Iraq Stands with Palestine in Ongoing War - Hamas Official

By Al Mayadeen English

29 Oct 2023 18:30

Hamas official Osama Hamdan tells Al Mayadeen that Iraq unequivocally stands with occupied Palestine in light of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Hamas top official Osama Hamdan, currently in Baghdad, met Sunday with leaders of resistance factions and influential figures and discussed Iraq's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, especially during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Hamdan explained the reasons behind recent developments and shared the positions of prominent figures like Sayyed Ali Sistani and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. They also emphasized the Palestinian people's right to resist and the readiness of the resistance factions to respond to any American intervention.

Hamdan expressed hope that Iraq would play a role in the Palestinian cause, emphasizing: "We have confidence in it as a vanguard in case the aggression escalates. Iraq's stance is exemplary, and it requires support in all its forms."

"In the early days, the US attempted to build a regional alliance against the Palestinian people," he said. "Political positions, including Iraq's, played a role in thwarting this US plot, and Iraq made efforts to clarify the situation."

The Hamas official added that the operations carried out by the Palestinian resistance acted as a deterrent, and the United States realized that its unwavering support for the Israeli occupation "would not only have consequences for Israel but also turn anger into action against supporters of the Zionist entity."

"We are now moving toward liberation, not just depleting the enemy's resources," he stressed. "Iraq will have a significant role, and they are our partners in this battle against the occupation."

"Everyone knows that the United States, within the framework of international shifts, initially attempted to build a regional alliance against the Palestinian people," he explained. "They seek to redraw the map of the region to serve their interests, primarily those of the Zionist entity."

He noted that what happened on October 7, i.e., Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, confirms that the peoples of the region can shape its future with their own hands and in a manner that serves their interests.

A united Ummah

He clarified that the collective efforts of the Ummah, combined with Iraq's official stance, will shape a unique regional map that unifies the people.

"The Palestinian people's will, unbroken for 75 years, will not be shattered in a year or two, no matter how significant the enemy's crimes are – and they are indeed significant," Hamdan emphasized. "The Ummah, in its new resurgence, is committed to liberating Palestine."

"We are capable of achieving much more and reuniting this Ummah while overcoming the numerous conflicts that some seek to sow within our people," he underlined.

Finally, Hamdan explained how Operation Al-Aqsa Storm shifted the Palestinian cause from other misguided paths to the liberation trajectory, opening the door for the Ummah to become a partner in the struggle for liberation and responding to resistance calls from various countries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani last week asserted that Baghdad strongly opposes any efforts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, expressing Iraq's readiness to offer immediate support as needed, the Iraqi News Agency reported citing the media office of the Prime Minister.

During the so-called "Cairo Summit for Peace," Al-Sudani stressed that the Palestinian people "are facing genocide and a grave humanitarian crisis with the targeting of civilians in residential areas, places of worship, and healthcare facilities."

He pointed out that "the recent tragedy of the massacre at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital exposed the true nature of the Zionist occupation, revealing actions that have crossed all red lines."

"The ongoing events represent a clear and heinous war crime, commencing with the killing of unarmed individuals and the imposition of a suffocating blockade on those who remain among the living," the Iraqi premier expressed.

He continued, "Words cannot adequately describe the horrific acts and daily massacres, with innocent lives buried beneath the debris of their homes on the very land from which they were originally displaced during the Nakba of 1948."

According to al-Sudani, "The situation in Gaza presents a fresh challenge and a test to the international community, which has repeatedly fallen short in realizing the principles of humanity, justice, and freedom it advocates. Palestine stands as a living testament to this recurring failure."

The Iraqi Prime Minister underlined that "the time has come to stop this oppressive occupation and bring an end to the enduring suffering of the Palestinian people," adding that the "Zionist entity persists in its transgressions against international laws, including those pertaining to warfare."

Ready for long-term conflict with 'Israel'

On the military side of things, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigade's security office announced on Thursday the group's preparedness for an extended conflict and emphasized the reliance on autonomous resistance capabilities.

The spokesman signaled the resistance's readiness to engage in a protracted war of attrition against "Israel," adding that "the escalation will be gradual and will cover a wider area and stronger strikes".

Two days ago, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq reported targeting US forces in the Al-Shaddadi region on the outskirts of Al-Hasakah, Syria.

Last week, sources in the Iraqi Islamic Resistance confirmed to Al Mayadeen that it claimed responsibility for targeting the US forces in Iraq at the Ain al-Asad and Harir bases.

In addition, the Harir base near Erbil Airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was hit by two drones.

The T4 base and the US "Kharab Al-Jeer" base in Syria were also targeted.

The resistance also struck the Omar oil field and the gas pipeline connecting the Conoco gas field to the Abu Khashab desert in Deir Ezzor, Syria.