Iran, Hezbollah, Syria sole supporters of Palestinians: Islamic Jihad chief

Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement Ziyad al-Nakhalah has called Iran, Syria, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah the sole supporters of Palestinians in the face of Israeli occupation, calling on the Arab world to “fulfill their duties.”

In an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen on Thursday, al-Nakhalah touched upon the continued Israeli aggression on the Occupied Territories, noting that a “true armed intifadha is taking place in the West Bank.”

“We are fighting the United States in the Occupied Palestine, for it is Zionist regime's main backer. Meanwhile, we do not see any backers of Palestine aside from Iran, Hezbollah, and Syria,” he said.

He said the resistance group is ready to receive support from any other Islamic country, calling on the Arab world to “fulfill their duties” toward Palestine.

This comes as some regional countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, started normalization of ties with Israel in 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accord. Palestinians have described the measure as a stab in their back.

Nakhalah said the enemy seeks to “delude” the world by claiming that Iran is using Palestinians as “cannon fodders” in its war against Israel, highlighting, “this is a false narrative.”

Israel’s probable aggression on Gaza in 2023

Elsewhere, the PIJ chief said he expects a new round of Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip in 2023.

“Gaza is not isolated from the developments in the West Bank, and it is preparing itself for battle. It is not completely off the table for Gaza to maintain a presence on the battlefield,” he said.

Resistance forces in Gaza will support the West Bank “through thick and thin”, he said, adding that they are ready to participate in any battle if the situation calls for an intervention.

The remarks come amid the increasing Israeli violence in the Occupied Territories which has made 2022 the deadliest year for Palestinians.

ME