Iranian ambassador to India Iraj Elahi on Monday defended the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas during an interview with CNN-News18, stating that it was a “resistance operation” rather than a terrorist act.
In his conversation with Zakka Jacob, Elahi said, “We believe that Hamas, as a resistance group, has no option but to defend their homeland… it was a resistance operation and not a terrorist act.”
His comments come on the first anniversary of Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel, which sparked an ongoing war in Gaza and heightened tensions across the Middle East.
On Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination
Elahi also addressed the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July, which has been blamed on Israel, and Iran’s recent missile strike on Israel, which raised concerns of a broader regional war.
The Iranian envoy said Tehran considers Haniyeh’s assassination as a “violation of our sovereignty” and justified the missile attack on Israel as a “legitimate action.”
Elahi further stated in the interview that Iran is capable of retaliating, adding that it would be in Israel’s best interest not to respond.
Regarding reports that Tel Aviv could possibly target Tehran’s nuclear sites in retaliation, Elahi said they have taken precautions to protect their nuclear installations, asserting that “no bomb can affect it.”
About Hamas’ October 7 attack
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people in Israel, most of whom were civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, including hostages killed in captivity.
A year later, Israel has not yet achieved one of its primary goals: securing the return of all hostages taken on October 7, 2023. Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 97 are still being held in the Gaza Strip, including 34 whom the Israeli military believes are dead.
The Israeli military continues operations in Gaza to free the hostages and weaken Hamas, which has been in power since 2007.
Since the outbreak of the war, over 41,909 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN has acknowledged these figures as reliable.
(With inputs from AFP)
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