This afternoon, His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, met with Ismail Haniyeh, the Head of the Political Office of Hamas, and his accompanying delegation. He referred to the progressive movement in the Palestinian issue. He emphasised the sense of responsibility among the young and faithful Palestinian generation and their individual and collective involvement in the arena of struggle. He considered this to be a highly important matter. He stressed, "The recent events in Jenin and the besiegement by Zionist forces, resisted by Palestinian youth, are a clear example of this new scene and a herald of a bright future accompanied by complete victory."
Emphasising that the issue of Palestine is the heart of the Islamic world and Islamic ummah's affairs, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, "Any progress made in the Palestinian issue will also advance the issues of the Islamic ummah."
Referring to the noticeable difference in the conditions of Palestine compared to two or three years ago, His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei added, "The main reason for the stagnation of the Palestinian issue in the not-so-distant past was the lack of youth involvement in the field, but now the youth have entered the scene spontaneously, and what is even more significant is their reliance on Islam."
He reiterated the importance of unity and increased coordination among the resistance groups more than ever before, saying, "In the recent war in Gaza, we witnessed the enemy's attempts to sow division and discord amongst the resistance groups, but their efforts did not succeed, by the grace of Allah. Therefore, it is necessary to further focus on unity and coordination and ensure that this correct path continues with strength."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution called Gaza' the centre of resistance' and added, "However, the area that will bring the enemy to its knees is the West Bank, where significant progress has been made so far."
His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Who would have imagined that Palestinian youth in Jenin would one day narrow the field so much for the Zionist forces that they would be forced to use fighter jets to break free from the siege imposed by the courageous young warriors? Yet, this incident took place in Jenin just a few days ago."
Despite all the pressure, he considered international advocacy efforts to be in favour of the Palestinian people and reiterated, "On this year's Qods Day, in addition to Islamic countries, marches were held even in European countries, and the people of Europe expressed their opposition to the Zionist regime. This is a highly significant development that should be strengthened."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed the support of the Islamic Republic for the Palestinian issue and said, "Imam Khomeini (r.a.) supported Palestine from the very beginning of the Islamic movement according to his faith and heartfelt conviction. The Islamic Republic's support for Palestine is rooted in Islamic jurisprudence and sharia rather than tactical manoeuvres or diplomacy."
His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei added, "The land of Palestine belongs to all Muslims, and therefore, it is incumbent upon all Muslims to enter the arena for its liberation. This is a religious obligation that they must fulfil."
In this meeting, Ismail Haniyeh, the Head of the Political Office of Hamas, expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic's longstanding support for the Palestinian issue. He provided a report on the latest developments in the occupied territories, particularly in the southwestern coastal areas. He said, "Gaza is the heart of the resistance, but today's main and decisive battle is in the southwestern coastal areas. Despite the dangerous decisions being made by the Zionist enemy, the regime has no option other than facing choices that are either bad or worse due to the superior capabilities of the courageous warriors in the southwestern region."
He considered the most significant development in occupied Palestine to be the embrace of the young generation towards the struggle, jihad, and the formation of self-sustained nuclei of armed resistance in the southwestern coastal areas, adding, "The current conditions and progress of the resistance front are unprecedented in the history of Palestine's occupation."
Ismail Haniyeh told the Leader of the Islamic Republic, "In the presence of Your Eminence, we stress that the resistance groups will not retreat even an inch from the land of Palestine, and the approach of struggle and jihad will continue until the liberation of Qods. With the grace of Allah and the support of the young and faithful generation of Palestine, al-Aqsa Mosque will be freed from the clutches of the occupiers in the not-so-distant future, and we will all pray there alongside you."