Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Palestinian resistance’s victory against Israel in the recent Gaza war was the realization of the “divine promise”, which will pave the way for greater triumphs.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people are "proud of your (Palestinians) victory and resistance," adding that resistance groups in Palestine should strengthen their defense capabilities in the face of possible fresh aggression by Israel, the Mehr news agency quoted him as saying on Thursday.
He made the remarks in a meeting with the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, in Tehran.
The Leader said based on conventional analysis and calculations, Israel with such advanced and powerful equipment should have "finished the job" in just a few days; however, the Israeli regime finally "conceded defeat" and "submitted to the terms of the (Palestinian) resistance".
Israel launched a deadly onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip in July which lasted for 50 days. Health officials put the number of Palestinian fatalities as a result of Israeli bombings at 2,140 including 577 children. Over 11,100 others were also injured in those attacks.
Some 70 Israeli soldiers were also killed after the Israeli army deployed forces into Gaza in the face of stiff fighting with members of Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas.
The Israeli aggression ended on August 26 with an Egyptian-brokered truce.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged the Palestinians in the West Bank to join the fight against the Israeli regime, saying, “The enemy should feel the same worries in the West Bank as it does in Gaza.”
Elsewhere, the Leader anticipated a promising future for the Palestinian people, saying, “The outlook of the developments is bright and good.”
Shalah, for his part, said the resistance against Israel and the Gaza victory belong to all Palestinians, adding that such resistance, endurance, and support despite all the devastation is "exemplary".
Continued Support for Palestine
Shalah also met with Ali Akbar Velayati, who is a senior advisor to the Leader, on Tuesday.
Velayati said, “The Islamic Republic will continue supporting the Palestinian resistance and nation."
He also pointed to the sensitivity of the ongoing developments in the Middle East, stressing that enemies have failed in all their plots against the Muslim world.
"Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Palestine are clear instances of those triumphs and Iran as a strong nation has played a significant and effective role."
Velayati also said, "In spite of all international and regional conflicts and crises, Iran enjoys full stability and security; and even anti-Iran sanctions by US and Europe have proved ineffective."
"Today Iran has demonstrated that it is a peaceful nation and favors negotiations."
