Leader of Islamic Ummah and Oppressed S. Khamanei Stresses Muslims’ Upper Hand in Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

“In the Palestinian issue, the Muslims fortunately have the upper hand and the events in the 50-day Gaza war and the failure of the Zionist regime as the symbol of the West’s power in the region against the besieged and limited people of Gaza who enjoyed the least possibilities is its obvious instance,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian Hajj officials in Tehran on Sunday.

“The recent victory in Gaza showed that the Muslims are strong and have many capabilities and can challenge any enemy and defend themselves,” he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei viewed Takfiri streams as one of the instruments and weapons used by the enemies of Islam to sow discord among Muslims and make them busy to forget the Palestinian issue, and said, “The Palestinian issue is the top priority issue of the Muslim world which should receive attention during the Hajj.”

He expressed regret that some Muslims, including the Shiites and Sunnis, help the enemies of the Islamic Ummah and help the US and Zionists attain their interests by leveling accusations and spreading lies about each other, and said, “Muslims should take this weapon from the enemy through vigilance and sympathy.”

In relevant remarks on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the West lacks the might and awe it enjoyed in the past as its representative, the Zionist regime of Israel, lost the battle against the small population of the Muslims in Gaza.

“The current world order cannot continue and a new order is emerging,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with members of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Thursday.

“The realities in the region and the world show a serious uncertainty in the West’s principles of power and might; therefore, we should understand the realities correctly to prevent wrong analyses,” he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the failure of the Zionist regime in its recent war against the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, and said, “The recent war in Gaza was an example of miracle; a small region with limited capabilities accomplished a task that brought the Zionist regime, as the symbol of the West’s power, to its knees.”

Late in August, joyous Palestinians streamed into the streets of Gaza and celebrated victory after seven weeks of resistance against the Israeli offensive.

Palestinian groups and Egyptian mediators confirmed that the Cairo-based talks ended in truce.

Palestinian and Egyptian officials said the deal called for an indefinite halt to the war, the immediate opening of Gaza’s blockaded crossings with Israel and Egypt and a widening of the territory’s fishing zone in the Mediterranean.

Under a second stage of the truce that would begin a month later, Israel and the Palestinians would discuss the construction of a Gaza sea port and Israel’s release of Hamas prisoners in the occupied West Bank.

After the ceasefire began, crowds and traffic filled the Gaza streets. Car horns blared and recorded chants praising God sounded from mosque loudspeakers. “Today we declare the victory of the resistance, today we declare the victory of Gaza,” Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

More than 2,150 Palestinians, including around 570 children, were killed since Israel launched its onslaught on Gaza on July 8. Some 11,100 others were wounded.

The United Nations says over 80 percent of the killed Palestinians have been civilians.