Quds Day is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel and Zionism. It takes its name from the Arabic name for Jerusalem: al-Quds.

Iran remains committed to supporting the Palestinian cause through both direct backing for Resistance forces and military operations such as The True Promise, according to the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

General Esmaeil Qa’ani made the remarks on Wednesday during the "Manbar al-Quds" program, which included speeches by several Resistance leaders in honor of the International Quds Day.

Qa’ani hailed the 2023 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by Hamas, describing it as "a combination of battlefield resistance and popular resistance."

He said the operation "introduced a new phenomenon of unity among resistance fronts," demonstrating the strength and solidarity of resistance forces.

The Quds Force commander reaffirmed Iran’s unwavering support for the resistance front, stressing that it will "continue until the ultimate goal of liberating Al-Quds is achieved."

‘Al-Aqsa Flood was a turning point’

Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader, said the current phase is unprecedented in the history of Palestine.

He said the Resistance, through Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, has irreversibly reshaped the struggle for Palestine.

The operation, he said, has demonstrated the ability of the Resistance to take the initiative and launch attacks, exposing the Zionist entity’s security and military failures.

Despite months of relentless killing, terrorism, and destruction, backed by Washington’s full support, the occupation has failed to break the will of the Palestinian people, he said.

According to Hayya, the Al-Aqsa Flood was launched to counter attempts by the regime to finalize its control over Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, as part of a broader strategy of political, economic, and military domination.

He said the Resistance has succeeded in revealing the true nature of the occupation as the prime adversary of the Muslim world.

The ongoing struggle, Hayya said, has forged a new regional power dynamic, uniting fighters from Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran in a common front against the occupation.

Meanwhile, Hayya said free people across the world have rallied to condemn Israel’s aggression, reject the US support for its crimes, and denounce the acts of terrorism committed by the occupation, which, he said, disregards all ethical and humanitarian values.

Hayya called on the Arab and Islamic world to take a firm stand, saying the time had come to break the silence that the occupation exploits to push forward its expansionist agenda in the region.

He said it is the duty of the entire Muslim Ummah to defend Al-Aqsa and support the people of Gaza and Palestine in their struggle.

Any compromise on even a fraction of Al-Aqsa would be an act of betrayal against faith, the nation, and the sacrifices of martyrs, Hayya said.

The liberation of Al-Quds is not merely a political goal, Hayya stated, but a historical and religious certainty, regardless of the obstacles involved.

‘Al-Quds unifying element among Muslims’

The Secretary-General of the Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad, Ziad al-Nakhalah, stated that the Palestinian people are among the strongest in the world and that Al-Quds serves as a unifying force for Muslims.

“Our people have demonstrated their strength and have not budged in the face of global conspiracies. Al-Quds has always been the greatest weapon in the world.”

Nakhalah honored the martyrs of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying “these brave men fought the enemy with unparalleled courage.”

He said the martyrs, through their sacrifices, “proved the truth of their promise to God and to the supporters of the Resistance.”

“Despite the sacrifices, the bond of unity within the Resistance in the region will never be broken. The Palestinian people will stand firm on their land and will accept nothing less than their rightful soil.”

‘US seeks to erase Palestinian cause’

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Secretary-General of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah, said the United States is attempting to dismantle the Palestinian cause through Israel.

But the faithful will not allow this to happen, the Hezbollah leader stated.

Sheikh Qassem said Palestine has been under occupation for over 75 years, yet Israel has failed to erase the Palestinian identity.

“Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was carried out to change the equation. The light of the Palestinian cause shines as a beacon of truth in the world, not to be extinguished.”

Sheikh Qassem said today the crimes of Israel have brought the true identity of the regime to the fore.

“The Zionist regime is grappling with an existential crisis and cannot secure its presence through occupation.”

Sheikh Qassem praised the Palestinian people’s resilience despite the martyrdom of over 50,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 100,000 others in Gaza.

The Lebanese resistance leader also touched on Washington’s displacement plan for Gaza, describing it as “extremely dangerous.”

“This plan aims to end the Palestinian cause, displace the Palestinian people, occupy the lands of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, and dominate West Asia according to the Western design.”

However, Sheikh Qassem said, continuous sacrifices and resistance will thwart this scheme.

“We firmly believe that victory belongs to the faithful.”

Houthi: Collaborating with US betrayal of Muslim Ummah

The leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, also warned that Israel’s ongoing aggression, backed by the United States, is aimed at dismantling the Palestinian cause.

“The Israeli enemy’s actions, mass killings, destruction of infrastructure, starvation, and thirst, clearly reveal their attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian people.”

Houthi called on Arab nations to take a “bold, historic stand” to prevent the displacement of the Palestinians and resist normalization with Israel.

He said such displacement can only succeed with the complicity of certain Arab countries.

“If the Israeli enemy succeeds in displacing the Palestinian people, the next target will be Palestine’s neighboring countries and the wider Arab world.”

The Ansarullah leader urged all Muslims to stand up firm against Israeli expansionism and to reject psychological defeat and despair.

Despite the US attacks, Yemen will not back down and will continue its operations in support of the Palestinian people, Houthi said.

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Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have launched a joint naval exercise in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have been enduring the Israeli regime’s criminal war.

The joint parade kicked off across the Persian Gulf, Makran coastal region, and the Caspian Sea in the northern and southern territorial waters of Iran on Thursday ahead of International Quds Day.

IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said 3,000 heavy and light vessels are taking part in the parade.

The parade mainly aims to display the maritime capabilities of the resistance front and convey a message to the wicked and oppressive Israeli regime, he added.

'IRGC will turn the sea into hell for Israel'

Tangsiri said the IRGC naval forces are pursuing the guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and will “turn the sea into hell for the Zionists and eliminate Israel from the face of the world."

"We will not only fight on land. We are also ready in the sea and you will have no way to escape,” the IRGC commander told the Israeli regime.

“We will establish security and power in the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the northern part of the country and prevent any adventurism by the enemies,” he added.

The IRGC commander emphasized that such a regional alliance would pose a challenge to the Israeli regime.

He also noted that Iran’s mobilization of naval forces is not only a military force but a symbol of resistance and prowess of Muslim nations in the face of enemies.

Pointing to the significance of International Quds Day, Tangsiri said, “This day symbolizes uprising against oppression and defense for the oppressed.”

He added that not only the Iranian nation but all Muslims around the world will express their protest against Israel on this day.

During the parade, the flag of Palestine was displayed, and the flag of the Israeli regime was set on fire and destroyed in the Persian Gulf.

The IRGC Navy’s Shahid Bagheri drone carrier, Raees Ali Delvari warship, and Tareq-class missile-launching speed boat are participating in the drill.

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The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for a global mobilization on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to show solidarity with Gaza and al-Quds as Israel, with US support, continues its genocidal war against Palestinians amid global inaction.

In its statement, Hamas urged for “an escalation and continuation of all forms of protests and solidarity marches in every center, city, and capital across the world.” 

“We call on the masses of our Palestinian people, our Arab and Islamic nations, as well as all the free people around the world, to mobilize on the upcoming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to defend Gaza, al-Quds, and Al-Aqsa, support our people’s resilience, reject the occupation’s crimes and plans against our land, people, and holy sites, and to condemn the US support for these atrocities.”

The movement emphasized the need for all possible means to be used to break the siege, stop the killings, and end the starvation in Gaza.

“All efforts and energies should be directed towards supporting Gaza, healing its wounds, and strengthening its resilience,” Hamas stated.

The group also called for solidarity with al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, urging continuous pressure and exposure of the occupation’s crimes, including US support for them, until the aggression and genocide against Palestinians end.

Additionally, Hamas appealed to Arab and Islamic leaders, urging them to take historic responsibility as Israel commits what it described as heinous crimes against Palestine.

“They must take decisive action to halt this war, end the siege on Gaza, and support our people's steadfastness on their land.”

The statement also called on preachers and scholars worldwide to dedicate Friday as a global day of support for Palestine, Gaza, al-Quds, and Al-Aqsa, reinforcing Palestinian resilience and defending their land and holy sites.

“Let the mass activities, marches, and sit-ins continue in the coming days until this aggression ceases and the massacres and genocide come to an end.”

Next Friday coincides with International Quds Day, an annual event introduced by Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a symbol of Muslim solidarity with Palestine.

Quds Day is observed in over 80 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece.

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 Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (a.s.) in response to the reason and secret of legislating Hajj says:

A. The reason for performing Hajj is to go to God and seek great reward, and to be cleansed of all sins that have been committed by man.

B. The purpose of Hajj is to seek forgiveness for past mistakes and to be cleansed and to resume his future deeds; because Hajj will cause forgiveness and atonement for his past sins and he is like a person who has just reached puberty and has been made responsible.

C. The reason for Hajj is its requirements; such as spending and accounting for wealth, putting the body through hardship and hardship, and refraining from sensual acts and taking pleasures.

D. Getting closer to the Creator Almighty through worship, humility, and enduring the hardships of a long journey between deserts, valleys, and plains, in heat and cold, between safety and fear, for a very long and continuous time.

E.  The attainment of benefits for all people,

F.  Seeking the need of God and fearing Him, and abandoning and distancing oneself from the ugly qualities of cruelty, hardness of heart, and fearlessness.

G.  Not forgetting God, not forgetting Him, and not losing hope in anyone other than God, and engaging in action, seeking reward, and preventing the soul from corruption.

H.  Benefiting or benefiting those who live in the east or west of the earth, in the desert or at sea, who have participated in the Hajj or not, from the merchant and trader, from the importer and seller or the buyer and customer, from the merchant and the needy.

I. Meeting the needs of the surrounding people, the places where pilgrims can gather, and the places where they can benefit from their services.

In addition to its effects and rewards in the hereafter, Hajj also has many political, social and spiritual effects in this world. These effects and benefits can be presented as the philosophy or wisdom of Hajj. There have been many references to the effects of Hajj in the stories and speeches of the Imams (a.s.). 

Imam Ali (a.s.) refers to one of the important spiritual effects of Hajj in one of his sermons in Nahjul Balagha; namely, humility and the elimination of the spirit of arrogance. The Imam says:

Do you not see that Allah, the Exalted, tested the previous people, from Adam (a.s.) to the future ones of this world, with stones in Mecca that neither harm nor benefit, neither see nor hear? He made these stones His honorable home and made them a factor of stability for the people.

Then He placed the Kaaba in the most rocky places, the most barren lands, and the shortest valleys, among rugged mountains, many pebbles, and shallow springs, and distant settlements, where neither camels, nor horses, nor cows, nor sheep, have peace in that land. Then He ordered Adam (peace be upon him) and his descendants to return to the Kaaba, and make it the center of gathering, their destination, and their burden, so that people, with love in their hearts, would quickly turn to Mecca from distant plateaus and plains, and from cities, villages, deep valleys, and islands scattered across the seas, shaking their shoulders, and saying around the Kaaba, La ilaha illallah, on their tongues, and circumambulating the House, and moving with disheveled hair and dusty bodies.

They should take off their clothes, which are the sign of each person's personality, and change their appearance by not shaving their hair, which is a great test, a difficult test, and a clear test for purification and purity, which God made a mercy and a means of reaching Paradise. If God had placed His honorable house, and the places where the Hajj rituals were performed, among gardens and rivers, and green and flat lands, and full of trees and fruits, and prosperous areas with many houses and palaces, and interconnected settlements, among wheat fields and orchards full of flowers and plants, with beautiful views and abundant water, in the middle of a joyful garden, and well-developed roads, the reward would have been lighter as the test was simple.

If the foundations and foundations of the Kaaba, and the stones used in its construction were of green emeralds and red rubies, and had light and brightness, hearts would have been slower to doubt and doubt, and Satan's efforts would have had less effect on hearts, and his hidden temptations would not have worked in people. Whereas God tests His servants with all kinds of hardships, and calls them to worship with great hardships, and afflicts them with all kinds of afflictions, in order to remove arrogance and self-importance from their hearts, and replace them with humility, and open the doors of His grace and mercy to them, and make the means of forgiveness and forgiveness easily available to them.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his newly-appointed security team are reportedly planning a large-scale ground assault against the Gaza Strip in order to capture and hold swaths of territory that will allow them to defeat the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

The Wall Street Journal carried the report on Monday, saying the regime sought to stage the assault with the self-proclaimed goal of defeating Gaza’s Hamas resistance movement.

The regime, the report added, believed that military defeat for Hamas was, according to Tel Aviv, crucial before any political solutions could be even considered.

The movement, its allies, and even the regime’s own allied states have, however, defined the group as invincible in light of its battleground savvy and strategy, as well as its popularity among Palestinians and the anti-occupation regional peoples and governments.

In an interview with the regime’s Channel 13 last June, former Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said, “Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong.”

A senior Hamas official says remarks by the Israeli military spokesman on the impossibility of eliminating the group shows that the regime has failed in its war on Gaza. Anyone promising this was “throwing sand in the face of the Israeli public," he had added.

Earlier this month, the Israeli military resumed the regime’s war of genocide on the coastal sliver that had begun in October 2023, stopping briefly following Tel Aviv’s entering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which it would regularly violate before re-launching the wholesale brutal onslaught.

The escalation is aimed at forcing the movement into releasing those of the regime’s captives, who remain in Gaza in one batch, without Tel Aviv’s keeping its side of the bargain by letting the ceasefire deal transit into its second phase, releasing thousands of Palestinian prisoners, ceasing its bloodletting in the Palestinian territory, and enacting a complete withdrawal from it.

Hagari had, however, emphasized that it would be "impossible" to return all the regime’s captives through the offensive, underlining the need for a “scenario,” where the captives would be returned in another manner.

The WSJ report added, though that the Israeli officials were laying the groundwork for further significant escalation, supposedly aiming to break Hamas's hold on the Palestinian territory.

The regime has already restaged the ground assault that it used to conduct against Gaza after the war, deploying infantry forces into Gaza’s northern areas and the retaking of the Netzarim Corridor, an area giving Israeli forces an upper hand to step the regime’s attacks on central and northern Gaza. Tel Aviv had previously relinquished the area as part of the ceasefire.

Additionally, Israeli forces have ramped up airstrikes and assassinated several of Hamas political figures in the territory.

The plan, championed by Netanyahu and bolstered by other key warlike figures such as minister for military affairs Israel Katz and General Eyal Zamir, rests on the belief that Hamas had to be militarily defeated on the battlefield before any political resolution could be pursued, the American paper wrote.

With the backing of the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has ramped up arms and ammunition supplies to the regime, Netanyahu’s team believes they have the necessary resources to press forward with the offensive, it added.

The majority of regime’s illegal settlers, who have been pressing it with thousands-strong protests into coming to terms with Hamas to enable the release of the rest of the captives, nevertheless, discourage further aggression.

They argue, according to polls, that Tel Aviv had to abide by the ceasefire rather than to step up its atrocities.

Those against additional aggression include many right-wing voters, who have contributed to Netanyahu’s drawn-out political longevity.

A survey by the so-called “Israel Democracy Institute” found earlier this month that 73% of the settlers, including a majority of Netanyahu’s own Likud party members, supported negotiation with Hamas.

Reports have, meanwhile, been emerging pointing to the Israeli premier’s efforts at undermining negotiations and firing the officials supporting the talks.

In January 2025, the group reportedly appointed a new leader, signaling its continued defiance in the face of mounting aggression.

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A senior Hamas spokesman says the resistance movement is deep-rooted in Palestine and that it will be not be affected by Israeli assassination of its leaders.

Sami Abu Zuhri made the remarks on Monday, after Israel killed four members of Hamas’s political bureau in less than a week since the occupying regime resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The assassinations came after Israel unilaterally broke a fragile two-month-long ceasefire agreement with Hamas and conducted deadly airstrikes across Gaza.

Abu Zuhri said the Zionist regime used the opportunity of the truce deal to gather information about Hamas officials in order to assassinate them.

"The blood of Hamas leaders and commanders is the same as that of the Gaza children and youth, and these assassinations will not prevent us from keeping on the path of struggle," he added.

The Hamas spokesman also noted that Israel today carries out filed executions on a daily basis in the besieged territory.

"What is currently happening in Gaza is much more horrific than the events over the 15-month genocide," he said.

Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, but it failed to achieve its declared objectives despite killing 50,082 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring more than 113,408 others. 

The usurping entity accepted Hamas’s longstanding negotiation terms under the three-phase Gaza ceasefire, which began on January 19.

On March 18, however, Israel resumed its relentless bombing of Gaza in blatant violation of the truce.

Latest reports said, at least 23 Palestinians, including seven children, were killed in pre-dawn Israeli attacks and artillery shelling.

Most of the victims were in south and central Gaza, according to the reports.

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Iran has robustly condemned the Israeli regime’s mass killing of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, describing it as part of a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing aimed at wiping out the Palestinian identity.

In a Tuesday post on X, former Twitter, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei decried the regime’s massacre of hundreds of Palestinian children in a single day, calling it the largest child massacre since the 1948 Nakba, when Western-backed Israeli forces expelled Palestinians from their homeland.

“The global public now clearly recognizes that the occupying regime’s slaughter of children is a systematic policy, executed with the genocidal intent of ethnic cleansing and the ‘colonial erasure’ of the Palestinian people,” he lamented.

The official also condemned the silence of international organizations, including the United Nations, in the face of the deadly atrocities.

“The killing and torture of innocent Palestinian children have left deep wounds on the conscience of humanity, and the indifference of the UN and relevant human rights bodies only adds insult to those injuries,” he added.

Baghaei held the United States, Tel Aviv’s most supportive ally, the United Kingdom, and other Western backers of the regime responsible for enabling the regime's bloodletting and destruction.

“With the full complicity and unwavering support of the United States, UK, and certain other Western states—and emboldened by the inaction of the UN Security Council—the Israeli regime feels absolute impunity to keep perpetrating the most atrocious crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” he stated.

His remarks came amid reports that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 200 children in Gaza in recent days, a number confirmed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The escalation followed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that the aggression against Gaza, which the regime has escalated since resuming its genocidal war on the territory earlier this month, was “just beginning.”

Human rights groups have repeatedly highlighted the genocidal features of the military barbarity, namely deliberate targeting of civilians, including women and children.

“It is high time that the world came together, stood up against the gravest injustice of our modern time, ended impunity for heinous crimes against children, and kept the genocidal regime and its enablers accountable for the most serious crimes of international concern,” Baghaei said.

Including the youngsters, the war has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, since October 2023.

Despite global condemnation, the regime continues to enjoy military and diplomatic backing from its Western allies, particularly Washington, which has vetoed multiple UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire that the regime would abide by.

Observers, meanwhile, caution that the Israeli genocidal campaign sought not only to target the Palestinian resistance, but to permanently displace Palestinian territories’ indigenous population, a strategy reminiscent of the Nakba.

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Tens of thousands of protesters have staged rallies in French cities against racism and the rise of the far right, with some targeting US President Donald Trump and his henchmen, while some pro-Palestinians showed solidarity with the Gazans.

The protests were staged in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse and other cities and took place against the backdrop of the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Rallied by France Unbowed (LFI) party and hundreds of labor unions, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris, slamming racist ideology promoting bigotry and discrimination.

"Fascism is gangrene from Washington to Paris," read one placard.

"The far right is on the rise everywhere in Europe, it's scary because in France we see far-right ideas becoming more and more commonplace, even among ministers in this government," Evelyne Dourille, a 74-year-old pensioner, told AFP.

An American protester taking part in the rally in the French capital said similar demonstrations should be taking place in the United States.

"America is sliding towards fascism," said the 55-year-old woman.

Aurelie Trouve, a lawmaker for the LFI party, sounded the alarm about the increasing popularity of the far-right party of Marine Le Pen in France.

"Far-right ideas are contaminating even the government," she said. 

In the southern port city of Marseilles, thousands of people took to the streets, while several thousand others protested in Lille in the north, according to police.

"Against state Islamophobia," said some of the placards.

"The situation is serious," the Human Rights League (LDH) said, pointing to an "alarming increase" in racist acts.

"There is a global reactionary offensive against foreigners and their children, against Muslims," added Dominique Sopo, head of of SOS Racisme, also pointing to increasing racist and anti-Semitic acts.

Similar protests took place in the cities of Lyon and Toulouse.

In the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, more than 10,000 people gathered in Dam Square.

The rally, organized by Comite 21 Maart, an anti-racism association, came one day after the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Protesters held signs reading “Never Again” as they warned against the rise of the far-right across Europe, drawing memory to the early 20th century when fascism rose to prominence. 

Protesters also waved flags in support of Palestine, after Israel’s recent resumption of war on Gaza which has claimed the lives of close to 50,000 people in the territory. 

“We see that there is a greater growth of radical far right, that racist expressions are on the rise. And if you look at the United States, of course a lot of bad things are happening there,” said a woman participating in the protest.

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