Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has lauded the recent victory of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement against Israel, saying the growing power of Palestinian resistance groups is the key to bringing the occupying regime to its knees.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with Secretary General of Palestine's Islamic Jihad movement Ziad al-Nakhaleh and his accompanying delegation in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday.

The Tel Aviv regime launched a deadly bombing campaign on Gaza on May 9, sparking the firing of over 1,000 rockets by the Islamic Jihad toward the occupied territories.

The two sides agreed after five days of fighting to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that took effect on May 13.

Israeli aerial assaults killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza, including six children, and wounded 147, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Several Islamic Jihad leaders were also among the Palestinian victims of the latest conflict, which marked the worst episode of fighting between Gaza’s resistance factions and Israel since a 10-day war in 2021.

The Leader congratulated the Islamic Jihad on its historic triumph against the occupying entity early last month and stressed that the current status of the Israeli regime is “much different” compared to 70 years ago.
“The Palestinian Islamic Jihad did well in the test of the recent battle of Gaza, and now the conditions for the Zionist regime have changed compared to 70 years ago, and the Zionist leaders have the right to worry about not seeing the regime’s 80th year,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
“Today, the Zionist enemy is in a position of passivity and reaction, and this situation shows that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and resistance groups have correctly identified the path and are following it,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Stressing that achieving great goals requires taking great risks, the Leader said, “Today, by the grace of God, the strength and credibility of the Palestinian resistance groups and Islamic Jihad is increasing day by day, and the Zionist regime’s recent defeat in the five-day war confirms this.”

The Leader said that the Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian resistance groups have discovered the main "key" to fight the Israeli regime. “The growing power of the resistance groups in the West Bank is the key to bringing the Zionist enemy to its knees, and this path must continue.”

Ayatollah Khamenei appreciated the Palestinian combatant groups’ initiative for their unity in the political and battlefield arena, describing it as “very important”. He underscored the continuation of the Islamic Republic’s support for the Palestinian people and combatant groups.

Nakhaleh, for his part, expressed his gratitude for Iran’s constant support of the Palestinian people and their struggles while reporting on the recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The Islamic Jihad emerged victorious from the Gaza war and we hope to soon witness the final victory and the liberation of al-Quds,” he added.

By Press TV