Iranian officials spent weeks helping Hamas plan its attack on Israel, WSJ reports

The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian officials co-created plans for Hamas' attack on Israel.

Israeli authorities say 700 people have been killed and 1,500 wounded by Hamas strikes this weekend.

Iran denied involvement in the attacks, but said it had "unflinching support of Palestine."

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Iranian security officials partnered with Hamas for weeks to plan this weekend's land, sea, and air strikes against Israel, a report said.

It led to Israel's declaration of war on Hamas and the most severe fighting in Israel for decades.

The Wall Street Journal reported that officials from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had partnered with Hamas since August to prepare for the breach of Israel's borders.

The outlet cited unnamed senior members of Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah as saying the IRGC during a meeting last Monday in Beirut "gave the green light" for the attack.

While the US has not publicly tied the IRGC directly to the attacks, CNN quoted one unnamed official as saying "of course Iran is in the picture" more generally, adding that "they've provided support for years to Hamas and Hezbollah."

Iran on Sunday denied involvement in the attacks.

"We emphatically stand in unflinching 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, according to Reuters' translation.

Representatives for the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider; Hamas has also not addressed the claim.

Iran has long supported international militant groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, providing them with financial assistance and military hardware. They have long vowed to fight for Israel's destruction.

Israeli authorities said at least 700 people were killed and 1,500 wounded by Hamas strikes since October 7, with some taken hostage. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported 313 dead and 2,000 injured by Israeli counter-strikes

In response to the surprise Saturday attacks by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Gaza would "pay a price" it "has never known," vowing to wipe the ability of Hamas to function.

The Washington Post reported US officials said Sunday they expected Israel to launch a full-scale ground invasion in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Correction: October 9, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misattributed the sourcing of the claim that Iran helped plan Saturday's attacks in Israel. It was made to The Wall Street Journal by unnamed Hamas and Hezbollah sources; the Journal didn't attribute the mention of a meeting last Monday to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The story also imprecisely paraphrased quotes from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to make Hamas, which controls Gaza, "pay an unprecedented price."