Iranian authorities congratulate Palestinians after ceasefire

Tehran (Iran), May 23: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani greeted on Saturday what he described as a "victory of the Palestinian nation," after 11 days of armed conflict between the Israeli army and Hamas-led militants in the Gaza Strip.
"The resistance of a nation brings victory, and example of which was the victory of the Palestinian nation against a regime that is armed to the teeth," Rouhani declared in a weekly meeting in Tehran, official news agency IRNA reported.
The Iranian president stressed the importance of unity between Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, refugee camps abroad and Israel during the surge of violence of the last two weeks.
A ceasefire came into effect early on Friday, putting an end to the 11-day armed conflict.
The Palestinian "victory" was also greeted on Friday night by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through a message published on his official website.
With its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, Khamenei said, Israel committed "immense crimes" and "provoked the public opinion of the world against itself" and "added hatred to themselves and the western governments that support it," especially the United States.
Palestinian fighters and political leaders, he added, must not stop preparing for confrontation with Israel or "maintaining a powerful presence in the field."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also hailed on Friday night in its statement the "solidarity of different Palestinian territories," as well as the "renewal of discussions on the Palestinian issue in the regional and global levels," and the "widespread public support for the Palestinian resistance."
Source: Xinhua