TEHRAN – Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations on Sunday rejected a report by the Wall Street Journal which claimed Tehran has helped “plot” the Hamas resistance movement’s large-scale attack on Israel.

"We emphatically stand in unflagging support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine's response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself," Iran’s UN mission said in a statement.

It also said that Israel is trying to attribute the offensive to Iran’s intelligence power in order to justify its humiliating failure. “It’s difficult for them [Israel] to accept that intelligence forces across the world are saying they got defeated by a Palestinian group,” the statement added. 

The Saturday attack on Israel which involved the firing of thousands of rockets as well as the infiltration of Palestinian fighters into Israeli settlements through land, air, and sea, came as a complete shock to Israel’s intelligence services.

"The resolute measures taken by Palestine constitute a wholly legitimate defense against seven decades of oppressive occupation and heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime," Iran’s UN mission stressed.

Hamas says Operation al-Aqsa Storm was carried out in response to Israel’s repeated desecrations of the al-Aqsa mosque. The group declared the operation will go on until “all objectives are reached”.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has said that so far at least 1000 Israelis have been killed and that 150 military and non-military individuals are being held captive in the Gaza Strip. Reports by Palestinian media, however, show the number of Israeli casualties and captives is much higher than those announced by the regime.

 Israel has responded to the attack by launching airstrikes on civilian sites in Gaza. It flattened an entire neighborhood in the Shati' refugee camp in Gaza City and also bombed a densely populated one in the Jabalia refugee camp on Monday. The assaults came after Israel’s War Minister Yoav Gallant said the regime is fighting “human animals” in Gaza.

At least 500 Palestinians have so far been killed during attacks on homes, schools, hospitals and mosques with women and children among the casualties.

Israel has also cut off electricity to Gaza and announced a “complete blockade” of the strip. According to Gallant no aid, including food and fuel, will be allowed inside the territory.

Videos circulating online show Israeli tanks being transferred to the vicinity of Gaza, suggesting that the regime might be preparing for a ground aggression. That’s while Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has reportedly warned it will join the conflict if Tel Aviv decides to launch a ground offensive. Some reports however say Hezbollah fired several missiles at the occupied territories on Monday, targeting Israeli military positions. Hezbollah has not reacted to the news.

MHA/PA