The Palestinian Iran-aligned militant group Hamas has called on Iran not to target neighbouring countries, while still reaffirming Tehran’s right to respond to the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
This is the first time the group has publicly commented on Iranian policies. It has expressed solidarity with Iran during the war but appeared to steer clear of threatening any retaliatory actions so far.
“While the group affirms Iran’s right to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, it calls upon our brothers in Iran not to target neighboring countries,” it said. It also called on all countries in the region and international organizations to immediately stop the war. Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire in Gaza that went into effect in October, but there have been regular outbreaks of violence since then. While Israeli attacks on Gaza declined at the beginning of the war with Iran, they have since begun to rise.