in his death: a writer, thinker, artist, politician, father, husband, son, revolutionary, intellectual, and fighter all at once. He understood the power of words and used them to ignite a revolution in the hearts of the people that still burns to this day and fuels acts of resistance.
It is one thing to write. It is a completely different thing to make writing a weapon. Your pen the barrel of a rifle, your words the bullets fired into the chest of the enemy. Ghassan understood that.
His left a mark on so many that it is difficult to believe it was only coincidence—from being the first to notice Naji Al-Ali’s drawings at an exhibition in Beirut and publishing his drawings, to working alongside George Habash, to influencing Mahmoud Darwish’s writings. One of his most famous quotes was: "Beware of a natural death and do not die except under a hail of bullets," inspire many resistance fighters who transform his ideology into actions. These same words are written on the grave of the Lion of Nablus, Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi.
The truth is Ghassan was a fighter who fought with his words, embodying “a cultural form of resistance is never less valuable than armed resistance itself.” This ethos was central to how he operated. His words—inspiring so many to carry the rifle and to write their own martyrdom while defiantly facing the enemy—were exactly why that same enemy needed to silence him.
With everything he offered to the cause, Ghassan could only ascend as a martyr. And so he rose, on a sunny summer day in Beirut in a Mossad assassination that targeted him and his 17-year-old niece Lamees. His body was scattered on the ground. His left hand was found on a tree.
Curiously, his watch didn’t stop ticking. "Bodies fall, but not the idea." Revolutionary thoughts do not abide by the rules of time.
Ghassan was not only a writer or thinker. A leader of PFLP along with George Habash, he was a military strategist, an embodiment of what martyr Basil Al-Araj called “the clashing intellectual,” despite having never fired a weapon.
It is indisputable that Ghassan's name embodies all the qualities of a real resistance fighter in his life and in his death: a writer, thinker, artist, politician, father, husband, son, revolutionary, intellectual, and fighter all at once. He understood the power of words and used them to ignite a revolution in the hearts of the people that still burns to this day and fuels acts of resistance.
It is one thing to write. It is a completely different thing to make writing a weapon. Your pen the barrel of a rifle, your words the bullets fired into the chest of the enemy. Ghassan understood that.
His left a mark on so many that it is difficult to believe it was only coincidence—from being the first to notice Naji Al-Ali’s drawings at an exhibition in Beirut and publishing his drawings, to working alongside George Habash, to influencing Mahmoud Darwish’s writings. One of his most famous quotes was: "Beware of a natural death and do not die except under a hail of bullets," inspire many resistance fighters who transform his ideology into actions. These same words are written on the grave of the Lion of Nablus, Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi.
The truth is Ghassan was a fighter who fought with his words, embodying “a cultural form of resistance is never less valuable than armed resistance itself.” This ethos was central to how he operated. His words—inspiring so many to carry the rifle and to write their own martyrdom while defiantly facing the enemy—were exactly why that same enemy needed to silence him.
With everything he offered to the cause, Ghassan could only ascend as a martyr. And so he rose, on a sunny summer day in Beirut in a Mossad assassination that targeted him and his 17-year-old niece Lamees. His body was scattered on the ground. His left hand was found on a tree.
Curiously, his watch didn’t stop ticking. "Bodies fall, but not the idea." Revolutionary thoughts do not abide by the rules of time.
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How Do We Protect Ghassan Kanafani?
RNN is proud to present the translation of an insightful piece published on the 50th anniversary of Ghassan Kanafani's martyrdom in 2022. This piece explores the distinguished legacy and continued relevance of Ghassan…
RNN is proud to present the translation of an insightful piece published on the 50th anniversary of Ghassan Kanafani's martyrdom in 2022. This piece explores the distinguished legacy and continued relevance of Ghassan…
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Resistance - Why (1971)
Directed by Christian Ghazi.
In this once lost film, Ghassan Kanafani, Sadiq Jalal El-Azm, Nabil Shaath and others share their vision of the Palestinian revolution, tracing its history back to the early 20th century.
Directed by Christian Ghazi.
In this once lost film, Ghassan Kanafani, Sadiq Jalal El-Azm, Nabil Shaath and others share their vision of the Palestinian revolution, tracing its history back to the early 20th century.
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A subtitled interview with Ghassan Kanafani in which he talks about the origins of the Palestinian resistance movement, its goals, its enemies, and it bringing hope to the Palestinian masses amidst neglect and failure that came from the world.
The interview from which this film is from can be watched here.
The interview from which this film is from can be watched here.
A wall in Burqa, #Nablus, bears the words:
"Do not die until you become a worthy adversary.”
It is a sentiment that echoes in the memory of the martyr Montaser Mohammed Amin Mustafa Saif, found on the right side of the mural, painted to honor his unwavering commitment to the homeland and sacrifices.
Adjacent, another figure shines alongside the depiction of Saif.
To the far left of the West Bank, you can find the Gaza Strip—distinct in name but united as one Palestine, as is portrayed in this very alley in Nablus.
To the far left of Montaser Saif you can find the “elegant fighter,” Hamza Hisham Amer “Abu Hisham.”
In a trench coat that flutters behind him and a weapon of resistance in hand, just as Ghassan Kanafani's words have transcended time, so too will the image and sacrifices of Abu Hisham, forever etched in our collective memories and an image which has further stirred the hope of a near liberation.
Glory to the martyrs.
"Do not die until you become a worthy adversary.”
It is a sentiment that echoes in the memory of the martyr Montaser Mohammed Amin Mustafa Saif, found on the right side of the mural, painted to honor his unwavering commitment to the homeland and sacrifices.
Adjacent, another figure shines alongside the depiction of Saif.
To the far left of the West Bank, you can find the Gaza Strip—distinct in name but united as one Palestine, as is portrayed in this very alley in Nablus.
To the far left of Montaser Saif you can find the “elegant fighter,” Hamza Hisham Amer “Abu Hisham.”
In a trench coat that flutters behind him and a weapon of resistance in hand, just as Ghassan Kanafani's words have transcended time, so too will the image and sacrifices of Abu Hisham, forever etched in our collective memories and an image which has further stirred the hope of a near liberation.
Glory to the martyrs.
On the grave of the martyr Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, Ghassan Kanafani's words are written: "Beware of a natural death, and do not die except under a hail of bullets."
Just one day before his martyrdom, Ibrahim asked his older brother Iyad to engrave this phrase, which he considered his life motto, on his tomb. Iyad was abudcted on October 26th by the zionist occupation and placed in 4-month administrative detention without charge or trial. Glory to the martyrs Ibrahim, and may the prisoner Iyad be liberated.
Just one day before his martyrdom, Ibrahim asked his older brother Iyad to engrave this phrase, which he considered his life motto, on his tomb. Iyad was abudcted on October 26th by the zionist occupation and placed in 4-month administrative detention without charge or trial. Glory to the martyrs Ibrahim, and may the prisoner Iyad be liberated.
❤1
A collective memory of resistance.
Ghassan Kanafani's words, "Beware of a natural death, and do not die except under a hail of bullets."
The words of the martyr Ghassan Kanafani are intertwined with the body of the martyr Oday AlTamimi on a wall in Burj AlBarjneh refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon.
A child walks by with his mother and asks, "Who is in the painting?". His mother answers, "Oday, the hero." This is how the identity of the nation is born, and thus, the generation of Basil AlAraj's "revolutionary intellectuals" is born.
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Translated and modified from @AwdeFares
Ghassan Kanafani's words, "Beware of a natural death, and do not die except under a hail of bullets."
The words of the martyr Ghassan Kanafani are intertwined with the body of the martyr Oday AlTamimi on a wall in Burj AlBarjneh refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon.
A child walks by with his mother and asks, "Who is in the painting?". His mother answers, "Oday, the hero." This is how the identity of the nation is born, and thus, the generation of Basil AlAraj's "revolutionary intellectuals" is born.
-----
Translated and modified from @AwdeFares
Al-Quds. Our blessed city, the city of prophets. The city our compasses point to.
In our millions we walk on a straight path towards you. In our millions we live and are martyred for your sake. Standing as part of a long lineage of defiance, we march along this path, the path of martyrs, knowing that your liberation draws ever closer. With each sacrifice, with every martyr, a breath of life forming today’s flood.
In the words of one of Palestine’s beloved martyrs Ghassan Kanafani, "Of course death means a lot. The important thing is to know why. Self-sacrifice, within the context of revolutionary action, is an expression of the very highest understanding of life, and of the struggle to make life worthy of a human being. The love of life for a person becomes a love for the life of his people’s masses, and his rejection that their life persists in being full of continuous misery, suffering and hardship. Hence, his understanding of life becomes a social virtue, capable of convincing the militant fighter that self-sacrifice is a redemption of his people’s life."
Glory to the martyrs.
Glory to the resistance.
Long live Palestine and its eternal capital Al-Quds.
In our millions we walk on a straight path towards you. In our millions we live and are martyred for your sake. Standing as part of a long lineage of defiance, we march along this path, the path of martyrs, knowing that your liberation draws ever closer. With each sacrifice, with every martyr, a breath of life forming today’s flood.
In the words of one of Palestine’s beloved martyrs Ghassan Kanafani, "Of course death means a lot. The important thing is to know why. Self-sacrifice, within the context of revolutionary action, is an expression of the very highest understanding of life, and of the struggle to make life worthy of a human being. The love of life for a person becomes a love for the life of his people’s masses, and his rejection that their life persists in being full of continuous misery, suffering and hardship. Hence, his understanding of life becomes a social virtue, capable of convincing the militant fighter that self-sacrifice is a redemption of his people’s life."
Glory to the martyrs.
Glory to the resistance.
Long live Palestine and its eternal capital Al-Quds.
Via Samidoun Network: From Ghassan Kanafani to Walid Daqqah: Assassination, Imperialism, Resistance and Revolution.
We encourage our readers to read this fantastic article, which connects Kanafani's assassination to the prisoners' movement, regional resistance, security coordination of the Palestinian Authority, and diasporic resistance.
Kanafani’s famous quote on internationalism remains an urgent call to action today: “Imperialism has laid its body over the world, the head in Eastern Asia, the heart in the Middle East, its arteries reaching Africa and Latin America. Wherever you strike it, you damage it, and you serve the World Revolution…The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever he is, as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era.”
As Khaled Barakat writes,
“The 51st anniversary of the martyrdom of the writer Ghassan Kanafani this year coincides with the victory of the Jenin camp in the seemingly impossible battle led by the youth of the Brigades…The anniversary coincides with the resistance tent raised on a high southern hill in Lebanon, as a sign of victory, spreading awareness, light and challenge, and overlooking occupied Palestine. It is the resistance tent that heralds return and liberation…
The memory of Kanafani’s martyrdom…comes to say: Something great is being born now in the tunnels and tents of the valiant resistance in the south of Lebanon, in Gaza, and in Jenin, and there is a bridge and an embrace that extends between the south of Lebanon and all of Palestine: a small tent, from which the great Arab liberation project will be born, from the ocean to the Gulf.”
We encourage our readers to read this fantastic article, which connects Kanafani's assassination to the prisoners' movement, regional resistance, security coordination of the Palestinian Authority, and diasporic resistance.
Kanafani’s famous quote on internationalism remains an urgent call to action today: “Imperialism has laid its body over the world, the head in Eastern Asia, the heart in the Middle East, its arteries reaching Africa and Latin America. Wherever you strike it, you damage it, and you serve the World Revolution…The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever he is, as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era.”
As Khaled Barakat writes,
“The 51st anniversary of the martyrdom of the writer Ghassan Kanafani this year coincides with the victory of the Jenin camp in the seemingly impossible battle led by the youth of the Brigades…The anniversary coincides with the resistance tent raised on a high southern hill in Lebanon, as a sign of victory, spreading awareness, light and challenge, and overlooking occupied Palestine. It is the resistance tent that heralds return and liberation…
The memory of Kanafani’s martyrdom…comes to say: Something great is being born now in the tunnels and tents of the valiant resistance in the south of Lebanon, in Gaza, and in Jenin, and there is a bridge and an embrace that extends between the south of Lebanon and all of Palestine: a small tent, from which the great Arab liberation project will be born, from the ocean to the Gulf.”
On Lebanon's historic victory, on Jenin's historic victory, security coordination, Ghassan Kanafani, the tenacity of resistance, and the tents in southern Lebanon:
Read this newly translated piece by Khaled Barakat, "Ghassan Kanafani and the tent of resistance heralding victory and return," originally published in Al-Akhbar.
"This year, the 51st anniversary of the martyrdom of the writer and leader Ghassan Kanafani coincides with the victory of the Jenin camp in the seemingly impossible battle led by the youth of the Brigades, those who refuse sponsorship and control. The fedayeen 'do not need their mother’s care,' Kanafani said.
The anniversary coincides with the resistance tent raised on a high southern hill in Lebanon, as a sign of victory, spreading awareness, light and challenge, and overlooking occupied Palestine. It is the resistance tent that heralds return and liberation. Here, precisely, the wisdom of the Palestinian woman of Kanafani’s novel, Umm Saad, appears once again with her revolutionary saying, 'One tent is not like another.' Yes, the tent of forced refuge, torment and humiliation cannot be the same tent that shades the fedayeen, under which those who give their lives in the struggle meet, with no goal but the liberation of their land and their return, the defense of the rights and dignity of their people. The tent of resistance accommodates everyone, stretching from the South of Lebanon to the South of Palestine and beyond.
The memory of Kanafani’s martyrdom on July 8, 1972, when he died as a martyr in the Hazmieh neighbourhood of Beirut with his niece, Lamis Najm, 17 years of age, comes to say: Something great is being born now in the tunnels and tents of the valiant resistance in the south of Lebanon, in Gaza, and in Jenin, and there is a bridge and an embrace that extends between the south of Lebanon and all of Palestine: a small tent, from which the great Arab liberation project will be born, from the ocean to the Gulf."
https://masarbadil.org/en/2023/07/4110/
Read this newly translated piece by Khaled Barakat, "Ghassan Kanafani and the tent of resistance heralding victory and return," originally published in Al-Akhbar.
"This year, the 51st anniversary of the martyrdom of the writer and leader Ghassan Kanafani coincides with the victory of the Jenin camp in the seemingly impossible battle led by the youth of the Brigades, those who refuse sponsorship and control. The fedayeen 'do not need their mother’s care,' Kanafani said.
The anniversary coincides with the resistance tent raised on a high southern hill in Lebanon, as a sign of victory, spreading awareness, light and challenge, and overlooking occupied Palestine. It is the resistance tent that heralds return and liberation. Here, precisely, the wisdom of the Palestinian woman of Kanafani’s novel, Umm Saad, appears once again with her revolutionary saying, 'One tent is not like another.' Yes, the tent of forced refuge, torment and humiliation cannot be the same tent that shades the fedayeen, under which those who give their lives in the struggle meet, with no goal but the liberation of their land and their return, the defense of the rights and dignity of their people. The tent of resistance accommodates everyone, stretching from the South of Lebanon to the South of Palestine and beyond.
The memory of Kanafani’s martyrdom on July 8, 1972, when he died as a martyr in the Hazmieh neighbourhood of Beirut with his niece, Lamis Najm, 17 years of age, comes to say: Something great is being born now in the tunnels and tents of the valiant resistance in the south of Lebanon, in Gaza, and in Jenin, and there is a bridge and an embrace that extends between the south of Lebanon and all of Palestine: a small tent, from which the great Arab liberation project will be born, from the ocean to the Gulf."
https://masarbadil.org/en/2023/07/4110/
Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement
Ghassan Kanafani and the tent of resistance heralding victory and return
by Khaled Barakat, originally published in Al-Akhbar The historic victory of the national and Islamic resistance in Lebanon, led by Hezbollah, in May 2000, and the liberation of the South of Lebanon by force of arms, was the spark for and clear prelude to…
🔻 The IOF admits that one of its soldiers was seriously wounded by resistance mortar fire in Shuja'iyya, northern #Gaza Strip.
How Do We Protect Ghassan Kanafani?
RNN is proud to present the translation of an insightful piece published on the 50th anniversary of Ghassan Kanafani's martyrdom in 2022. This piece explores the distinguished legacy and continued relevance of Ghassan Kanafani—prominent Arab nationalist, revolutionary theorist, and esteemed writer. It emphasizes our collective responsibility in preserving and promoting his vision for future generations.
Ghassan the poet? Ghassan the Palestinian? No, Ghassan the revolutionary!
Read the full piece here:
How Do We Protect Ghassan Kanafani?
(Re-uploaded to Medium)
RNN is proud to present the translation of an insightful piece published on the 50th anniversary of Ghassan Kanafani's martyrdom in 2022. This piece explores the distinguished legacy and continued relevance of Ghassan Kanafani—prominent Arab nationalist, revolutionary theorist, and esteemed writer. It emphasizes our collective responsibility in preserving and promoting his vision for future generations.
Ghassan the poet? Ghassan the Palestinian? No, Ghassan the revolutionary!
Read the full piece here:
How Do We Protect Ghassan Kanafani?
(Re-uploaded to Medium)
Al-Wadie Groups (Nablus):
—
The absence of the Brigade has given an opportunity for calm in the city of Nablus, and this is the current state of the streets.
But we say to you, wait for us, and very soon, we will reorganize and announce the formation of new units within the city.
Long live your efforts, sons of the city. May your times be blessed with what this city has produced.
A surprise is inevitably coming.
Your brothers, Al-Wadie Groups.
—
The absence of the Brigade has given an opportunity for calm in the city of Nablus, and this is the current state of the streets.
But we say to you, wait for us, and very soon, we will reorganize and announce the formation of new units within the city.
Long live your efforts, sons of the city. May your times be blessed with what this city has produced.
A surprise is inevitably coming.
Your brothers, Al-Wadie Groups.
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Our names will be written in the history books... And they will say, "Wadie spoke."
The founder of the Lions' Den, martyr commander Wadie Al-Houh.
June 13, 1991 - ∞.
The founder of the Lions' Den, martyr commander Wadie Al-Houh.
June 13, 1991 - ∞.
🟡🟢 Hezbollah:
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1
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"Permission [to fight] has been granted to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory."
This is the truth of Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.
In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 5:05 pm on Monday, 08-07-2024, targeted the Zebdine barracks in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.
"And victory is only from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise."
Monday, 08-07-2024
2 Muharram 1446 AH
—
1
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"Permission [to fight] has been granted to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory."
This is the truth of Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.
In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 5:05 pm on Monday, 08-07-2024, targeted the Zebdine barracks in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.
"And victory is only from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise."
Monday, 08-07-2024
2 Muharram 1446 AH
🚨 Director of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, to Al-Jazeera:
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Our capabilities are very weak and the fuel shortage represents a major crisis for us.
All health services are halted in hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip.
Occupation tanks are standing in front of Patients' Friends Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip.
The only source of fuel in the Gaza Strip is the World Health Organization, and they supply us with very, very small quantities.
34 children have died due to severe food shortages in the northern Gaza Strip.
For two months or more, no food supplies have entered the Gaza Strip.
There are 25,000 patients urgently needing treatment outside the Gaza Strip, but only 5,000 have been able to leave.
Members of the Algerian delegation performed surgeries in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, and we salute them.
The Rafah crossing must be opened immediately, our situation is extremely dire.
Residents of Shuja'iyya and others do not know where to go due to the intense "israeli" shelling.
—
Our capabilities are very weak and the fuel shortage represents a major crisis for us.
All health services are halted in hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip.
Occupation tanks are standing in front of Patients' Friends Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip.
The only source of fuel in the Gaza Strip is the World Health Organization, and they supply us with very, very small quantities.
34 children have died due to severe food shortages in the northern Gaza Strip.
For two months or more, no food supplies have entered the Gaza Strip.
There are 25,000 patients urgently needing treatment outside the Gaza Strip, but only 5,000 have been able to leave.
Members of the Algerian delegation performed surgeries in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, and we salute them.
The Rafah crossing must be opened immediately, our situation is extremely dire.
Residents of Shuja'iyya and others do not know where to go due to the intense "israeli" shelling.
🚨 This morning, a zionist prison guard was found dead in his burned down apartment in a settlement near #AlQuds with several stab wounds.
Zionist intelligence continues to investigate the background of the event. The guard served in a "security" prison. He was stabbed several times in the abdomen before his apartment in "Giv'on HaHadasha" was burned down.
Zionist intelligence continues to investigate the background of the event. The guard served in a "security" prison. He was stabbed several times in the abdomen before his apartment in "Giv'on HaHadasha" was burned down.