Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called for an immediate end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and vowed that Muslims would retaliate if the bombardment continues.
A post on Khamenei’s X account also singled out the U.S. for its role in the aftermath of the deadly Hamas incursion into Israel. U.S. officials were present at Israeli war cabinet meetings Monday and President Biden will arrive later this week as Jerusalem plots a land invasion of the Gaza Strip.
“Our numerous intelligence reports show that the US is formulating the Zionist regime’s current policy, and what is being done is governed by US policymaking,” read the post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The US must be held responsible for this situation.”
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Speaking to a group of students in Tehran, Khamenei said: “We must respond, we must react to what is happening in Gaza.” Students also chanted “Death to Israel” as Khamenei denounced Israel’s “genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” according to Reuters. “No one can confront Muslims and the resistance forces if the Zionist regime’s (Israel) crimes against Palestinians continue,” he added. “The bombardment of Gaza must stop immediately.”
On X, Khamenei’s account also made reference to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, which has been the scene of violent clashes this year between Muslims and Israeli police. The fighting at the holy site—known to Jews as the Temple Mount—had earlier been cited by the head of Hamas’ military wing as among the motives for Hamas’ unprecedented attack inside Israel on Oct. 7 (the group called its coordinated assaults “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” or “Al-Aqsa Storm”).
“Whatever crimes the Zionist regime commits will fail to compensate for its disgraceful defeat during the Al-Aqsa Storm operation,” the post on Khamenei’s account read.
Over 1,400 Israelis have been killed since Hamas’ attacks began. Officials in Gaza say Israel’s retaliatory strikes have led to over 2,800 Palestinians being killed—a quarter of whom are children—with almost 11,000 others wounded. The armed wing of Hamas claimed Monday that it was holding around 200 people hostage, with over 50 more in the captivity of other groups. It also claimed 22 hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes. At least 30 Americans have been confirmed dead in Hamas’ attacks, according to the State Department.
Iran, which supports Hamas in its rule of Gaza, has claimed that providing help to people in the besieged enclave is its foreign policy priority, but President Ebrahim Raisi said Monday that militant groups make their own decisions about how to respond to the crisis.
The U.S., for its part, is playing an extremely active role in the war. On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after which he announced that President Joe Biden would visit Israel. On Tuesday, Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing American forces in the Middle East, made a surprise visit to the country ahead of Biden’s arrival.
“I’m here to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself, particularly focused on avoiding other parties expanding the conflict,” Kurilla told Reuters. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant later posted a photo on X of him briefing Kurilla “on operational developments in the fight against Hamas.” “I expressed my appreciation for the deep bond and partnership between our defense establishments, and for the General’s personal commitment to Israel’s security,” Gallant added.
“On Wednesday, I’ll travel to Israel to stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack,” Biden said in a post announcing his trip. “I’ll then travel to Jordan to address dire humanitarian needs, meet with leaders, and make clear that Hamas does not stand for Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”
A U.S. Marine rapid response force consisting of around 2,000 Marines and sailors is being sent to waters off Israel, according to CNN, ahead of a potential deployment inside the country. They will join other American military assets sent to the region in an apparent effort to stop Israel’s conflict spreading amid heightened tensions with Iran and cross-border attacks against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Although a ground invasion of Gaza has not yet taken place, the situation in Gaza is already desperate. Supplies of food, water, and medicine are running out as a result of Israel’s blockade, and few safe areas remain inside the enclave. On Tuesday Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson with the United Nations human rights office, said the siege coupled with an Israeli evacuation order to move south—affecting around 1.1 million people—could be in “breach of international law.”
Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of people in southern Gaza on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, where they had been instructed to move for their own safety. Shamdasani said the “appalling reports” must be independently investigated, “as must all allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
