Vast billboards have appeared in Gaza expressing thanks to Iran for its help in the recent conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Written in English, Farsi, Arabic and Hebrew, the billboards carry the words “Thank You Iran” next to an image of the Iranian-made Fajr 5 rocket, which was fired at Israeli towns and cities, including Jerusalem Tel Aviv, during the eight-day war, which left 166 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.
The signs are certain to further fuel Israeli hostility to Iran’s Islamic regime, which denies Israel’s right to exist.
Their appearance at several major road junctions in Gaza follows boasts by senior Iranian officials that they had provided military assistance and “technology” to militant groups in the Palestinian territory.
Last week, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari, said Iran had provided the “know-how” for Fajr 5 weapons to be produced in Gaza while the parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, said Tehran had given financial help.
It is not clear if the billboards, which are unsigned, were put up with the approval of Hamas, the Islamist organisation that runs Gaza.