Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called on Muslim states to support Palestinians militarily and financially and to help rebuild Gaza after an 11-day conflict with Israel, Iranian media reported. Read more

Iran, which does not recognize Israel, is backing Islamist militants Hamas, who rule the Gaza Strip while President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority controls Palestinian-populated areas in the occupied West Bank.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel ahead of Friday’s truce, although Israel said its “Iron Dome” defense system had shot down the majority of them.

“Muslim states must sincerely support the Palestinian people, through military support … or financial … or in rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure,” Khamenei said in a statement.

He urged Muslims to demand that their governments support the Palestinians.

“All influential elements of the (Israeli) regime and the criminal (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu must be prosecuted by international and independent courts,” Khamenei said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that the Palestinians had won a “historic victory” over Israel.

“Congratulations to our Palestinian sisters and brothers for this historic victory. Your resistance has forced the aggressor to retreat,” tweeted ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement: “The Intifada (Palestinian uprising) has gone from using stones to powerful and precise missiles … and in the future, the Zionists (Israel) can s ‘expect to suffer fatal blows in the occupied territories. “

Leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have praised Iran’s financial and military support, but Tehran has rarely confirmed its arms supply. But last year, Khamenei praised Tehran’s arms offer, saying Iran had transformed the military balance of power between Israel and the Palestinians.

Iran on Friday presented an Iranian-made combat drone that it said had a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), naming it “Gaza” in honor of the Palestinians’ struggle against Israel, media reported of state. [nL2N2N8163]

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