Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the Head of Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh, as Israel’s more than 12,000 strikes in Gaza since early October have killed nearly 10,000, mostly children and women, and damaged civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, United Nations shelters and refugee camps.
“Supporting the Palestinian resistance forces vis-à-vis the Zionist occupiers is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s permanent policy,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a recent meeting with Haniyeh in Tehran.
The Leader added in the meeting that the Israeli regime is enjoying the support of the US and its allies in Europe in its ongoing war on Gaza.
“The Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza are directly supported by the US and certain Western governments,” he stressed.
Tehran has made no secret of its backing for Palestinian resistance movements, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed the necessity for arming the Palestinians with weapons and equipment to enable them to defend themselves.
But, Iranian officials have denied claims that Tehran helped Palestinian fighters to plan the multi-front attack on Israel. They say the war with the resistance front has fruited nothing but failure for Israel, adding that the resistance groups’ response to Israeli relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip will change the current map of the occupied territories.
Tehran stresses the resistance groups are currently considering various options in response to the Israeli regime act of aggression and relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Iran warns the resistance movements would adopt appropriate measures if the Israeli regime continues its relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, and Palestinian fighters do not face a shortage in weapons and munitions and are ready for a long battle with the Zionist regime.
Hours after the Hamas military operation against Israel in early October, American and European officials promised rock-solid and unwavering support to Tel Aviv. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several others European leaders also visited Tel Aviv to show their support for Israel.
Tehran says the Western leaders' trips to the occupied territories are aimed at giving artificial respiration to dying Israel and demonstrate the US' and Europe's concerns over the downfall of the Zionist regime.
The US has pledged unwavering support for Israel as its military pummels Gaza with bombardment. Washington has announced it will provide Tel Aviv with everything it needed.
Washington has made major shows of force in the Middle East since Hamas’ October 7 raid on Israel, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean, as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 sailors and marines. US officials have claimed the moves were meant to deter outside actors from taking part in the Gaza war.
Iranian officials say the United States is waging a war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through Israel, and cautions that the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. Tehran warns that any Israeli “miscalculation” in proceeding with the policy of genocide and forced displacement of Palestinian people in Gaza will have “bitter consequences” for West Asia and the interests of warmongers.
On October 7, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land, sea and air. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,400 and injured over 5,000, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.
Following the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 9,500 Palestinians, including at least 4,000 children and over 3,000 women, and wounding over 25,000 others, and levelling entire neighbourhoods.
Tel Aviv has ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, saying it would halt its supply of electricity, food, water and fuel. Israel’s military has also ordered 1.1 million people living in Northern Gaza to evacuate their homes, amid signs it is set to ramp up its offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv will not agree to a ceasefire with the Palestinian movement Hamas because it would mean surrender. He added Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip has entered its third stage which includes expanding ground operations in the enclave.
The bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has pushed 1.5 million people out of their homes.
The Gaza Health Ministry has also confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”.
The UN agencies have warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.
Iranian officials say the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. They caution that if diplomatic efforts to stop Israeli relentless bombardment and prevent a ground offensive on Gaza are unsuccessful, there is a risk of the conflict escalating uncontrollably, with multiple regional players joining the fight.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, where some 2 million people live in an area of 140 square miles. It has been almost completely cut off from the rest of the world for nearly 17 years. More than half of its population lives in poverty and is food insecure, with nearly 80% of its population relying on humanitarian assistance.
Tehran says the history of the apartheid regime is full of assassinations, massacre, torture and killing of Palestinian kids, and described Tel Aviv regime's atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say the Tel Aviv regime has been struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement and scores of other inhumane moves (FARS NEWS).
Abbas joins Arab leaders in calling for Gaza truce in meeting with Blinken
