LATEST: 48 Passengers Killed in Plane Crash in Tehran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have urged Gazans to reject ceasefire efforts and keep fighting Israel, despite a death toll approaching 2,000 in the 33-day war.
The Lieutenant Commander of the Guards, General Hossein Salami, said (pictured) that — given the “biased ceasefire plan” proposed by Egyptian mediators in Cairo — continued resistance and war against Israel is the best possible option for the Palestinians.
Talks for an end to fighting are on the verge of breakdown. Israel left the discussions on Friday, just before the end of a 72-hour ceasefire, and Palestinian delegates say they will depart Cairo on Sunday if the Israelis do not return without conditions.
See Gaza Daily: Ceasefire Talks on Verge of Collapse
Salami insisted in an interview on State TV on Saturday night, “The plan proposed by Egypt meets the Zionist regime’s interests and is not acceptable as it seeks to disarm the resistance, but we know that the damage inflicted on the Palestinians by a ceasefire is more than war.”
The General insisted that Hamas has “hidden war equipment and capabilities” which will be used in later stages of the war. He said that Israeli attacks, which have killed at least 1,931 Gazans, were being countered by Gazan rockets and that Israel’s vaunted Iron Dome anti-missile system was only intercepting 20% of the strikes.
Salami envisaged a wider war against Israel by Palestinians, complementing the Supreme Leader’s call to arm the West Bank as well as Gaza:
Certainly, the West Bank will move on the same track paved by the Gaza Strip and will certainly be armed and turned into a battle ground.
Of course, they are now fighting with stones, but Gaza also fought with stones and now has acquired missiles and drones and this will also happen there.
48 Passengers Killed in Plane Crash in Tehran
A commuter plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran on Sunday morning, killing all 48 passengers aboard.
The pilot lost control after a wing broke off the jet as it left Mehrabad Airport bound for Tabas in eastern Iran, downing it about three miles west of the capital.
Three victims died on the way to hopsital.
Emergency teams said up to seven people on the ground were injured.
