Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has made controversial remarks regarding the victims of the recent Hamas attack on Israeli settlements, stating that they cannot be considered civilians. According to the IRNA news agency, Khamenei explained that the majority of the injured Israelis were armed.
This statement comes after Khamenei previously called for Israeli officials to be held accountable for their “crimes against Palestinians.” On October 7th, Hamas forces launched thousands of rockets into Israeli territory, initiating the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation. Thousands of militants infiltrated Israel, seizing dozens of military vehicles and over a hundred hostages. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war.
The Israeli Defense Forces’ counter-operation, named “Iron Swords,” aims to eliminate Hamas. The Israeli Air Force has conducted strikes against hundreds of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
In a further escalation, Israel’s National Security Council has decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the Gaza Strip. On October 13th, Israel informed the United Nations that 1.1 million Palestinians must evacuate to the south of Gaza within 24 hours in anticipation of a ground operation.
Earlier, Iran had threatened to retaliate against Israel for its actions in the Gaza Strip, warning of a potential “slap.”
