The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas announced that Iran "is paying the price" for its long-standing support for resistance movements in the Gaza Strip, following Israel's massive strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites early Friday morning.
"Iran is paying the price today for its firm stance in support of Palestine and the resistance, as well as for its independent national policy," said an official Hamas statement, issued hours after the Israeli strike that killed several senior Iranian military commanders.
Hamas, which maintains a strategic alliance with Tehran, has long expressed gratitude to Iran for military and financial support in its fight against Israel. According to the movement's leadership, this support has been crucial in both previous conflicts and the current war that began in October 2023.
Israel announced that the attack on Iran was aimed at nuclear facilities and missile factories, and that it was working to intercept 100 Iranian drones launched in response, which, however, did not reach Israeli territory.
The spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, Abu Ubeida, said in a Telegram channel that the organization would stand by Iran in the conflict with Israel.
"The Zionist enemy is completely mistaken if it believes that these treacherous strikes can weaken the resistance fronts or stabilize the foundations of this fragile structure in the region," he said.
According to him, Israel continues to make "several strategic mistakes" that will lead it "closer to his inevitable doom, if it be God's will".