Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed on Thursday that Hamas was victorious in the war with Israel, citing the ceasefire announced on Wednesday.
"It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza! Everyone will realize it was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat," Khamenei wrote in both English and Hebrew on X/Twitter. "#GazaIsVictorious"
It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza! Everyone will realize it was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat.#GazaIsVictorious
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 16, 2025
Similar sentiments were shared by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) who claimed the ceasefire in Gaza represents a "great victory" for the Palestinian resistance, according to a statement shared by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Thursday.
Calls for a hostage deal
The war began when the Iran-backed terror group Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and breached an existing ceasefire. During Hamas's massacre, which saw the use of sexual violence and the murder of some 1200 people, the terror group abducted over 250 people. While many of the hostages were released in a November deal, approximately 100 remained in Hamas captivity for the past 15 months - prompting demands for a new ceasefire agreement for their release.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdusalam also claimed the ceasefire as a victory.
"We salute Gaza's legendary and historic resilience in the face of Israel's fiercest aggression against the oppressed Palestinian people.... With its continued occupation of Palestine, (Israel) represents a threat to the security and stability of the region," the Iran-backed terrorist spokesperson said on Wednesday.