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On November 29, 2023, Abu Alaa Al-Wala'i, the top commander of Iran-backed Iraqi Sayyed Al-Shuhada' Brigades, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which he renewed his support for the Palestinians.[1]
The post marks the day, organized by the United Nations, which is called the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People." It is held every year.
The brigades' faction commanded by Al-Wala'i operates under the so-called "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" which has claimed dozens of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria in support of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. Al-Wala'i, who says he is a man of peace, wrote in his post:
"On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we affirm the following: We are not advocates of war, but rather men of peace, peace coupled with dignity and pride and the rejection of all forms of occupation, aggression and bloodshed, peace that preserves the sovereignty of nations, the peoples their dignity, and the sanctity of the holy sites."
However, in the post, he made a point of his hostility against the United States and Israel, by saying:
"We renew our firm position by standing against American arrogance, Zionist arrogance, and its continued crimes against the innocents in glorified Gaza."
Boasting about his militias' participation in attacks against U.S. targets, he said:
"We are honored by all the supportive stances for the Iraqi resistance, which, with its work has confused the backers of the Zionist entity [i.e., Israel] and contributed in relieving the pressure on our brothers in the Palestinian resistance."
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