Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza mourn the death of Qassem Soleimani

After Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp's (IRGC) General Qassem Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike in Iraq, hundreds of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip mourned the General's death. According to reports, the mourning Palestinians were joined by leaders of the Hamas Group and Palestinian Islamic jihad faction at a tent put up in honour of Qassem Soleimani.

'The US and Zionist Occupation responsible'

National flags of Israel and the United States of America were thrown on the ground so that they could be trampled by people who were entering the tent. A representative of the Islamist Hamas group said they held the United States and the Zionist Occupation responsible for the attack, adding that they were loyal to all those stood in support of the resistance and with Palestine.

The White House and the Pentagon confirmed the death of Iran's powerful military head by saying that the attack was directed by US President Donald Trump on January 3. To assert further, the US President posted a picture of the country's flag on his Twitter account.

"General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more," the Department of Defense said.

Read: Video Of Trump Claiming ‘Obama Will Start War With Iran To Get Re-elected’ Surfaces

Who was Qassem Soleimani?

Soleimani's IRGC, which was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by Donald Trump in April last year, backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the 2011 civil war and to battle the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIS). Soleimani was rumoured to be dead several times, including in a 2006 aeroplane crash that killed other military officials in northwestern Iran and following a 2012 bombing in Damascus that killed top aides of Assad.

Rumours circulated in November 2015 that Soleimani was killed or seriously wounded leading forces loyal to Assad as they fought around Syria’s Aleppo.

Read: Donald Trump Issues Fresh Warning To Iran; Threatens To Attack 'harder Than Ever Before'

Israel supports the United States

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has extended his support to the US in the aftermath of the airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Taking to Twitter, Netanyahu backed the US and asserted that it has the right of self-defence like Israel. Netanyahu added that Soleimani was responsible for the loss of American lives and other innocent citizens. He also said that the Iranian General was orchestrating more attacks.

Read: US President Donald Trump Issues Clear 'warning' To Iran After Green Zone, Airbase Attacks

Read: US Sec. Of State Pompeo Blames Iranian Backed Groups For Iraq Green Zone, Airbase Attacks

(With agency inputs)