Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated Ismail Haniyeh on his election as the new chief of Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’ political bureau, reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to supporting Palestinians in their battle against Israel.
In a congratulatory message on Tuesday, Zarif reminded Haniyeh of “the heavy responsibility” he has taken on amid the “special conditions in Palestine and in the region”, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Zarif also wished Haniyeh luck by tapping into the “precious experiences” of followers of the path of resistance in order to thwart the plots hatched by the “Zionist enemy and its overt and covert allies”, who he said attempt to harm Muslim unity and sow sedition with the aim of consigning the cause of Palestine to oblivion.
On May 6, 2017, Hamas, the Palestinian political movement that rules the Gaza Strip, elected Haniyeh, 54, as head of the group’s political bureau, replacing Khaled Meshaal.
It comes as the group is introducing changes to its organizational structure and policies toward Israel.
Haniyeh has a reputation for being pragmatic and flexible. His election is seen by some analysts as being in line with the movement’s decision to accept a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, a position he has long supported.
