Palestinian presidency criticizes comments by Iran’s Khamenei on October 7 attack
The Palestinian presidency on Monday criticized comments made by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who claimed that the October 7 attack on Israel was necessary to thwart a US-backed plot in the Middle East.
Earlier, Khamenei had praised Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, describing it as “exactly what the region needed.”
“Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was exactly what the region needed. Our region needed this operation,” Khamenei said, referring to the assault that ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
“This operation was a decisive blow to the Zionist regime,” Khamenei added, speaking at an event in Tehran commemorating 35 years since the death of his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini.
He claimed that the Hamas attack foiled a multinational, US-backed plot aimed at enabling Israel to “dominate the politics and economy” of the Middle East.
“This scheme had reached its final moments. At such a critical moment, the Al-Aqsa Flood attack began and destroyed all the plans of the enemy,” Khamenei said.
He added that the October attack set Israel “on a path that will end in nothing but decay and destruction.”
In response, the Palestinian presidency said that such comments aim to “sacrifice Palestinian blood” and would not lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“The Palestinian people have been fighting and struggling for a hundred years, and they do not need wars that do not serve their ambitions for freedom and independence,” the presidency said, as quoted by the official WAFA Palestinian news agency.
“What we want is to end the occupation and establish our independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, not policies that do not serve Palestinian national goals,” the presidency added.
Tensions have escalated in the Middle East since the war between Israel and Tehran-backed Hamas erupted following the Palestinian group’s October attack on Israel.
Iran, which does not recognize Israel, has consistently praised Hamas’ October attack while denying any involvement in its planning or execution.
