Palestinian Islamic Jihad calls for Ramadan to be 'month of terror and panic'

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is calling for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to be filled with "terror and panic," and for the first day of the month to be a "global day of support for Gaza," according to a statement issued by Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for al-Quds Brigades, the terrorist group's military wing.

"We say to the Arabs and Muslims, just as you turn to Allah with the obligatory prayers and fasting [in the holy month Ramadan], mobilize and head to Palestine with arms and the duty of Jihad," Hamza said in a more than 12-minute video posted on the group's official Telegram channel that was translated by by Al-Mayadeen, an Iran-aligned media outlet based in Lebanon.

"Let Ramadan be a month of terror and panic for the Israeli entity," he also said. 

Hamza slammed what he views as Islamic governments following the United States rather than helping the Palestinians.

"Is it not time for you to cast off the garment of servitude and humiliation to the great Satan, America, and follow in the footsteps of the honorable?" he asked.

He also addressed Islamic nations "who possess armies, planes, and artillery," asking, "Is it not time for you to mobilize your weapons, following in the footsteps of the free people of Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq?"

Hamza also made a larger call to arms as he urged for the "first day of Ramadan to be a global day of support for Gaza, with massive mobilization across all fields and arenas."

Ramadan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting for religious Muslims, is expected to begin the evening of Sunday, March 10, with the fast starting the morning of March 11.

The threat from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which the U.S. State Department has classified as a terrorist organization since 1997, comes as Israel and Hamas have been working on a ceasefire deal to free some people who were taken captive by terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. 

Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned last week that Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, the latter of which operates out of Lebanon, are looking to take advantage of Ramadan and turn it into the "the second stage of October 7, and ignite the ground," per The Times of Israel.

"Hamas’s main goal is to take Ramadan, with an emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, and turn it into the second phase of their plan that began on October 7. This is the main goal of Hamas, it is being amplified by Iran and Hezbollah," he said. 

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