Hamas issued a statement on Tuesday, praising what it described as Iran’s “heroic” missile strikes targeting Israel. This development comes in the wake of recent Israeli military actions that have intensified the ongoing conflict in the region, particularly against Hamas and its allies, including Hezbollah.
Hamas Celebrates Iranian Retaliation
In a declaration released on Tuesday, Hamas congratulated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for launching a significant barrage of missiles aimed at various locations in Israel. The group framed these attacks as a response to Israel’s persistent actions against the people of the region and a form of retribution for the deaths of key figures, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan.
“We congratulate the heroic rocket launch carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, on large areas of our occupied territories, in response to the occupation’s continuing crimes against the peoples of the region, and in retaliation for the blood of our nation’s heroic martyrs,” the statement from Hamas read.
Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes
Iran’s missile attack on Israel was a direct response to Israeli strikes that had previously killed prominent leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon, including Nasrallah, who plays a crucial role in Iran’s network of regional fighters. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards emphasized that their strikes were also retaliation for the assassination of former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in July.
The barrage of missiles launched from Iran was intended to demonstrate solidarity with Hamas and a commitment to resist Israeli military actions. Following these missile launches, Israel pledged a “painful response” to Iran’s military aggression.
Reactions in Gaza
As news of the missile strikes spread, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have been engaged in nearly a year of conflict with Israel, celebrated the event. Witnesses reported that many gathered to watch the missiles being fired toward Israel. Some of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, although reports indicated that a few did fall in Gaza, causing no casualties.
However, violence continued on the ground, with Israeli forces targeting Palestinian gatherings in central Gaza, resulting in at least three fatalities and multiple injuries, according to local medics.
Some residents attempted to return to their homes from which they had been evacuated, leveraging the chaos created by the Iranian attacks. The Israeli military stated that their fire was directed at a group of Palestinian “suspects” who were perceived as a threat during their operations.
Civilian Casualties and Strikes
In a tragic incident in Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s historic refugee camps, an Israeli airstrike targeted a school serving as a shelter for displaced families, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. Overall, health officials in Gaza reported that Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 43 people throughout the enclave.
Broader Context of the Conflict
Hezbollah has been launching rockets into Israel for nearly a year, aligning its actions with Hamas amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas executed a devastating assault on Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages taken. The subsequent conflict has led to widespread devastation in Gaza, displacing a significant portion of its 2.3 million residents and causing over 41,600 fatalities, according to Gaza health authorities.
