Qasem Soleimani says disarming Gaza resistance is wrong

The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Commander Qasem Soleimani, issued a rare public statement regarding the war in Gaza and his support for Palestinians fighting against Israeli forces. The dramatic, somewhat poetic message was originally picked up by Arabic-language TV station Al Mayadeen. Later, many Iranian news agencies and websites carried parts or the entire written message.

The letter, which reflects a personal and emotional commitment to Palestine that Soleimani has not expressed before, demonstrates the growing attention paid to the war in Gaza by top Iranian officials, who have openly called for arming both Gaza and the West Bank.

“Palestine is a beating heart whose blood runs through the veins of mankind to present a new humanity at any time,” he wrote. “Palestine gifts welfare to the world. … It shakes the conscience and wakes nations from their deep sleep.

"Palestine in this period of time is between right and wrong, injustice and justice, the oppressor and the oppressed.”