According to a report published by Algemeiner, an independent news outlet that covers the Middle East, the senior leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad coordinated their latest Gaza attacks against Israel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s proxy Hezbollah. The parties discussed military operations on a daily basis during the 11 days of fighting.
Ibrahim Al-Amin, the editor-in-chief of the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, was interviewed by Hezbollah-operated Al-Manar TV and stated that the IRGC, Hezbollah, and Hamas set up a joint military operations room in Beirut during the latest conflict with Israel.
Al-Amin said that officers from Hezbollah, IRGC, and Hamas coordinated their military confrontation in Gaza, adding that “the Commander of IRGC’s Al-Quds Force, General Esmail Qaani, visited Lebanon twice to attend the meetings.”
Iran Assured Hamas and the Islamic Jihad of its Continued Support
Hezbollah, acting as Iran’s proxy, transported weaponry and ammunition to Gaza and moved a number of Palestinian Resistance officers out of the Strip during the fighting, according to Al-Amin. The evacuation of the officers was presumably a result of the Israelis’ very effective targeting of senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials.
According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, General Qaani spoke on the phone with the head of Hamas’s politburo and the secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and assured them of Iran’s support.
Qaani also sent a message of support to the heads of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s military wings, Mohammad Deif and Akram al-Ajouri.
“Through their unity and perseverance, they were able to destroy the pridefulness of the Israeli Army and proved that they are capable of inflicting heavy losses to it, making the enemy experience the taste of horror and defeat,” Qaani said. He also vowed support for the Palestinian cause until the ultimate destruction of Israel.
At the end of Israel’s military operation, the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a statement of support to the Palestinians and congratulated them for their “victory against the Zionist regime.” At the same time, the commander of the IRGC spoke with the head of Hamas’s politburo and the secretary-general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Iran’s continued support.
Iran Exerts Malicious Influence Not only in Gaza
During the Gaza conflict, the Iranians launched a drone from either Iraq or Syria. The vehicle overflew Israeli territory, reporting on Israeli troops’ movement before it was shot down by the IDF along the border with Jordan.
During German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’s visit to Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed him the downed Iranian drone as evidence that “the true backer of much of this aggression is Iran.”
Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center also published a report stating that Quds Force has deployed hundreds of troops to Iraq and created several proxy Iranian Shia militias. These militias answer directly to Quds Force and are responsible for a series of attacks carried out in recent months against American forces in the country. According to the report, the establishment of these factions is intended to allow Iran to act in a more clandestine manner while using new tactics, including the deployment of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
COMMENTS
There are on this article.
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.