TEHRAN- Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani has said that the massive anti-Israeli operation carried out by Hamas was a logical response by the Palestinian people to the ongoing Israeli occupation.

During a news conference at the Iranian embassy in Bangkok on Sunday, Bagheri Kani told reporters that Hamas’s October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Strom was a “legitimate reaction” to Israel’s brutality against Palestinians.  

“The crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories did not erupt as the result of the developments that took place on October 7. The operation launched by Hamas was the Palestinians’ natural and legitimate reaction to the 75-years-long occupation of their land by the Zionist regime,” he said.

He also expressed worry about the fate of foreign captives, particularly Thai nationals, imprisoned in Gaza as a result of the Hamas operation. 

According to Bagheri Kani, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian took the subject of Thai detainees seriously during his recent travels to Lebanon and Qatar, where he spoke with key officials of Palestinian resistance groups.

Bagheri Kani met a variety of high-ranking Thai officials during his brief visit in Bangkok, including Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the president of the National Assembly, Anutin Charnvirakul, the deputy prime minister, and Chatchai Bangchuad, the acting chairman of the National Security Council.

The two parties emphasized the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries and the necessity of fostering bilateral connections, particularly in the areas of business and tourism.

Following seven weeks of bombing, a four-day truce in the Gaza Strip has allowed Hamas to free 26 Israeli prisoners, including women and children, along with 14 Thai nationals and a Filipino on two separate occasions.

78 Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli jails in response.

Iran assumed a key mediation role in the recent conflict in Gaza, successfully facilitating the release of 10 Thai nationals who were captured and brought to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas operation on October 7. 

Following a request from Thailand's government, Iran offered its good offices for the captives' release, resulting in the unconditional freedom of the individuals. 

Over a dozen Thai captives are still held in the besieged Gaza Strip. Iran has reportedly supplied Bangkok with vital information regarding their current conditions.

Since October 7, Iran has embarked on an extensive diplomatic campaign aimed at averting the loss of innocent lives in the region. The Iranian foreign minister undertook three regional tours, engaging with leaders in Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey to discuss the ongoing situation.