Hamas Leader Meets Iran's President Amid Gaza War

The head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, met with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday during a trip to Tehran's top leadership amid the war in Gaza.

Haniyeh and the Palestinian delegation also met with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where Khamenei reiterated Iran's support for Palestine and condemned Israel's retaliatory attacks in the wake of the war waged by the Palestinian Islamist group in October.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate in supporting the cause of Palestine and the oppressed and resilient people of Gaza," Khamenei said.

The visit marks Haniyeh's second trip to Tehran since the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7 which resulted in the deaths of some 1,200 mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of more than 250 to Gaza.

The meetings with Iran's top leadership reveal the high-level connections Hamas has with Iran, which has long backed the group designated by countries including the UK.

Last year, Haniyeh also held top level meetings with Iranian leaders alongside fellow proxies such as Hezbollah, also funded, trained and armed by Iran.

Israel's retaliatory campaign aiming to eliminate the terror group and rescue the remaining hostages has led to the deaths of over 30,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

The latest visit comes on the back of this week's UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza amid a humanitarian crisis.

During a press conference in Tehran, Haniyeh claimed the resolution “signals Israel's waning international support”.