Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon on Sunday accused Iran of having a hand in organising the deadly terror attacks that have killed hundreds of Israeli people and said the support of countries such as India is needed for Israel’s actions to prevent further atrocities.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gilon said, “It’s clear to us that Iran is involved with it. We know for sure about the supplying of weapons, training, and I will not exclude even organising or helping organise this specific attack,” Gilon told a media briefing in Delhi. “Our evidence is very clear…we know of many attempts of Iran to supply weapons to Hamas.”
Israel ambassador’s comments regarding Iran’s involvement are taken seriously by analysts after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top military adviser said Tehran supported the attacks by Hamas against Israel on Saturday and would continue to back the Islamist fighters “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”
The remarks by Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former commander of the country’s Revolutionary Guards, has led tp suspicion that Tehran played a role in supporting its traditional ally, Hamas, in the well-planned attacks that have killed several innocent civilians and injured more than 700.
In an apparent reference to Israel’s efforts to normalise ties with Arab countries through the Abraham Accords, Naor Gilon said the “huge and significant change” being made to West Asia by Israel could be one of the reasons why “countries like Iran and other extremists are trying to derail” this process.
The statement given by Yahya Rahim Safavi and other senior Iranian policymakers are also seen by Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia as a threatening signal that Tehran is deliberately fanning regional conflict to prevent Riyadh from normalizing ties with Israel. There is every possibility that the rapprochement initiated by Saudi Arab and Israel to bring peace in the Arab world may be derailed after the latest Hamas attack against Israel.
The brutal attack by Hamas, backed by Iran has come at a highly sensitive diplomatic moment, with Saudi Arabia signalling that it could normalize relations with Israel. Any Saudi-Israel détente has been already opposed by Iran. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently gave an interview to Fox News last month when, addressing diplomacy with Israel, he said: “Every day, we get closer.” There were concerns in Iran after the interview and voices opposing any such moves were heard.
Iran’s leaders have spoken against a U.S.-backed proposed deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with Khamenei on October 3 saying countries aiming to normalize relations with Israel would be taking a big risk. “The position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalization with Israel will lose. They are betting on a losing horse,” Khamenei said.
“We support the commendable ‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ operations,” Rahim Safavi was quoted as saying by state media in Iran, using Hamas’ name for Saturday’s rocket attacks and incursions.
The attack by Hamas from Gaza came just four days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on social media: “The usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.”
The Politico reported that in September, there were meetings in Lebanon between Hamas and Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders, according to Jason Brodsky, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute. That provides “some clues as to organization of this assault on Israel today,” he said.
Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon pointed towards Iran’s role due to the above obvious reasons. He also thanked India for its support.
Israel, he said, will need the “very strong support of our Indian friends and India as a very influential country in the world, as a country that knows terrorism and understands the crisis”. He added: “It will be very important for us, to give us the ability to do what we need to do in order to make sure that Hamas will not be able to continue doing atrocities.”
The attacks by Hamas militants from Gaza on Saturday, including rocket barrages and assaults on towns, killed around 600 Israelis and injured 2,000 more. More than 250 Palestinians were killed as Israeli defence forces targeted Hamas targets in Gaza.
