Iran Says Gaza Truce Shows Israel 'Weakening'

Israel's acceptance of a truce in Gaza shows the Jewish state is "increasingly weakening," a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader said on Thursday, reaffirming support for the anti-Israel resistance.

"Accepting defeat (only) after eight days shows the Zionist regime is increasingly weakening," Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a close aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement published by state broadcaster IRIB.

He also congratulated the Palestinians on the truce, saying: "It shows the resistance is getting stronger on a daily basis."

Earlier in Islamabad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a qualified welcome to the Egyptian-mediated deal to end violence that killed six Israelis and 163 Palestinians.

"I agree that the truce is a good thing, but we will have to see the basis of this truce," Ahmadinejad told Pakistan TV channel Geo.

Attending the Developing Eight summit of Muslim leaders, he lashed out against Israel, saying there was "no reason whatsoever for any military attacks" but made no mention of Hamas rocket attacks on the Jewish state, Iran's arch enemy.

"Zionism is a serious threat for the world. They have a hand behind all subversive activities and terrorism, and Palestinians are being made victims of Zionist plans," Geo television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

On Wednesday, parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Iran was supplying military aid to Hamas, the Islamist group running Gaza and fighting Israel, confirming long-running Israeli and Western accusations of such link.

And Jalili said Iran would continue to "proudly and firmly" support the groups fighting the Jewish state.

He also called on Palestinian factions to maintain unity and stick to the resistance, saying it was "the only path to Palestine's freedom."

Prior to the truce, Israeli President Shimon Peres accused Iran of stoking the violence by encouraging Hamas to continue firing rockets rather than accepting a ceasefire.