Billboards have appeared throughout the Gaza Strip expressing gratitude to Iran for its support in the recent week-long hostilities between Hamas and Israel. Offering public thanks for the first time, the billboards, which are placed at key intersections of Gaza roadways, say, “Thank you, Iran” in Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and English and feature images of the Fajr-5 missiles. The Iranian-produced weapon, smuggled into Gaza and fired by Hamas terrorists, played an important role in what Israel called “Operation Pillar of Defense” by proving for the first time that Hamas is able to reach deep into the heart of the Jewish state, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, even though there were no deaths or injuries in those attacks. Until now, Israeli accusations that Tehran was supplying missiles to Hamas were unproved. Some experts believe the public gratitude is a two-edged sword because the acknowledgement opens the door to measures intended to prevent the re-arming of Hamas weapons stockpiles depleted during the week of fighting.
