Tehran – Marking the one-year anniversary of the bombing of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Palestinians in their struggle against the Israeli regime.

“It is difficult to recall this heinous crime which killed hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians,” the IRGC said in a statement published on Wednesday. “The inaction of the international community back then, allowed the regime to continue such crimes and strike countless more medical facilities in Gaza and Lebanon [in the following months].”

On October 17, 2023, Israel launched a devastating airstrike on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital compound in central Gaza, killing at least 500 civilians. This marked the first time Israeli forces had targeted a medical facility in this manner. Israel and its Western allies arming the regime claimed the strike was a result of a misfired rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad Resistance group – an assertion immediately refuted by both the Palestinian group and independent experts. The U.S. later announced it was launching an investigation to find the truth. 

While the results of the alleged investigation have yet to come through, Israel has continued to target medical facilities in Gaza, striking dozens more in the past year. In at least two Gaza hospitals, mass graves containing the bodies of patients and other Palestinians seeking refuge have been found near the buildings. 

Israel hits medical facilities and other civilian sites in an attempt to cover up its military failures at the hands of the Resistance, the IRGC statement read. “All this time, the United States has been the main force helping the regime by sending lethal weapons and even military personnel to slaughter Palestinian and Lebanese people,” IRGC noted, adding the U.S. and Israel are partners in crime. “They should be held accountable in international courts.” 

The statement concluded with a resolute declaration of continued support for the Palestinians: "We believe Palestinians have the right to self-determination and deserve assistance in their fight for liberation from occupation. The IRGC will unhesitatingly provide aid to the Palestinian people in pursuit of this cause."

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 42,000 civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip, where over 60% of the population is under the age of 18. The regime has now expanded its military campaign to include Lebanon, where over 2,000 people have already been slaughtered.