TEHRAN- Following the Israeli settlers’ desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque and continued violence against Palestinians, Hamas launched a retaliatory and surprise operation against invaders on Saturday morning. 

It was the biggest attack, codenamed Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, on the Zionist regime in 50 years.

The attack is haunting the invaders of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. It came 50 years and a day after forces from Egypt and Syria caught Israel off-guard.

European diplomats, turning a blind eye to the Zionists’ crimes, have condemned the operation

The attack was condemned by some European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Poland.  

Meanwhile, some countries invited both sides to show restraint.

Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying that Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people.

It called on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and calls on the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse to launch a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

“It goes without saying that we always call for restraint,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

The Saudi Arabian ministry called for an “immediate cessation of violence” between Israel and the Palestinians, the state news agency reported.

“We call for restraint from all parties,” said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called for exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger.

The adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Yahya Rahim Safavi, declared Iran’s support for the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation.
“We will stay with the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Quds,” said Rahim Safavi, the former IRGC chief.

The Lebanese Hezbollah issued a statement saying it was closely following the situation in Gaza and was in “direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance”.

Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that the group was holding a large number of Israeli captives, including senior officials. He said Hamas had enough captives to make Israel free all Palestinians in its jails.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation troops”, the official news agency WAFA quoted him as saying.

The chief of Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (IQB) Mohammed Deif said that the rocket fire marked the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm”, and called on Palestinians everywhere to fight the Israeli occupation.

Deif called the operation a “response” to the desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque.

“Women at Al-Aqsa Mosque were attacked and the sanctity of the Islamic site was violated despite the fact that we had previously warned the Zionists,” Deif added.

The Israeli enemy did not accept our suggestion for a humanitarian prisoner swap, and it keeps on committing atrocities in the West Bank on a daily basis, the commander stated.

“We’ve decided to say enough is enough,” Deif said as he urged all Palestinians to confront Israel. “This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on Earth,” he said in an audio message.

"We have already warned the enemy before. The occupation committed hundreds of massacres against civilians.” He added hundreds were martyred or wounded this year “due to the crimes of the occupation." 

“We announce the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, and we announce that the first strike, which targeted enemy positions, airports, and military fortifications, exceeded 5,000 missiles and shells,” he continued.

From now on, security cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and the Zionist enemy will come to an end, he warned, adding that today, the Palestinian nation pursues the path of uprising, resistance, and return once again.

Deif also called on his brothers in Islamic resistance movements in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen to contribute to the resistance in Palestine.

The commander added that it was time for a united Arab resistance, inviting everyone to mobilize to pursue the Palestinian cause.

“The time has come for the termination of occupation, and we ask the Islamic and Arab nations to move towards the borders of Palestine,” he said.

Seyyed Ammar al-Hakim, the Leader of the National Wisdom Movement of Iraq, emphasized the right to defend oneself, the land and the sanctities.

He called the operation a “natural response to the Zionist soldiers.”

Elsewhere, he said that the patience of the besieged dear Palestinians is over and they are outraged.

Al-Hakim stressed that it is the duty of the international community to put an end to the oppressive policies of the Zionist regime against the Palestinians.

The Iraqi Al-Hashd ash-Shabi issued a statement fully supporting the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation and said the achievements of the Palestinian resistance are result of the pure blood of the martyrs, especially General Qassem Soleimani. 

Hadi Al-Amiri, secretary general of the Badr Organization, called on the Islamic nations to fulfill their moral responsibility in supporting the Palestinians in all fields.    

He added that they follow the news of Al-Aqsa Storm operation with great pride.
 
He voiced the complete readiness of the Palestinian nation to assert their rights. 

The Iraqi Al-Hashd ash-Shabi announced in a statement that the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation is a crushing reaction and a call of opposition to all the attacks of the Zionist invaders on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the residents of Al-Quds.

The Iraqi Al-Hashd ash-Shabi in its statement emphasized its full support for the Palestinian fighters and asked the nations and freedom-seekers to help the Palestinians in their just cause and to defend their lands and sanctities.

“What was achieved today is the fruit of a long work and a holy path, which was justified by the pure blood of the martyrs, especially Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other martyrs.”