Hamas terrorists in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah in January 2017. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/ Flash90.

JNS.org – Senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri said Iran will continue to support “resistance in Palestine” during a visit to the Islamic Republic.

Arouri and other officials from the Palestinian terror group visited Iran to improve ties. Arouri reportedly met with senior Iranian officials, including Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“The main result is the continuation of the Islamic Republic [of Iran]’s commitment towards Palestine and the resistance in Palestine….We hope this support will continue and grow until the resistance will be able to defeat the occupation,” Arouri told Iran’s al-Alam TV.

In the interview, Arouri also addressed Israeli criticism regarding Hamas’s visit to Iran. Israel accused the terror group of selling out Gazans to the Islamic Republic.

“In terms of what provokes and vexes [Israel], we do not only take steps like visiting the Islamic Republic, but we fight them, wage war against them, prepare to battle them, do not recognize their legitimacy, and do not accept their existence on this land,” Arouri said.

The Hamas visit comes amid the terror group’s reconciliation agreement with its Palestinian rival, Fatah. As a result of the deal, the Palestinians are set to form a unity government by Dec. 1. Both the US and Israel have called on Hamas to disarm, recognize Israel and cut off ties with Iran as prerequisites for future negotiations with the Palestinian unity government.

President Donald Trump’s international negotiations representative, Jason Greenblatt, said Hamas was desperate for Iranian support.

“Hamas, which has only brought ruin and misery to Palestinians, now begs Iran for help and again vows to destroy Israel,” Greenblatt tweeted. “Palestinians deserve so much better than this. We must find a better path forward toward peace and prosperity.”