Iranian FM Meets Hamas Leader Haniyeh in Doha

Date: 31 October 2023 - 22:00

News ID: ۱۲۰۹۶۳

DOHA (Dispatches) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian here Tuesday met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in second such encounter since a conflict erupted between the Palestinian resistance group and the Israeli regime on October 7.
Amir-Abdollahian was briefed about the latest situation of people in Gaza amid ongoing Israel aggression on the small blockaded territory.
“The region is at a critical juncture and the resistance groups in the region make decisions independently and they do not necessarily wait for political decisions,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
“Therefore, if the war crimes of the Zionist regime continue and the scope of conflict and war widens, no party will remain unaffected by the consequences and repercussions,” he added.
For his part, Haniyeh said the Palestinian resistance is at the peak of its strength and capabilities.
Therefore, instead of engaging with the resistance forces, the occupying regime continues to target Palestinian civilians, he said.
He added that the amount of explosives used against the residents and residential areas of Gaza exceeds the volume of the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima, expressing regret that the Israeli attacks are carried out with full support from the United States and some European countries.
Haniyeh serves as head of the political bureau of Hamas, the top office in the resistance group which is based in Doha and deals with various issues, including attracting foreign support for Gaza’s fight against Israel and its decades-long occupation of Palestine.
Amir-Abdollahian and Haniyeh had met in Doha on October 14, a week after Hamas launched a successful military operation against Israeli settlers and military forces in the occupied territories near Gaza.
The operation, dubbed Al-Aqsa Flood, led to some 1,400 deaths on the Israeli side and was described as the worst defeat suffered by the regime in 75 years since its creation.
Israel has used the operation to justify a brutal military campaign against Gaza, which has left more than 8,500 Gazans dead, including over 3,500 children.
Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Qatar earlier on Tuesday to coordinate and discuss efforts needed for an immediate stop in the fighting in Gaza.
Tehran has announced it is ready to use its relations with Hamas to work out a ceasefire deal between the group and the Zionists, although Iran does not have any relations with the regime.
The Iranian foreign minister held meetings with senior Qatari officials on Tuesday before departing for Turkey to continue his diplomatic efforts to help find a solution to the crisis in Palestine.