Palestinian Islamic Jihad delegation visits Baghdad ahead of Quds Day

Nakhala is set to deliver a speech at the Quds Day rallies in Baghdad on Friday.

A delegation of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement visited Baghdad on Wednesday at the invitation of Iraqi officials.

The delegation was led by the movement’s secretary-general, Ziyad al-Nakhala, and was set to meet with Iraqi officials and personalities, including Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid. The delegation additionally met with the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al Sadeq.

According to a statement by the movement, “the delegation will hold discussions on the latest Palestinian and Arab developments and ways to support the resistance in Palestine, especially in Jerusalem, in the face of the Zionist attacks and the storming of al-Aqsa Mosque.”

"The delegation will hold discussions on the latest Palestinian and Arab developments and ways to support the resistance in Palestine, especially in Jerusalem, in the face of the Zionist attacks and the storming of al-Aqsa Mosque."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Nakhala is set to deliver a speech at the Quds Day rallies in Baghdad on Friday, according to Iranian reports.

During the visit, al-Nakhala stated “The visit is a clear message that Iraq stands with the Palestinian people and their resistance. It is also highly influential in the region and carries a strong message to Israel regarding Iraq’s support for Palestine,” according to Al-Mayadeen.

“We are at the height of the challenge and we feel the importance of the unity of the resistance in the face of Israel, and the importance of the official Arab position, which has now been embodied in the official position of Iraq with its siding with the Palestinian people.”

Iraqi militia threatens to launch drones at Israel

The visit comes as an Iran-backed militia in Iraq called Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba published a video threatening to launch drones at targets in Israel. The video featured Hebrew subtitles and footage from the clashes at al-Aqsa Mosque last week.

حركة النجباء تنشر مقطع فيديو بعنوان *الأبابيل العراقية آتية* تهدد فيها اسرائيل بالطائرات المسيرة pic.twitter.com/baPjLPqvwb
— شاهو القرةداغي (@shahokurdy) April 13, 2023

The visit also comes amid after rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria toward Israel in the past two weeks after violent clashes broke out last week at al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Friday, Iran and its proxies will mark Quds Day, which usually features marches and speeches threatening Israel. Leaders of the terrorist movements allied with Iran are set to deliver speeches on Friday, including Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and Israeli officials are preparing for possible attacks – both cyber and physical – ahead of the day.