Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant: "Iran is the “driving force” of a recent multi-front escalation with Israelis through its proxies across the region, funding Hamas – that rules the Gaza Strip -- with $100 million annually with additional funding worth tens of millions of dollars going to the second largest terror group in the Palestinian enclave, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Galant said the regime also provides Hezbollah in Lebanon with $700 million a year, as well as “knowledge and strategic weaponry” such as precision-guided munitions."
STOP IRAN NOW/Iran International Newsroom 06/19/2023
Pictured: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (left) during a meeting with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in Tehran on June 19, 2023; Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement Ziad al-Nakhaleh (3rd from left) meets with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on June 14, 2023; Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement Ziad al-Nakhaleh (2nd from right) during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on June 18, 2023.
The leaders of two Iran-backed "Palestinian" terrorist organizations fighting against Israel are in Tehran, while tensions are simmering in the West Bank.
Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), has been in Iran along with several other senior members and leaders of Palestinian militant groups since last week, culminating in the arrival of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Monday.
The groups, both designated terrorist outfits by the European Union, the US, the UK, Canada, Israel, and several other countries, have been receiving financial support from the Islamic Republic, presumably for wreaking havoc in Israel, or what the regime calls “resistance.”
Nakhalah, who has met with several senior Iranian officials since last week, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic’s support during his Sunday meeting with President Ebrahim Raisi, without elaborating on the amount of support. According to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in April, Iran is the “driving force” of a recent multi-front escalation with Israelis through its proxies across the region, funding Hamas – that rules the Gaza Strip -- with $100 million annually with additional funding worth tens of millions of dollars going to the second largest terror group in the Palestinian enclave, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Galant said the regime also provides Hezbollah in Lebanon with $700 million a year, as well as “knowledge and strategic weaponry” such as precision-guided munitions.
The groups regularly send leaders or delegations to Iran to ask for more money than their annual allowance, and usually the tensions heighten around the time of such trips either as complaisance to the Islamic Republic or a gimmick to justify further funding.
Alireza Nourizadeh, a regional analyst, told Iran International that the regime is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to create chaos in Israel, as it views it as its most important enemy. He claimed that the regime is using the social divide in Israel as an opportunity to increase tensions.
Claiming that Palestinians have never been closer to defeating Israel, Iran’s president said during the meeting with Nakhalah that "With Jihad and resistance, we will approach victory against the occupying Zionist regime day by day."
Raisi reiterated the Islamic Republic's support for “the oppressed Palestinian nation and their just cause," which he said, "remains the cause of all Muslims."
FDD's Long War Journal has confirmed that Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah have been smuggling weapons into Judea and Samaria from Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have thwarted numerous attempts to smuggle weapons from Lebanon into Israel since last year. In 2021, IDF troops and Israeli police “thwarted the largest attempt” when it confiscated 43 guns worth almost $1 million USD, according to a tweet published by the Israeli military. The Israeli military’s statement also added that it was examining the possibility of Hezbollah’s involvement.
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