• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
      • Political Islam
    • Areas of Expertise
      • Economic Warfare
        • Cyber Security
      • U.S. Policy
      • Anti-Corruption
      • Foreign Election Observing
      • Supporting Free Speech
        • Legislation
      • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • Free Speech Celebration, U.S. Senate
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • Our Impact
    • Endorsements
    • Additional Praise
  • Media
    • Recent Interviews
    • Events
      • Coming Events
    • Radio
    • Television
    • Rumble / Youtube
  • Publications
    • All Posts Archive
    • ACD Presentations
    • Articles
    • Books
    • Papers
    • Recommended Readings
  • Free Speech
    • Legislation & Support
    • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • FREE SPEECH Act Celebration, U.S. Senate, September 20, 2010
      • Some Congressional Testimonies
  • Economic warfare
    • The Impact of Purposeful Interference on U.S. Cyber Interests
    • Cyber/Space, EMP Insecurity- Current and Future Threats
    • The Existential EMP Threat
    • New Strategies to Secure U.S. Economy from Cyber Attacks
    • Economic Warfare Subversions July 9, 2012
    • CyberSpace Security – Papers And Articles
    • Cyber Security
    • Da’esh “lite” North America Islamist – Sources
    • The Muslim Brotherhood and Da’esh “Lite” in North America
  • Support ACD
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
American Center for Democracy

American Center for Democracy

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • Free Speech
  • U.S. Policy
    • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Political Islam
    • Canada
    • Hamas
    • Iran
    • Islam
    • Muslim Brotherhood
    • Palestinian
    • United States
  • Narco-Terrorism
  • Middle East Conflicts
    • Iran
    • Israel
  • Global Conflicts
    • China
    • North Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
  • Soros
You are here: Home / ACD/EWI Blog / Qassam Brigades Establishing a “Popular Army” in Gaza*

Qassam Brigades Establishing a “Popular Army” in Gaza*

October 2, 2014 by Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Left: Announcement of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades training camps: “The popular training camps – we are all the resistance”

Overview

1.   The Hamas-affiliated media recently reported that the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades was planning to establish what it called a “popular army.” According to the reports, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades was recruiting as many civilian volunteers as possible, regardless of age. They will be given basic military training, especially how to fire various types of weapons. The objective is to train them to act as an auxiliary force for Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades operatives in a future confrontation with Israel.

2.   To that end, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades posted an announcement in the Abdallah Azzam mosque in the Al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, and apparently in other mosques as well. It requested all Gazan civilians to train as part of a “popular army” and to register with Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades representatives (Qudspress.com, September 25, 2014). The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades intend to hold training camps for the “popular army” throughout the Gaza Strip with the slogan “We all [fight for] the resistance.” Rounds of basic training are supposed to be held in weekly sessions and will be open to volunteers throughout the year. According to Abu Mujahad, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades’ training commander, civilian volunteers will be trained in the use of all types of weapons, from light arms to hand grenades. He claimed that thousands of young Gazans had already signed up in the mosques for training. He added that the “popular army” would have a designated role in a future confrontation with Israel (Paltimes.net, September 27, 2014).

3.   The military training will be given by Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades operatives and volunteers will be trained in groups by age: first those 14 to 20 years of age, then older volunteers and finally mature and elderly adults. According to a report, 1,800 young men in the Jabaliya refugee camp have already signed up. The first round of training began on September 27, 2014, and will continue until October 4, 2014. The training is currently being held in the Tareq bin Ziyad mosque in Al-Shejaiya (PALDF, September 29, 2014).

4.   According to the Facebook page of Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, he claimed that the so-called “rumors” that Hamas was planning to establish a “popular army” were untrue. However, he added that “Hamas is maneuvering between the approach that says we are part of this society and such a decision needs a national consensus; the fact that says we [live] in the society of resistance, we need a culture, concept and training for resistance to guard our people and protect our homeland…” (Facebook page of Musa Abu Marzouq, September 29. 2014).

5.   It is unclear at this point what the scope of enlistment in the “popular army” has been. Apparently there are signs on the ground (See pictures below), even locally, that it is not a matter of rumor (as claimed by Musa Abu Marzouq). In ITIC assessment, civilians are being trained for the “popular army” to preserve public support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip and to maintain solidarity with the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as manifested during and after Operation Protective Edge.

6.   If in fact thousands of Gazans enlist in the “popular army” and are trained to participate in future conflicts with Israel, it may become more difficult to distinguish between military-terrorist operatives and uninvolved civilians, including adolescents and the elderly. Among those Hamas wants to enlist are adolescents under 18 and mature and elderly adults. In addition, an examination of the names of Gazan casualties of Operation Protective Edge indicates the inclusion of 15 and 17 year-olds in the ranks of Hamas and the other terrorist organizations, although the extent of their inclusion is unknown.[1]

Pictures from the First Training Camp

167_14_02_1989709179

167_14_03_109565355

167_14_04_564175846

167_14_05_1557429730

7.   On September 29, 2014, the Hamas forum PALDF posted pictures from the first training camp, currently in full swing. Most of the uniformed participants in the pictures are very young. Their instructors are military-terrorist operatives. They are being trained to use a variety of weapons, including RPG launchers, assault rifles, etc.

Full Document in PDF Format

[1] For further information see the September 17, 2014 bulletin “The War of Casualties: During Operation Protective Edge children and teenagers were exploited by terrorists as auxiliaries and operatives. The extent of the phenomenon is still unclear.”

* This article was originally posted on September 30, 2014, on the Meir Amit website under the title “Hamas-affiliated media report: the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades has begun establishing a ‘popular army’ for the next confrontation with Israel“

Filed Under: ACD/EWI Blog, Hamas, Hamas/Gaza, Ikhwan, Israel, Muslim Brotherhood

Primary Sidebar

Spotlight

website capture islamist incitement quote by j.woolsey obama signing Rachel's law chemical terrorism transportation terrorism nuclear threats on the rise winning the cyberwar gps concepts and misconceptions libel tourism

Search ACD

Recent Appearances

[5/1/2025] National Talk Radio with Shawn Moore

[3/11/2025] Shaun Thompson Interview

[3/10/2025] Larry Conners Interviews Rachel Ehrenfeld

[2/3/2025] The Truth About George Soros - Grey Matter Podcast

[1/22/2025] Fighting Terrorism Funding - SAM Podcast

[1/8/2025] COUNTER NARRATIVE Interview on PATRIOT.TV

[10/2/2024] The Shaun Thompson Show: Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld

[9/30/2024] Counter Narrative: Soros Power Grab: Media Takeover & Election Manipulation |

[8/28/2024] SOS Blinken warns U.S. allies that Iran may attack Israel in the next 24-48hrs

[8/9/2024] Purham & Associates Show Special Guest: Rachel Ehrenfeld

[7/26/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Andy Caldwell Show

[6/12/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Shaun Thompson Show

[5/29/2024] Interview on Bill Martinez Live

[5/24/2024] CAEF presents "Soros is No Dreyfus: The Soros Agenda to Change America & his Anti-Israel Crusade"

[5/16/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on Jayne Carol Tonight - Portland, OR

[5/9/2024] How deep do the Soros ties go?

[5/6/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: The College Intifada-How Jew Hunting Became a Left Wing Blood Sport On Campus

[4/15/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on The Vic Poricini Show

[4/11/2024] The Andy Caldwell Show

[4/10/2024] Always Right Radio with Bob Frantz

[4/3/2024] Kacee Allen & Rachel Ehrenfeld - The Pelle Neroth Taylor Show

[3/12/2024] Rachel Ehrenfeld | Gunther Rewind - Podcast on iHeart Radio

[2/18/2024] תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה - Podcast on Spotify

תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה | Podcast on Spotify

[2/7/2024] Are We in World War III and Don't Know It? - Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

[1/23/2024] The Chris Smith Show - TNTRADIO.LIVE

[1/22/2024] 'Soros Agenda' Author Warns That Global Elites Could Steal '24 Election - One America News

[1/12/2024] Stacy Washington NOW Rachel on from 24:10 – 31:46.

[12/23/2023] Propagaza – Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

View ALL

The Soros Agenda

g. soros

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part I

Rachel Ehrenfeld & Shawn Macomber

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part II

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part III

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part IV

More about Soros...
ORDER THE SOROS AGENDA →
Buy The Soros Agenda

Tags

antisemitism Caliphate Canada capital punishment China Christians Daniel Haqiqatjou Dawah Disinformation genocide Hamas Iran ISIS Islam Islamic Party of Ontario Islamic Relief Canada Islamic Relief Worldwide Islamization Islamophobia Israel J. Millard Burr Jews jihad Justin Trudeau LGBT liberalism Muslim Brotherhood Muslims NCCM Norman Bailey Palestine Political Islam Quran Russia Salaheddin Islamic Centre Saudi Arabia Sharia Sol W. Sanders SOROS Syria Terrorism Toronto US USA women's rights

Footer

About ACD

ACD is a New York-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which monitors and exposes the enemies of freedom and their modus operandi, and explores pragmatic ways to counteract their methods.

Endorsements

"The ACD/EWI ability to predict future threats is second to none"

- R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence

- - - More Endorsements - - -

Follow ACD!

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin

Copyright © 2025 | The American Center for Democracy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.