Iranian supreme leader praises Gaza for brining Israel 'to its knees'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Gaza's resilience in a speech on Tuesday, claiming the Palestinian territory had brought Israel "to its knees" following the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The ceasefire, which includes a hostage-release deal, went into effect over a week ago and aims to end more than 15 months of conflict.

"The small, limited Gaza brought the Zionist regime, armed to the teeth and fully supported by America, to its knees," Khamenei said during a meeting with Iranian officials in Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mocked US President Donald Trump's controversial plan to relocate Palestinians, suggesting instead that Israelis be moved to Greenland to "resolve the issue."

Araghchi, speaking in an interview posted on his Telegram channel, quipped, "Instead of Palestinians, try to expel Israelis, take them to Greenland, killing two birds with one stone. They can resolve the problem of Greenland and the Israelis, it would be a good place for them."

Trump's remarks on Monday proposed moving Palestinians from Gaza to "safer" areas like Egypt or Jordan, a suggestion that has sparked widespread criticism.

The US president has also long expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, making headlines over the years with his claims about the territory.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, also condemned the idea of relocating Palestinians, stressing that "political coercion and demographic manipulations" would not succeed in forcing Palestinians to leave Gaza.

"Gaza is the Palestinians' homeland, and they've paid an extremely high price to remain there," Baqaei wrote on social media.

The ongoing war in Gaza, which began after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, has resulted in significant casualties.

According to Israeli figures, the attack killed 1,210 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, 87 of whom are still believed to be in Gaza.

In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has killed over 47,000 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with the UN recognizing these figures as reliable.