Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad revealed to the BBC that Iran played a significant role in planning the recent attack on Israel on October 7th. According to Hamad, other countries and organizations were also involved in the attack, but he did not provide any names. He stated that the violence was in response to attacks on Muslims by Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
A report from The Wall Street Journal further supported these claims, stating that senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah disclosed that Iranian security officials were involved in planning the attack. The decision to launch the attack was reportedly approved during a meeting in Beirut. However, a Hamas senior leader contradicted these claims, stating that Iran and Hezbollah played no role in the attack but were prepared to “join the battle” if Israel retaliated forcefully.
It is well-known that Tehran supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad. Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip since 2007 but has been relatively low-key in recent years, focusing on the economy. This has given rise to other Palestinian groups, such as Islamic Jihad, that have carried out repeated attacks on Israel.
While Iran has not publicly admitted involvement in the recent attack, its supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei called for violence against Israel just days prior. The U.S. government stated that it still lacks sufficient evidence to directly link Tehran to the October 7th attacks.
The attack carried out by Hamas is the deadliest in five decades, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and thousands injured. Many of the victims were women, children, and infants, with some even being beheaded.
According to Jonathan Spyer, director of research at the Middle East Forum, Iran’s involvement in the attack is part of a larger strategy to diminish Israel’s morale and surround it with hybrid military forces. This prolonged shadow war by Iran against Israel using proxy groups is aimed at weakening Israel’s influence in the Middle East and damaging its relationships with other countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s supreme leader previously warned against countries normalizing relations with Israel, stating that they would ultimately lose. He emphasized the active nature of the Palestinian movement in the current climate.