Hezbollah gave Kornet Missiles to Gaza at the behest of Qassim Soleimani: Nasrallah

Reporting on an interview given to Al Mayadeen Television, Arabi21.com quoted Nasrallah as saying that ties between Hamas and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria is highly likely to resume soon.

"Qassem Soleimani worked to develop relations with all Palestinian resistance factions of all affiliations," the Shia leader said.

He stressed that the relationship had developed between Qassem Soleimani and the Palestinian factions since the latter took over the leadership of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which he continued to lead until his assassination by an American raid early this year.

On the delivery of military and logistical support from Iran to the Palestinian resistance factions, Nasrallah said: "Soleimani did not have reservations on the delivery of weapons and expertise of all kinds to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank."

He added, "Soleimani and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards provided the Palestinian resistance with everything related to the manufacture of missiles ... and they were the ones who contributed to the delivery of Kornet missiles to the Gaza Strip."

In this regard, Nasrallah revealed that Soleimani spoke with him personally in order to deliver the Kornet to the Gaza Strip.

"Hezbollah received the Kornet missiles from the Syrian regime, which they had procured from the Russian side, and that the party used them in the war with the Israeli occupation in July 2006."

Nasrallah said, "We assumed that the Russians would be angry at the arrival of the Kornet to Hezbollah, but they were very happy, because the Kornet got publicity."

He revealed that Qassem Soleimani had asked him to deliver the Kornet missiles to the Gaza Strip for the causes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. And he responded to this request by saying: "We must seek permission from President Al-Assad," explaining: "I asked for permission from Al-Assad, and he said: No problem."

He stressed that Iran has used its diplomatic relations to deliver weapons to the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, especially its relationship with the former Sudanese regime (headed by the ousted President Omar Al-Bashir), in addition to Tehran's provision of material support to the Palestinian resistance.

In response to a question about the continuation of Hezbollah and Iran's relationship with Hamas despite the movement's disagreement with Syria, Nasrallah replied: "Assad was aware of our relationship with Hamas, and he understood this matter, because the relationship with Hamas is based on the Palestinian issue."

He added, "Al-Assad did not object to our relationship with Hamas, despite his discomfort with Hamas's position on the Syrian crisis."

Regarding his meetings with Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, during his recent visit to Lebanon, Nasrallah said: "I met Ismail Haniyeh more than once in the southern suburbs of Beirut, other than the meeting announced to the media."

With the events of the Syrian revolution, Hamas decided to gradually leave Syria, and the exit was completed with the departure of its political bureau chief at the time, Khaled Mishaal, from Damascus in January 2012, after the city had been the permanent headquarters of the movement's leaders since 1999.

Nasrallah revealed that the meeting with Haniyeh revolved around the bilateral relations between the party and Hamas, the challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the Abraham Accord, the situation of the siege and the Palestinian resistance, and the axis of resistance. He said, "Our discussion had strategic dimensions."

He pointed out that his meeting with Haniyeh also touched on Hamas's relationship with the Syrian regime, noting that "it has become clear that recently Hamas has condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria."

He added, "One day, this relationship must be rearranged, and it takes time."

He said, "There is a very positive atmosphere towards the resumption of Hamas's relations with the Syrian regime."

Haniyeh had visited Lebanon last September, in a visit that was his first since he took over the presidency of the political bureau of Hamas.