Iran rejects claims linking Tehran to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York rejected claims linking Tehran to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, state media reported.

In a statement, the Iranian mission responded to questions from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal regarding Israel’s claim to have access to the minutes of Hamas’s secret meetings, which it said suggested Tehran had knowledge of the group’s plan for the attack was informed of October 7th. reported the IRNA.

“While Hamas officials based in (the Qatari capital) Doha have stated that they had no information about the operation and that Hamas’ Gaza-based military wing alone was responsible for planning, deciding and directing the operation, “Any claims partially or entirely linking the operation to Iran or Hezbollah are invalid and come from forged documents,” the mission said, Xinhua news agency reported, citing IRNA.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that minutes of secret Hamas meetings seized by the Israeli military and obtained by the American newspaper provided a detailed record of the planning for the October 7 attack as well as the determination of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas ” said the acting Politburo chief in an attempt to persuade the Palestinian group’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah, to join the operation or at least commit to a broader fight with Israel should Hamas carry out a surprise cross-border raid.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. In response, the Israeli military launched a large-scale offensive against Gaza.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said that while Iran supports Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas, it had no knowledge of the attack on Israel and was not involved in its execution.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)