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On October 21, 2023, "The Global Youth Front of Resistance," a Telegram channel in Farsi linked to an Iran-backed group with the same name, invited volunteers from around the world to register for fighting alongside Hamas against Israel.[1]
Among the required information for the sign up, the post asked for: first name and last name, age, education level, country of origin, and city of residence.
The post noted that the registration process "does not mean a definite dispatch, but it means that [the registered individual will have a] priority in dispatching if he meets the necessary requirements."
It further indicated that the requirements include "physical, spiritual, religious, and mental preparation for the promised day."
Background
"The Global Front of Resistance" identifies itself as a popular support group that comprises young elites from around the world.
MEMRI JTTM research reveals the group held several forums in Qom, Iran, over the years hosting Iranian Shi'ite clerics and officials affiliated with the Iranian regime.
For example, on October 20, Iran's state-run news agency reported that The Global Front had hosted a forum, on that day in Qom, "with the participation of thousands of young people to announce their readiness to take revenge on the Zionist entity."[2]
During the forum, the organizers read a letter by Ali Akbar Velayati, the "advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] for International Affairs" in which he praised the Palestinian fight against "the Zionist entity."
Among the speakers was Nasir Abu Sharif, a representative of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a major group participating in the aftermath of the October 7 attack against Israel.
Hamas spokesman and representative in Teheran Khalid Al-Qaddoumi also spoke at the event. In his speech, he told attendees to join the fight against Israel, saying that the fight against Israel will avenge the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassim Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in 2020.
"If the martyr Soleimani were present among us, what would his reaction be? Those who love the fight against the Zionist entity are the people of Iran, so let them loudly chant the slogan, 'Away from humiliation,' [in preparation] for the great revenge."
Donation Campaign In Coordination With Hamas
On the same day, the channel announced a fundraising campaign in support of Gaza. The channel posted a video of Hamas representative in Tehran, Khalid Al-Qadoumi, who urged supporters around the world to donate using a bank number associated with the group.[3] Al-Qaddoumi was one of six officials authorized to speak on Hamas's behalf in English.[4]
[1] Telegram, October 21, 2023.
[2] last accessed on October 23, 2023.
[3] Telegram, October 21, 2023.
[4] See MEMRI JTTM report, On Telegram, Hamas Publishes Contact Information For Six Officials Authorized To 'Speak On Behalf Of Hamas In English,' Including A Specially Designated Global Terrorist, October 18, 2023.
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