Osama bin Laden has urged Palestinians to use "iron and fire" to end an Israeli blockade of Gaza.
In an audiotape broadcast by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite channel yesterday, Bin Laden urged Muslims to keep up the struggle against US forces in Iraq as a path to "liberating Palestine".
The tape coincides with the fifth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq.
"My speech is about the Gaza siege and the way to retrieve it and the rest of Palestine from the hands of the Zionist enemy," the Saudi-born militant said.
"Our enemies did not take it by negotiations and dialogue but with fire and iron. And this is the way to get it back."
On Wednesday, an Islamist website had issued another Bin Laden recording which threatened the European Union with grave punishment for the publication of cartoons mocking Prophet Mohammad.
In that recording, which coincided with the birthday of Islam's founder, Bin Laden said the drawings were part of a "crusade" against Muslims in which Pope Benedict was involved.
Chief Vatican spokesman Reverend Federico Lombardi said the accusations were "totally unfounded".