Calls Israel Defeated By Hamas, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran: Invading Hospitals Or Residents' Houses Is Not A Victory

Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Wikimedia Commons/Khademei.ir)

JAKARTA - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had experienced "disadvantage" in the fight against Hamas, calling for the termination of diplomatic relations between Muslim countries and Israel.

In a speech at the center of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aerospace force in Tehran, Khamenei said "the defeat of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Gaza is a fact," reported The Times of Israel November 19.

"Invading and entering a hospital or a resident's house is not a victory, because victory means defeating other parties," he said.

Israel is known to have stormed Al Shifa Hospital in central Gaza last week, accusing militant groups Hamas of having command posts and operations under the hospital, including saying it was likely to be weapons storage.

Khamenei assessed Israel "has so far failed" in achieving its declared purpose of destroying Hamas, "although there has been a massive bombing in Gaza."

"This inability reflects the inability of the United States and Western countries to support Israel," he added.

Earlier, Khamenei called on Muslim countries to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, criticizing Islamic countries that did not denounce Israel.

"Several Islamic governments condemn Israel's crimes at the meeting, while some others are not. This is unacceptable," Khamenei said, reaffirming the main task of Islamic government is to cut off Israel's access to energy and goods, as quoted by Reuters.

"The Islamic government must at least cut off political relations with Israel for a limited period of time," Khamenei said.

His words referred to a joint summit between members of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in the Saudi Arabian capital on November 11. Muslim countries disagreed to impose broad sanctions on Israel, as requested by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.