Gaza Truce Signals Palestinians Altered Balance of Power: Iran

“It’s early to talk about the recent victories of Palestinians … but there is no doubt that the balance of power has changed in Palestinians’ favour and they have won,” said Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military advisor to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

He was referring to latest escalation in Palestine that erupted late on Sunday, when Israel launched a botched raid in Gaza that killed several Palestinians, including one commander of the resistance movement Hamas.

Armed groups in Gaza on Monday fired over 400 rockets or mortar bombs at Israel, with Israel responding with dozens of air raids.

The ceasefire, announced Wednesday to end the worst violence between the two sides since the 2014 war, set off celebrations in Gaza City with hundreds of Palestinians taking to the streets to declare victory.

“The Zionist regime has vowed to provide security and prosperity to settlers, but now they cannot protect security of inhabitants of the occupied territories. Hundreds of missiles of the Islamic resistance are a big threat to the Zionist regime,” Rahim Safavi said.

“The resignation of [Avigdor] Lieberman, who believed no Arab should be present in the occupied territories, is a sign of the Zionist regime’s failure,” he said, referring to the Israeli minister of military forces who resigned on Wednesday and accused Benjamin Netanyahu of “surrendering to terror” by agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas.

Rahim Safavi said the Islamic resistance front has spread to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen and the occupied Palestine. Now Palestine has a deterrent power and create balance of power.

“I hope the Zionist regime will be wiped out in the region in 25 years,” he said, echoing famous remarks by Ayatollah Khamenei in 2015.