The Hamas attacks on Israel this weekend caught the world’s attention, which seems to have been the point. The Iranian proxy army sent thousands of rockets into Israel as fighters crossed the border from Gaza on boats and motorcycles. The violence was especially extreme, as if to invite a larger-than normal Israeli response.
Israel’s Western allies got the message. Their immediate responses were tailored to show support for Israel, but also to prevent assumptions about Iran’s involvement. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told major news outlets Sunday morning that the U.S. knew of no direct links to Iran. The collective hope is to prevent Israel’s declaration of war on Hamas from expanding to include Iran.
It appears that Israel is not on board. Israel’s former Brigadier General Amir Avivi told Federal Newswire that “this is not just a battle between Israel and Hamas, it is a war with Iran.”
According to Avivi, who now leads Israel’s Defense & Security Forum, Iran is behind the attacks because it wants to disrupt Israel’s plan with the U.S. to foster peace in the region. "Iran has committed Hamas to a suicide mission to prevent the US-Israel-Sunni alliance and peace in the Middle East,” according to the General.
A news report on Monday may support the claim. The Wall Street Journal reported that “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday.” The Journal said its report is based on information provided by senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israel is likely to act on the information. General Avivi told Federal Newswire the “unprecedented terror attack must generate an unprecedented Israeli response—everything that Israel has done in the last 20 years was not enough.”
When asked what more is required, Avivi said the world should understand, "This is a war where Israel must defend itself against Iran.”
Western governments may be facing a new arrangement in the Middle East. The U.S. re-entered the nuclear deal with Iran and released billions of dollars of impounded Iranian funds in the hopes of easing tensions. Those hopes may go up in smoke, not because Israel’s war is underway with Hamas. But because a wider war may be coming with Iran.
