Iranian money going to Hamas as Palestinians suffer hunger

Rubeir al-Fares

Iran’s mullahs use the Palestinian issue to achieve their political goals, exactly as the Palestinian faction Hamas does.

Nonetheless, Iranians suffer tough conditions. Hamas is also the main beneficiary of the Iranian rhetoric on Palestine.

Hamas senior figure Mahmud al-Zahar conceded recently that the late Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani gave him a bag containing $22 million during his visit to Tehran in 2006.

He added in an interview with the Iranian Arabic channel al-Allam that he met Soleimani only once when he took over the foreign affairs portfolio in the Hamas government.

Al-Zahar noted that he travelled to Iran soon after assuming the responsibilities to his job to meet Iranian officials.

A decision for my travel to Tehran was taken abruptly, al-Zahar said.

He added that he met former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and that he submitted a list of demands to the Iranian president.

Al-Zahar noted that the former Iranian president had referred him to Soleimani.

I told Soleimani, he said, that the Palestinians were besieged and that we were short of money to pay the salaries of civil servants.

He added that he told the former Quds Force commander that the Palestinians also needed all sorts of assistance.

Al-Zahar described Soleimani as an “hones” and “practical” man.

Al-Zahar is one of the founders of Hamas. He took over the post of foreign minister in the Hamas government in 2006.

Iran has a long record of support to terrorist groups and militias in the Palestinian territories.