Hamas tells Iran it can confront Israel in Gaza for months

Dec 28, 2023 15:29 UTC

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Hamas has informed the Islamic Republic that it has sufficient capabilities to continue the confrontation with Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip for months.

Amir-Abollahian told a seminary meeting in the holy city of Qom on Thursday that more than 80 days have passed since the war on Gaza, but “the Zionist regime has not achieved anything”.

"According to Hamas commanders, only 14% of the resistance capacity has been damaged so far," the foreign minister said.

Amir-Adbollahian said the length of Hamas tunnels today is more than the area of Gaza, and drone manufacturing workshops have not been closed for even an hour since Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on Oct. 7.

"Hamas captured valuable security and military forces of the Zionist regime on the first day of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm."

The FM touched on the rising popularity of the resistance, saying Hamas administers both Gaza and the war now.

“After the Al-Aqsa Storm, more than 70% of the people of Gaza took up arms and came to the battlefield,” he said. "After breaking the wall, all the Palestinian youth and people came to the arena and defended their country."

The Zionist regime, meanwhile, has changed its goal of presence in Gaza several times, but has failed, he said.

Amir-Abdollahian touched on all-out US support for the Israeli invasion of Gaza and Washington's repeated messages for Iran to stay out of the conflict since the onslaught began.

“America rallied behind the invasion with all its might and constantly sent us a message that, ‘firstly, we do not seek to expand the scope of the war, and secondly, you advise your proxy groups in the region not to take action against us'.

“At every stage, they were given a strong response and the establishment responded to them at the official level.

“At the same time, we told them many times that we are not seeking to expand the war, but you are lying. If you are not looking to expand the war, your bases should not use this amount of facilities and weapons day and night against a limited area such as Gaza,” he said.