#Iran dismisses allegations it played role in Hamas attack on Israel

The Iranian government rejected allegations Tuesday that it assisted Hamas in preparations for the unprecedented attack on Israel, which began Saturday.

The ongoing and escalating fighting in Israel and Gaza has killed at least 1,600 people on both sides of the conflict and injured thousands more.

Iran celebrated the attacks on Saturday but has denied claims that the country supplied Hamas with military aid or intelligence. 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran will continue to support Palestinians, state media reported Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

“We defend Palestine, we defend the fights,” he said. He praised Palestinians as “capable, smart and courageous,” adding that the fighting was ultimately caused by Israel’s decades-long siege on Gaza and long history of discrimination against Palestinians.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said his government has “no formal trace” of Iran’s involvement.

“It seems that there was help for and cooperation with Hamas but I will stay cautious on this point as long we haven’t consolidated intelligence that is totally certain,” Macron said.

“We condemn with a lot of clarity all the countries that congratulated the horrors perpetrated by Hamas, which was the case with Iran,” he added.

Late Monday, Macron joined three other Western European leaders and President Biden in a joint statement condemning the Hamas attacks and vowing to support Israel in the conflict.

“We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism,” the leaders wrote. “Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities.”

The conflict in Gaza escalated overnight into Tuesday, as the Israeli military called up its reserve military forces. Hours of airstrikes leveled an entire neighborhood in Gaza City, as over 180,000 people are now without homes in the territory.