Palestinian armed groups issued statements mourning the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials who were killed in a joint American-Israeli military operation on February 28. However, none of the groups have indicated that they would join the fight against Israeli or American forces.
Hamas issued a formal statement mourning Khamenei, describing him as a “martyr” and praising his nearly four decades of political, diplomatic, and military support for the Palestinian cause and what it termed the “resistance.” The Islamist group credited Khamenei with steadfast backing, including during the October 7 war, despite international pressure and sanctions on Iran.
Hamas blamed the US and Israel for Khamenei’s death, framing it as a “brutal Zionist-American aggression” against Iran’s sovereignty, and warning of broader regional consequences. The group urged Arab and Islamic states, as well as the international community, to take firm political and legal action in response to the attacks on Iran. Notably, the statement emphasized tribute and condemnation but did not explicitly announce retaliatory measures.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), whose founders drew inspiration from the 1978 Iranian Revolution, also mourned the death of Khamenei. In its statement, PIJ described the deceased supreme leader as a central figure in the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”
PIJ credited Khamenei with decades of leadership of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and described him as a key supporter of Palestinian terrorist organizations, including through weapons transfers and political backing. PIJ framed the Iranian leader’s death as part of a broader confrontation with what it called the “Zionist-American project,” accusing Washington and its allies of seeking regional domination and reaffirming Iran’s “right to respond.”
The group emphasized continued alignment among Iranian-backed actors in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere, signaling ideological cohesion within the “resistance” camp. While the message praised “armed struggle” and rejected normalization with Israel, it, like Hamas’s statement, also stopped short of announcing specific retaliatory operations.
Other organizations, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, the Popular Resistance Committees, and the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, issued similar statements of condolences. Like their allies in Hamas and PIJ, the groups did not detail whether they would respond against Israel or the United States over their joint military operation or the killing of Khamenei.
Not all armed organizations in Gaza mourned Khamenei’s death. The anti-Hamas Counterterrorism Strike Force, led by Hussam al Astal, published a video celebrating the supreme leader’s death, saying that the “head of the snake was eliminated.” Astal also warned Hamas that its leader, Izz al Din al Haddad, had his days numbered.
For now, the reactions from Gaza’s armed factions amount to rhetorical solidarity with Tehran rather than a declaration of new hostilities. While the groups praised Khamenei’s role in supporting Palestinian terrorist organizations and condemned the United States and Israel, none publicly committed to retaliatory action. Whether that restraint reflects operational limitations, coordination with Iran, or a combination of both, remains unclear. The coming days will determine whether the statements remain symbolic or mark the prelude to a broader regional escalation.
