Iraqi group spokesman says a "shared command center" runs multinational operations against Israel

Shafaq News/ A spokesperson for an Iraqi paramilitary group on Sunday said a "joint command center" organizes and coordinates attacks from different countries against Israel. 

After more than seven months of war in Gaza, the mediators have struggled to secure a breakthrough, with Israel seeking the release of hostages held by Hamas and Hamas seeking an end to the war and a release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Israel began the operation in response to Hamas-led militants attacking communities near Gaza on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive. 

Leaders of Iran-backed paramilitary groups gathered in Tehran last Thursday to discuss ongoing strategies against Israel, amid escalating tensions in the Gaza Strip. The meeting, which took place three days prior, was confirmed by Hussein al-Mousawi, spokesperson for the Iraqi armed group Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba in a statement to Shafaq News Agency.

Al-Mousawi said that the assembly, involving factions from Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, was not initially intended to focus on a specific agenda but occurred alongside the memorial service for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran.

"The coordination among these factions has been at a high level since the beginning of al-Aqsa Flood operation," said al-Mousawi. "Decisions are made based on two approaches: individual tactical assessments by each faction and a unified stance against Israel."

The meeting saw the presence of high-profile figures, including General Hossein Salami, Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and General Esmail Qaani, head of the IRGC's elite Quds Force. Among the attendees were Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Lebanon's powerful group, Hezbollah; Ismail Haniyeh, Qatar-based Chief of Hamas' Political Bureau; and Mohammed Abdul Salam, a representative of Yemen's Houthi movement. Representatives from other Palestinian factions such as the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also participated.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported that the meeting touched on the latest developments in Gaza, affirming a commitment "to continue escalation until achieving victory". 

The leaders, according to al-Mousawi, laid emphasis on "daily communication and operational coordination" through "a shared command center involving factions from multiple countries." 

The meeting, he said, reiterated a "collective resolve" to maintain military pressure on Israel, reflecting a broader strategy across the region's "resistance axis" to support the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.