News – Middle East: Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of Rai Al-Youm, said the statement issued by the al-Qassam Brigades represents a powerful message of strength and steadfastness, despite the martyrdom of its prominent military spokesperson Abu Ubaida, describing the loss as significant for the Palestinian resistance and its media front.

Speaking on Almasirah TV, Atwan stressed that Abu Ubaida played a central role in conveying the resistance’s message to millions across the Arab and Islamic world, adding that the statement reaffirmed the resistance’s cohesion and its continued capacity to confront the Israeli enemy.

Atwan praised the Palestinian resistance’s performance during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and throughout the Israeli-American war of siege and starvation against Gaza, highlighting Yemen’s direct and effective support.

He noted that Yemen prevented Israeli enemy navigation in the Red Sea and stood firmly with Gaza’s leadership, people, and resistance despite repeated aggression, describing this position as historic and enduring.

Atwan warned of the dangers posed by Israeli enemy expansion toward the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden, stressing that Israeli-American dominance in these areas threatens Arab national security and regional energy supplies.

He criticized Arab intelligence services for failing to monitor these developments, contrasting this with the vigilance of Yemen’s Ansarullah forces in protecting Red Sea maritime routes.

Atwan emphasized that Yemen and Lebanon, through their armed forces, represent the true shield defending the Palestinian people, while many Arab states have offered little beyond limited financial or humanitarian assistance.

Regarding the ceasefire, Atwan pointed out that Hamas has set clear conditions, including the full reopening of crossings and lifting the siege on Gaza, noting that the withdrawal of Israeli enemy forces from the occupied Palestinian territories remains unfulfilled.

He added that the Palestinian resistance is reorganizing its ranks to ease civilian suffering without abandoning its legitimate right to liberate all Palestinian land “from the river to the sea.”

Atwan condemned the weak and ineffective positions of many Arab regimes, while reiterating praise for Yemen’s principled stance. He affirmed that any Israeli enemy presence in Somalia or other Arab and Islamic countries constitutes a legitimate military target in defense of the Ummah.

He concluded that Palestinian unity around the resistance reflects deep-rooted steadfastness, with armed struggle remaining the primary option for safeguarding rights and holy sites in the face of all pressures.

These remarks come amid escalating regional tensions over Palestine and strategic waterways, including the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, the Gulf of Aden, and the Horn of Africa, with Yemen positioning itself at the forefront of defending Gaza and Palestinian rights through concrete actions on the ground.