The International Quds Day is a legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who designated the day in solidarity with the Palestinians and in opposition to the Israeli regime.
People across the world mark the International Quds Day to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and denounce Israeli atrocities in the occupied territories as well as the besieged Gaza Strip.
On the occasion, political and religious leaders shed light on the Palestinian cause and urge Muslim unity against Israel.
This year’s events are scheduled to be held online in Iran and some other countries due to the spread of the coronavirus. Last year’s events were also held online because of the deadly virus.
IRGC: Quds Day manifestation of Muslim unity
Marking the occasion, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) described the day as a manifestation of the Islamic world’s unity in supporting the Palestinian cause and the liberation of al-Quds from the occupying Israeli regime.
The day “heralds the revenge of the commander of the Resistance Axis, Martyr [Qassem] Soleimani, the expulsion of American terrorists from West Asia, and the fortification of the establishment of full Palestinian sovereignty over the holy territory through removing the Zionist regime from the region’s political landscape,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The IRGC said the Palestinian people are continuing their struggle against the criminal Zionist regime stronger than ever, having pushed the regime toward collapse and extinction.
It said the clever designation of the day by Imam Khomeini created an opportunity for Muslims across the world to unify their efforts so as to resolve the issue of Palestine and remove the Zionist tumor.
The IRGC added that the wicked plots by the US and Israel to create division among Muslim nations, including the so-called deal of the century, the Abraham Accords, and normalization deals with some treacherous Arab countries, are doomed to fail.
Iraqis: Zionist regime definitely in decline
Iraqis also marked the international day, saying irrefutable evidence shows that the Zionist regime of Israel is in decline.
In a gathering on Thursday evening attended by 70 prominent Iraqi figures, the spokesman of Iraq's anti-terror Kata'ib Hezbollah group said the most important development with regard to Palestine in the last 40 years has been the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Mohammed Mohi said the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran changed the nature of the advocates of Palestine from leftist and tribal Arab groups to Islamist groups.
The spokesman of another Iraqi anti-terror movement, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, said the issue of Palestine should not be limited to the International Quds Day, noting that it needs more attention throughout the year.
The new generation needs to know the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in the past and in the current era, Mohammed al-Rabie said.
He also recalled his meeting with Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh, during which he was told that if it had not been for the efforts of Iran’s General Soleimani, there would have been “no Gaza Strip, Ramallah, Quds and Palestine.”
Iraq's al-Nujaba resistance movement also said Israel has been isolated for the first time in history as weapons of resistance groups continue to target the regime with the aim of liberating al-Quds.
In a statement, al-Nujaba commemorated Imam Khomeini, saying, “Our faith in God’s promise and his aid is not shaken and we see it closer to ourselves than any other day.”
The group highlighted the miscalculations of Israel's supporters on the war front, which it said forced them to negotiate with the Islamic Resistance Axis.
“These days, for the first time in our history, we see the Zionist regime in a defensive position, which is the result of successive defeats against the forces of the Islamic Resistance in occupied Lebanon and Palestine.”
The Iraqi resistance group also denounced the Arab countries that normalize ties with Israel, calling them traitors.
It called General Soleimani a “martyr of al-Quds”, voicing confidence that the present generation will see the promise of victory fulfilled in the near future.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, underlined the need to continue the fight against the Israeli regime, saying al-Quds city is stronger than ever due to the resistance of its residents.
Head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmad Sa'adat stressed that Quds Day should be upheld by the people of the world.
Sa'adat called for the fight against the Israeli occupation to continue, saying Israel is nearing its collapse.
A member of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said Palestinian people are united in the fight against the Zionist regime. Suhail al-Hindi said the fight over al-Quds is still ongoing, adding that the enemy has targeted the existence of Palestine.