Exclusive: Islamic Jihad chief lauds Iran’s unwavering support for resistance

Ziad al-Nakhaleh said it is “no secret” that the Islamic Republic stands by the side of the resistance and supports the historic right of the Palestinian people.

Al-Nakhaleh made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Iran’s English-language Press TV news network on Monday as he touched upon an assortment of issues with regard to the latest developments in Palestine and its resistance against Israel’s decades-long aggression.

Nakhaleh, who is in Iran as the head of a high-ranking delegation from the Islamic Jihad movement, took great pride in his meetings with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi and other senior officials.

Nakhaleh says Iran ‘stands with the Palestinian people’

“The atmosphere here is that of welcoming, respect and appraisal here in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.

“It is no secret that the Islamic Republic stands with the Palestinian people and by the side of the resistance and supports the historic right of the Palestinian people,” he added.

Nakhaleh said, “There is no doubt that since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has declared its open position in support of the Palestinian people and acknowledged the historic injustice against them and has given assistance since the founding of the Islamic revolution on all levels.”

Describing Iran as a “strong shield” against Israeli aggression, the secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad movement said, “It is very clear today, that the Palestinian people and their resistance are supported by a strong shield which is the Islamic Republic of Iran in its support and unwavering stance with the oppressed and dispersed people of Palestine who are under a constant aggression from the Zionist enemy.”

Nakhaleh went on to say that “today in the West Bank, the settlement building is increasing, the residents are being expelled from their own homes and their houses are being demolished, and their agricultural lands confiscated.”

“Therefore, when the Islamic Republic declares its stance of open support, it stands to lift this great injustice against the Palestinian people and I believe it is this historic stance which gives strength and high morale to the Palestinian people to continue with their struggle and resistance,” he added.

Nakhaleh praises Iran’s efforts to unite resistance groups

Nakhaleh praised Iran’s determination to strengthen unity among Palestinian resistance groups and factions by hosting summits and meetings in the capital, Tehran.

“We are here in Tehran and our brothers in the leadership of Hamas are here as well and on this occasion, we held a very important meeting between the leadership of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad with the presence of our brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran as supporters, and this is one scene of our unity,” he said.

“With all dignity I say, the Palestinian people and their resistance are closer to each other and more united and more determined to face the occupation.”

Asked whether the Israeli killing of Palestinian resistance leaders would bear upon the movement, Nakhaleh said, “The martyrdom of one leader or more will not impact the movement of a whole resistance which has a long experience in fighting the Zionist project… so, when our martyrs fall, this gives the movement more motivation for the fighters on the battlefield and a higher morale and greater value for their struggle.”

The Islamic Jihad leader said, “We do lose them as people, but they also give us a high moral value and a stronger appearance for the resistance.”

“I am confident and all our people are confident that the martyrs give us great moral strength even though they are no longer with us and no longer on the battlefield…Their positions are filled directly despite the sadness which we have for their loss, which does not break the resistance, and the resistance continues,” he stated.

Pointing to the Israeli oppression of Palestinians over several decades and the confiscation of their lands, Nakhaleh told Press TV, “This land is first for the Palestinian people and second it is the heritage of our fathers and grandfathers…”

“Palestine is the land of religions, and al-Quds is the capital of Palestine and it is under occupation and undergoes continuous Zionist aggression. Therefore, the sum of all these issues gives the Palestinian fighters and the people of Palestine higher motivation to fight and defend their doctrine, their land and their property,” he said.

Stressing that Palestinians have every right to fight for their rights and reclaim their territories, Nakhaleh added, “The Palestinian citizen does not need to be incited to fight, the pretext for fighting is already present with the existence of occupation on the land of Palestine.”

“Palestine is the historic native land of the Palestinian people, and so every Palestinian understands this equation; therefore every Palestinian is ready to fight to retrieve their historic homeland.”

The Islamic Jihad chief said the resistance will not stop as long as the enemy does not stop its aggression and we are in an open war and we have no choice but to fight and defend our land and God willing our people with their patience and steadfastness can expel this occupation from our land.

Israel killed Khader Adnan ‘to break the morale of the prisoners’

Elsewhere in the interview, Nakhaleh pointed to the custodial murder of Khader Adnan, a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement, and said the Israeli killing of Adnan was aimed at demoralizing Palestinian inmates.

“The Zionist enemy left him in a dark and confined prison cell for more than two months or 80 days, approximately three months; we believe the enemy planned and killed Adnan purposefully through which they plan to break the strong morale of which refuses detainment,” he noted.

“We are talking about more than one million and 200 hundred thousand Palestinians who have been victims of arrest during the last 50 years, among them were thousand of prisoners who remained in jails for more than 30 years and others remained for tens of years,” he added.

Pointing to the talk of vengeance and retaliation for the killing of Adnan, the Islamic Jihad chief said, “We do give importance to the assassination of leaders and act upon this stance, yet resistance is not linked only to the killing of one person or the martyrdom of one person.”

Nakhaleh laudes Iran’s martyred anti-terror commander

Nakhaleh also lauded sacrifices made by Iran’s martyred anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

“He was supportive and giving us backing and always following up on many details in the Palestinian resistance and is highly respected by the Palestinian people and the resistance,” he said.

Nakhaleh stressed that General Soleimani was “an exemplary man and a leader who gives his own life for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Palestine and al-Quds and therefore he is present and is an example of a special leader in the history of mankind.”

“I believe Hajj Qassem is one of the most notable Islamic emblems in modern history in this nation,” he said.

“He held a massive duty in supporting and backing the Palestinian people and he was not only a leader who was far from the frontlines. He lived the life of the fighters and followed up their activities and issues and needs always,” he concluded.