In a significant development amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, Iran’s top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, firmly denied any involvement in the recent attack by the militant Hamas group on Israel.
Khamenei’s statement, delivered on Tuesday, marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing crisis.
In his first televised speech since the attack, Ayatollah Khamenei, donning a Palestinian scarf, asserted, “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime.”
However, he was swift to add that Iran had no role in the weekend assault, making a point to emphasize that Israel had suffered an “irreparable” military and intelligence defeat.
Khamenei further underlined the consequences of the attack, describing it as a “destructive earthquake” that had struck critical structures within Israel. He expressed doubt that these structures would be easily repaired, and he placed the blame squarely on the actions of the Israeli government, stating, “The Zionist regime’s actions are to blame for this disaster.”
Israel has long accused Iran’s clerical leaders of exacerbating violence by supplying arms to Hamas.
While Iran does not officially recognize the state of Israel, it openly acknowledges providing moral and financial support to the group, which maintains control over the Gaza Strip.
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Iran’s Commitment to the Palestinian Cause Versus US Allegations
For decades, backing the Palestinian cause has been a fundamental tenet of Iran’s foreign policy, essential in shaping the country’s image as a leader within the Muslim world.
The United States, however, voiced a different perspective on the matter. On Monday, it accused Iran of complicity in Hamas’ assault on Israel, although it acknowledged having no concrete intelligence or evidence to support this assertion.
The top US general also issued a warning, urging Iran not to escalate the crisis and emphasizing the desire to prevent the conflict from expanding further.
Amid this evolving situation, Israel announced on Tuesday that it had successfully re-established control over the Gaza border and was in the process of planting mines where militants had breached the barrier during their violent weekend assault. This followed another night of relentless Israeli air raids on the beleaguered Gaza Strip.
In response to these developments, Khamenei cautioned that an attack on Gaza would “unleash a much heavier torrent of anger.” He criticized the Israeli government’s attempt to depict itself as a victim, cautioning that such a strategy was a “misguided calculation” that would result in even greater disaster.
Israeli television reports indicated that the death toll from the Hamas attack had climbed to 900, with at least 2,600 individuals injured.
On the Palestinian side, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 687 Palestinians had lost their lives, with 3,726 wounded in Israeli airstrikes on the blockaded enclave since the outbreak of hostilities on Saturday.
As the conflict unfolds, international attention remains fixed on the region, with hopes for a resolution to the violence continuing to hang in the balance.
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Source: Reuters via Yahoo News
