In his January 30, 2025 column in the Emirati daily Al-Arab, which is based in London, Yemeni journalist Hani Salem Mashour mocks Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for boasting about the "victory" of the resistance axis over Israel and the "steadfastness" of the Palestinian people when the images from the devastated Gaza Strip reflect a completely different reality. He writes that Khamenei exploited the Palestinian cause to strengthen Iran's regional status, and therefore he is the one that should be primarily responsible for rebuilding  Gaza and aiding its residents, who paid a high price for the disastrous war waged in their name. Mashour also castigates Hamas' officials, who did not consider the likely consequences of the October 7, 2023 attack and did not provide the people of Gaza with the minimal protection, but instead used them as human shields while they themselves stayed far away from the war zone.

Columnist Hani Salem Mashour 

The following are translated excerpts from his column: