TEHRAN- Hamas has vehemently denounced Israel’s assassination of a top military expert from Iran in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood of Damascus’ countryside.

The group issued a statement on Thursday, saying that “the assassination of General Razi Mousavi by the Zionist enemy in Syria is a cowardly crime and aggression, as well as a violation of the sovereignty of an Arab country.”

“We offer our condolences to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and emphasize that the enemy’s crimes inside and outside Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will of our people and nation and suppressing our resistance,” it added.

According to an IRGC statement issued on Monday, Gen. Mousavi was assassinated in an Israeli “missile attack.”

The same day, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message saying that Israel “will certainly pay for this crime.”

Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based resistance group, has vowed that Israel could expect a strong retaliation to its “cowardly” assassination of Gen. Mousavi.

Islamic Jihad maintained in a statement that the general had played a critical role in helping regional resistance groups as well as the Palestinian nation, resistance, and cause.

“The occupying regime’s dirty assassination operation proves once again that this criminal regime contaminates the entire region and its only job is to shed blood and spread murder and crimes,” it added.

Based on the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Mousavi was assassinated with “direct coordination and participation of the U.S. and the West.”

“This crime will have no result other than escalating attacks by the resistance against the Zionist regime and its mercenaries in the region,” it said in a statement.

It went on to add, “We will never allow the occupying, criminal and cowardly enemy to feel safe and stable in the region. It must always live in terror and panic and await the next response.”

Speaking on Wednesday, Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), called General Mousavi “a unique and reliable” person who had permanently supported the entire resistance front. 

General Salami highlighted martyr Mousavi’s influence on the governments and armies of the host countries.   

“Martyr Mousavi is a brave and unknown commander, but famous and shining in the sky. And he had amazing effects during more than 3 decades and almost 37 years of emigration in Syria and Lebanon,” the general added.

He added, “I offer my congratulations and condolences on the martyrdom of the loyal comrade of Hajj Qassem Soleimani.”

“These martyrdoms represent new growths of divine virtues, which are multiplied by the martyrdom of these loved ones, and the fragrance of the presence of these great commanders and martyrs spreads through the atmosphere of the society,” the top general noted, adding that anyone who encounters these pleasant scents of patience, perseverance, and jihad becomes a new mujahid.

As per General Salami, the enemy has used all its talent and resources to destroy the face and image of Iranian society. 

He declared, “We are at war with the enemy’s ideal image and we want to disrupt the enemy’s dreams.”

"If we don't move, we will fall. Our endurance is not in stillness but in movement,” General Salami said in conclusion.

On Wednesday, Iran's Defense Minister vowed to retaliate against the Zionist regime for its cowardly terrorist act that claimed the life of IRGC General Razi Mousavi in Syria. 

General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani issued a statement following the martyrdom of Mousavi, a comrade of General Qassem Soleimani, who dedicated his life to the defense of Islam, the Islamic Revolution, and the integrity of Ahl al-Bayt.

In his statement, General Ashtiani emphasized that Mousavi's sincere jihad in upholding the flag of Islam, safeguarding the people of Iran and the region, and his ultimate sacrifice in the form of martyrdom would not go unnoticed.

He also expressed his condolences to Mousavi's family and the Iranian people, and reiterated that the Zionist regime's cowardly actions would not be tolerated. 

He assured that the right time and place would come when a powerful response would be given to the Zionist enemy. 

In a press conference held on Wednesday, Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif, the spokesperson for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, discussed the implications of Commander Mousavi's assassination in Syria.

Expressing condolences, General Sharif underscored the continuous battle against security threats, reiterating the IRGC’s dedication to safeguarding the Islamic Revolution of Iran. 

He also highlighted Commander Seyyed Razi’s pivotal role in fortifying the security of Iran’s borders.

He highlighted that the killing of Mousavi represents a persistent breach of international laws by the Israeli government, urging the global community to intervene and put an end to the actions of the occupying regime, emphasizing the threat it poses to international peace and security.

Praising Mousavi's diplomatic contributions, especially during Daesh attempts to destabilize the Syrian nation and assist the Zionists, General Sharif provided context to the international impact of the commander's efforts.