IRGC Statement on the First Anniversary of Ismail Haniyeh

WANA (Aug 02) – In the statement released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the first death anniversary of Ismail Haniyeh, former head of the political bureau of Hamas, it is stated:

“The intensification of crimes by the Zionist regime in preventing the oppressed people of Gaza from accessing basic necessities of life, such as water, food, and medicine, is a clear violation of human rights and international law, and in reality, can be described as a modern genocide.”

The statement continues:

“These grave and anti-human crimes, despite the silence and even support of some Western countries claiming to champion human rights, have fueled growing global protests against the actions of the Zionist regime. This has made it inevitable for international institutions to respond to these medieval atrocities, placing them under the greatest historical test they have ever faced.”

In its statement, the IRGC praises the global wave of support for the Palestinian people and the increasing condemnation of the occupying regime, describing this phenomenon as: “The enlightening result of the blood of martyrs and the suffering of the people of Gaza.”

Further in the statement, it reads: “The remarkable strength and steadfastness of the Palestinian people, along with the continuous support of the Islamic Resistance in the region—especially by the revolutionary and oppression-fighting nation of Iran—has more than ever placed a terrifying and alarming message before the criminal gangs ruling Washington and Tel Aviv: that the pride of the anti-Zionist resistance is certain, and the final victory of Palestine over the usurpers and occupiers is near.”

The IRGC, in condemning the criminal act of the Israeli regime in assassinating Haniyeh in Tehran—who was in Iran to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony as a guest of the Iranian Parliament and the country’s diplomatic corps—declared:

“The hidden capacities of the resistance guarantee the victory of Gaza and the Palestinian people, the defeat of the fake and child-killing Zionist regime, and the disgrace of its supporters.”

People hold Palestinian flags as they attend an anti-Israel gathering following the killing of Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tehran, Iran, July 31, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

It further emphasized:

“Contrary to the delusions of the vile and despicable Zionist enemy and its devilish backers, Operation al-Aqsa Storm was not merely an event or a historic surprise at a single point in the history of the resistance. Rather, secured by the pure blood of martyrs on the path to the liberation of al-Quds—especially Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar—it constitutes a doctrine and an operational strategy for determining the future of this battlefield.”

The statement adds:

“In contrast to certain recent demonic maneuvers and conspiracies advocating the so-called two-state solution—creating separate Palestinian and Israeli states—it is worth recalling the famous words of Martyr Haniyeh and the heroic slogan of Hamas: ‘Lan na’teref, lan na’teref, lan na’teref bi-Israel’ (We do not recognize, we do not recognize, we do not recognize Israel).”

The statement, while strongly condemning the genocide in Gaza and the silence of international bodies in the face of the brutal crimes of the Israeli regime, describes deliberate starvation and the creation of famine as “Recognized instances of crimes against humanity, and in some cases war crimes under international law.”

It stresses:

“Human rights organizations and international bodies, to avoid historic disgrace before the nations, must immediately place on their agenda the use of effective and coercive means to lift the siege of Gaza and halt the ongoing genocide. They must also impose serious sanctions against the Zionist regime and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes in the International Criminal Court—through initiatives akin to those seen after the apartheid era in South Africa—so that they may not escape the consequences of using hunger and denial of access to food as a ‘weapon of war.'”

At the conclusion of the statement, the IRGC considers the resilience and endurance of the people of Gaza today, in the face of genocide and atrocities committed by the Israeli regime, as a sign of: “Their continued commitment to the ideal of liberating Palestine and al-Quds al-Sharif, and a continuation of the path of Martyr Haniyeh and other history-making martyrs of the anti-Zionist resistance.”

It concludes with the warning:

“Undoubtedly, the architects of the genocide in Gaza are pursuing broader ambitions, the foundation of which is the devouring of the wealthy and strategic regions of the world, particularly Islamic countries. But, God willing, through the breaking of silence by global institutions and their convergence with the surging waves of international anti-Zionist protest, the hopes and dreams of the Zionist-American criminal gang will collapse, and they must await the exposure of their sealed fate.”

Palestinian group Hamas’s top leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Social Media / WANA News Agency