Tehran asserts that the Palestinian militants are acting solely on their own.
Tehran has refuted claims that it assisted Palestinian militants in organising the Saturday morning surprise attack on Israel.
Iran’s UN mission issued a statement to the media saying, “The decisions made by the Palestinian resistance are fiercely autonomous and unwaveringly aligned with the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people.” We have no involvement in Palestine’s reaction since Palestine alone is responsible for it.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been involved in the attack on Israel’s planning since August, citing a number of individuals, including anonymous members of the Hamas and Hezbollah militant organisations. In addition, at a meeting last Monday in Beirut, Lebanon, it “gave the green light” for the operation.
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The BBC was informed by Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for Hamas, that Iran was providing “direct backing” to the militants. Ali Baraka, another Hamas spokesman, said, however, in a conversation with NBC News, that Tehran had not been informed in advance of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” Everyone, including Iran, was surprised, he claimed.
Despite US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claim that Washington had not yet received proof of Tehran’s involvement, some American and Israeli officials charged Tehran with conspiring with Hamas.
In a surprise strike from Gaza, Palestinian terrorists and their allies attacked Israel with rocket fire and troops infiltrating Israeli settlements. In retaliation, the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas and launched airstrikes against Gaza.
Iran has supported the attack and urged other Muslim nations to support the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.
Since Saturday, more than 700 Israelis and at least 436 Palestinians have died.
