Hello Penelope Solette,
Iran applauded the Hamas offensive: “We support this proud operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” and we are sure that the resistance front also supports it”, declared Revolutionary Guard General Yahya Rahim Safavi, quoted by the ISNA agency. THE “resistance front” is the term used in Iran to refer to the Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and other movements, close to Iran and opposed to Israel, the sworn enemy of the Islamic Republic.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani also welcomed the Hamas offensive in an interview with ISNA. “The resistance has achieved spectacular victories during this operation so far”he added, speaking of“a brilliant moment in wrestling history” Palestinians against Israel. The Hamas offensive “opened a new page in the history of resistance and armed operations against the occupiers in the occupied lands”said Mr. Kanani.
But Tehran has still not reacted to the shots which Hezbollah – a pro-Iranian Lebanese movement – claims to be the author.
According to the White House, “it’s too early to tell” if Iran is “directly involved” in the offensive launched by Hamas against Israel, and the United States did not “no indication” in this sense for the moment, a senior White House official said on Saturday. However, he added that there was no ” no doubt “ on the fact that Hamas was “financed, equipped and armed” among others by the regime in Tehran.
Moscow was worried about “sudden worsening of the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone”. “We call on the Palestinian and Israeli parties for an immediate ceasefire, to renounce violence and to exercise necessary restraint”, declared the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, in a press release. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Kremlin envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov said he was ” in touch “ with all parties involved.
But, according to theInstitute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia “is already exploiting and likely will continue to exploit Hamas attacks in Israel to reduce US and Western support and attention to Ukraine”. Thus, the vice-president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedevsaid the United States and its allies should have been busy working on the “Palestinian-Israeli settlement” instead of “interfere” in Russia’s affairs and to provide military aid to Ukraine.