Hamas Declares War on Israel

All of us know what Hamas did on that fateful day on October 7, 2023, which was far worse than the American 11th September, but for those who have forgotten:

Hamas launched a land, sea, and air assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip, which resulted in more than 1,200 deaths, primarily Israeli citizens, marking it as the deadliest day for Israel since its independence. More than 240 people were kidnapped by Hamas during this invasion. This was the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, a true act of genocide/

Israel declared itself in a state of war for the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and conducted air strikes on the Gaza Strip, followed by the incursion of ground troops and armored vehicles. The intent was to destroy the Hamas tunnels and to rescue the hostages.

Hamas' military wing and other Palestinian armed groups committed numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians during the assault. I will spare the details here of Hamas' rapes and heinous acts because this is a blog about stamps. I will state something that many people have ignored, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and Gaza was a 100% Palestinian entity.

The support for Hamas through the philatelic community was very quick, stamps being introduced already in 2023, barely two months after the invasion.

Jordan

On the 7th November 2023, Jordan Post was quick to enter the philatelic support announcing that they were going to overprint some issues with the phrase (Gaza the Steadfast). They claimed:

* The first issue, consisting of one stamp, which bore the name of the Intifada and was issued in 1991 with a value of 20 fils, was a new issue for this year, decorated with a new value of one Jordanian dinar, bearing the phrase (Gaza the Steadfast), where the decoration came in blue. Strangely this was issued in only 1000 copies and prices reach in the hundreds. The intent here is probably for philatelist.

* The second issue, consisting of one stamp, which bore a drawing of the Arch of Triumph (Hadrian’s Arch) in the ancient city of Jerash, issued in 2003, with a value of 50 fils, was a new issue for this year, decorated with a new value of one Jordanian dinar, bearing the phrase (Gaza the Steadfast), with the decoration in black.

Libya

Libya soon followed with an overprint of its own with words "Gaza Struggle"

Syria

Syria issued a stamp with the words "Occupation Resistance". This must not be confused with the stamp that they issued in October for the 50th Anniversary of the October War. It seems strange that they would issue another stamp so quickly, less than two months after the invasion. Stamps take preparation.

Iraq

Iraq also jumped on the bandwagon and issued a stamp and a souvenir sheet, showing the Dome of the Rock but with the words Tawafan Al-Aksa, a common error. No, I don't accept the current woke whitewash that the Arabs refer to the entire Temple Mount as Al Aksa seeing as how they use a different term, Haram al Sharif. However the word Tawafan means a storm, meaning a storm on the Temple Mount (using the proper terminology)

The souvenir sheet shows this quite well, where paratroopers are dropping on to the Temple Mount and the Israeli flag is shown to be fallen to be replaced by the Palestinian flag. 
 

Malaysia

January 2024, Malaysia Post had an issue "Palestin Merdeka" in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle. Although this stamp doesn't specifically mention the Gaza war, I feel that the timing ties it in.

Tunisia

Tunisia joined in on 29th February, 2024 with an issue for "Freedom for Palestine" depicting the Dome of the Rock on the left, but on the right, an image of the Gaza War. 

Strange that from 2005 until Gaza invaded, Gaza was free.

I am sure there will be others. I had heard of a Djibouti stamp, but haven't seen one for sale