News - Middle East: Senior figures from the Axis of Resistance have underscored the need to confront the Israeli occupation and its expansionist policies, emphasizing that armed resistance is vital to safeguard the interests of nations against such policies.

The affirmation was made at the 34th Arab National Conference in Lebanon on Friday, which was attended by dozens of figures.

Among the participants in the event was Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas resistance movement in Gaza, who stressed that the al-Aqsa Storm Operation was “a response to attempts to obscure the Palestinian cause and to build a new Middle East”.

He noted that the October 2023 operation marked “a heroic epic” inside Palestine and beyond its borders, as other nations stood in support of it.

Hamas chief urged the Ummah to unite efforts to liberate Palestine from the Israeli occupation, stressing that "Just as Gaza has endured with its sea, its men, women, and children despite the acts of aggression, Palestine will remain steadfast, and oppression will come to an end."

Iran praised for Palestine support

Speaking at the conference, Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Palestinian movement, Ziad al-Nakhala, stressed that Israel could not reject US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan because “it wanted to get out of the crisis in the field” after nearly two years of genocidal war against Palestinians failed to achieve its goals.

“We emerged from this battle against the occupation with our weapons in our hand,” he said, attributing the achievements to the unity among all resistance factions.

Al-Nakhala also praised Iran, and other countries that supported the Palestinians, including Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt and Qatar, vowing that resistance will continue.

Hezbollah never regretted pro-Gaza operations

Hezbollah's head of Arab and international relations, Ammar al-Moussawi, stressed that the Lebanese resistance movement conducted anti-Israel operations in support of Gaza “because we believe in the legitimacy and righteousness of this cause.”

“And we do not regret our decision," he stated at the conference.

Referring to Trump’s statement in Israel’s parliament (Knesset) in mid-October, al-Moussawi said the remarks proved Washington’s complicity in Israel’s wars in the region.

Sayyed Abdulmalik: Resistance disarmament serves ‘Greater Israel’ vision

Addressing the conference, Yemen's revolution Leader Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi stressed that the pro-Gaza operations conducted by Yemen and Hezbollah played an important role in the past two years.

Amid Israeli calls for the disarmament of Hamas and Hezbollah, the leader noted that “the Israeli enemy is attempting to dismantle the weapons that protect Lebanon and the weapons that hinder its control over Gaza for two years.”

He slammed the support provided by regional countries to Israel, warning of the “tremendous losses” that will be inflicted on the Ummah amidst Israel’s declared efforts to establish the so-called “Greater Israel".

In August, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli media that he feels a deep connection to "this vision" of a “Greater Israel,” referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and described it as “a historical and spiritual mission.”

Israel has so far killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians since launching the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, before a ceasefire deal was reached in the strip last month.

The initial phase of Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan took effect on October 9 and saw a prisoner exchange, but further stages will be negotiated at a later date.

Source: Press TV