Palestinian group says alliance with Iran only to ‘resist Israel’

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said Wednesday that its alliance with Iran aims to confront the Israeli occupation.

In a statement, the group said that the Palestinian resistance was founded to resist the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

“All resistance forces, including Iran, stand in one front against the Zionist enemy (Israel) and its allies,” the Palestinian group said.

An Iranian military official had earlier said that the Palestinian resistance groups were seeking to defend Iran.

Gholam Ali Rashid, a prominent commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said former general Qasem Soleimani had founded six armies outside Iran's borders, including the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, which are ready to defend Iran.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara