Palestinian terror groups condemn killing of Iranian scientist
The killing of Fakhrizadeh, Hamas warned, would lead to “chaos and instability that mainly serve the interests of the Zionist entity.”
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHYAHYA SINWAR, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, has proven more than once he is pragmatic and is willing to deal with Israel. (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)
A number of Palestinian terror groups, holding Israel and the US responsible, have condemned the assassination of Iranian military scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh outside Tehran on Friday.The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, did not comment on the killing. Relations between Ramallah and Tehran have been strained due to Iran’s continuous support for Hamas and other Palestinian extremist groups.Hamas said that the assassination “coincided with ongoing American and Zionist threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran with the aim of depriving it of possessing advanced scientific tools so that it would remain [only] in the hands of the Zionist occupation.”The killing of Fakhrizadeh, Hamas warned, would lead to “chaos and instability that mainly serve the interests of the Zionist entity.” Hamas offered “sincere condolences” to the Iranian people and leadership on the “martyrdom of this nuclear scientist.”Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) condemned the “despicable terrorist attack,” dubbing it “a cowardly assassination that bears the fingerprints” of Israel and the US.“This cowardly terrorist act targets the elements of scientific advancement in the Islamic world in general and the Islamic Republic of Iran in particular,” PIJ said in a statement. “This is a desperate attempt to punish Iran for standing by the just causes of the weak people in the world, including the Palestinian issue.”Ahmed al-Mudalal, a senior PIJ official, said that Israel and the US “won’t be able to subjugate our Arab and Islamic countries.” He expressed confidence that Iran would be able “to respond harshly to this crime.”Based in the Gaza Strip, Hamas and PIJ have long been receiving financial and military aid from Iran.The PLO’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) denounced the assassination of Fakhrizadeh and said it was part of an American-Israeli scheme to “target Iran for its opposition to the existence of the Zionist entity.”The PFLP expressed confidence that Iran would be able to “absorb its loss and to achieve further progress that reflects the development of Iranian capabilities at various levels, including the military and security.”
The Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of various Gaza-based terror groups, condemned the killing of the nuclear scientist as “state terrorism” and said that the perpetrators must be held accountable.The Palestinian Mujahedin Movement, also based in the Gaza Strip, held Israel responsible for the assassination. It said the policy of assassinating scientists and experts will not deter the Muslims from confronting Israel and the US.
