Did Iran coordinate with Hamas a week before the execution of operation ‘Storm Al-Aqsa’?
The Wall Street Journal, according to its sources, suggests that Tehran gave the green light for the operation in a meeting held in Beirut between officials from the Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Doubts are growing about Iran’s involvement in authorizing the “Storm Al-Aqsa” military operation led by various Palestinian factions, with Hamas at the forefront. This is despite the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that Washington had not observed any specific involvement by Tehran in the recent significant operation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Iran has also denied any involvement in the unprecedented attack.
The Wall Street Journal revealed that Iranian officials helped launch the military operation by Hamas, known as “Storm Al-Aqsa,” which led to the deaths of more than 700 Israelis and the injury of thousands more. They gave the green light for the operation in a meeting held in Beirut last week.
According to information from leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have been providing assistance to Hamas since last August to carry out the attack by sea, air, and land, penetrating Israeli towns and settlements deep inside Israel.
The newspaper also stated that the plan underwent modifications during meetings in Beirut attended by officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and leaders of four Iran-backed armed groups, including Hamas. Hezbollah was also present at these meetings.
The newspaper also spoke with a European official and an advisor to the Syrian government, both of whom confirmed coordination between Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah in the period leading up to the recent attack.
Iranian officials have recently met with senior members of Hamas, while the relationship between Hezbollah and the Palestinian group has not been affected by developments in Syria.
Reports indicate that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard provided Hamas with important and complex military technologies, including missiles and drones.
Israel’s public broadcasting corporation previously reported that a Hamas detainee claimed the attack had been planned for over a year.
These revelations come despite Blinken’s affirmation that there is no known direct involvement of Iran in the attack, stating, “We have not seen any specific evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there’s a long history of Iran providing support to Hamas.”
American writer Thomas L. Friedman, who previously revealed details of the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002 before it was announced by the late Saudi King Abdullah, accused Hamas of waging a war against Israel on behalf of Iran, which he said provides it with money and weapons, and aims to prevent normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Iran rejected accusations of involvement in the Hamas attack against Israel, as stated by its Foreign Ministry. However, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi affirmed on Sunday that “Iran supports the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced last month that normalization with Israel is imminent, while US newspapers reported that Riyadh is conditioning its progress on signing a mutual defense treaty and joining the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco in peace agreements.
Israel is preparing for a potential Hezbollah attack in support of the “Storm Al-Aqsa” operation, but analysts believe this possibility remains distant due to the absence of the element of surprise.
Israeli intelligence agencies have faced significant criticism for their failure to detect the wide-scale and unique Palestinian operation, unlike the 1973 war.
