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Transfer of US munitions to Israel will complicate situation, Iran’s top general warns

Friday, 20 October 2023 11:33 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 21 October 2023 3:47 AM ]

An Israeli soldier moves a 155mm artillery shell on October 18, 2023 near a self-propelled howitzer near the border between the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories and Lebanon, where Israeli troops have been engaged in skirmishes with fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement. (File photo by AFP)

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has slammed Washington's provision of arms to the Israeli regime, emphasizing that such moves will further complicate the situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip.

Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Friday as the Israeli regime continues to bomb Gaza.

Washington's significant assistance to Israel, which includes providing heavy weapons and ammunition, makes the US an accomplice in Israeli atrocities, the high-ranking Iranian military general stressed.

This measure will further complicate the situation in the Gaza Strip, Baqeri said, warning against its adverse consequences.

Hamas leader: Israeli atrocities can trigger 'regional war'

The head of Hamas

He also called upon the Turkish government to employ all available means to prevent the continuation of Israeli crimes and support the people of Gaza.

"Serious measures should be implemented to prevent the continuation of the Zionist regime's crimes in their brutal attacks in Gaza and to deliver humanitarian aids, including food and medicine, to them (Gazans)."

Guler, for his part, elaborated on Ankara’s actions to reduce tension and stop conflicts in West Asia, stressing that his country will continue such efforts.

The conversation comes as three Israeli officials with knowledge of the situation told the American news website Axios that the Israeli ministry of military affairs has informed their US counterparts they urgently need artillery shells to prepare for a ground invasion in Gaza.

US officials have asserted that diverting the shells from Ukraine to Israel would have no immediate impact on Ukraine's ability to fight against Russian troops.

“We are confident we can support both Ukraine and Israel in terms of their defensive needs,” Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters.

Israel's deadly bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip follows Operation al-Aqsa Storm of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement on October 7.

The unprecedented Palestinian operation, according to resistance groups, came in response to months-long desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque and increased Israeli violence against Palestinians. The Israeli forces and settlers killed more than 200 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2023.

At least 4,137 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments, according to figures from the health ministry in the besieged coastal strip. Nearly 13,500 individuals have also been injured.

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