Experts weigh in on the reason behind Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel

Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel is directly linked to Iran’s efforts to wreck efforts to normalize relations between the Jewish state and Saudi Arabia, experts told The Post Saturday.

“While we will inevitably learn more in the coming days, it’s clear that Iran—who funds, trains, aids, and supports Hamas — wanted to send a large statement to Arab countries not to normalize with Israel,” Morgan Ortagus, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2019 to 2021, told The Post.

“Iran seeks the destruction of peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Tehran, which has long aided Hamas with financial and military support, openly cheered on the Islamist fighters, with Saturday’s attack killing over 200 Israelis and injuring 1,000.

Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised on Saturday the Isalmic Republic would back the terrorist group — which it funds and supports  — “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,” according to Politico.

The unprecedented incursion comes amid recent talks aimed normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Tehran’s regional rival, as part of a trilateral agreement with the United States. The deal that had been taking shape was aimed at increasing Middle East stability, pushing back against the Iranian nuclear threat and increased economic cooperation.  

Amid the talks, Khamenei warned any countries attempting to normalize relations with the Jewish state “will suffer losses.”

Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who was in Jerusalem Saturday, agreed Iran likely played a crucial role in Saturday’s assault, noting the Tehran just received a windfall of cash from the United States as part of a prisoner swap that it likely gave to its terrorist proxy, but cautioned there were “a lot of pieces.”

Friedman said the timing of Hamas’ attack — nearly to the day of the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War — certainly had a symbolic importance, but added that amid talks about normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, Hamas possibly felt “the need to show that they are still relevant and they don’t like being ignored.”

Hamas’ military commander Muhammad Deif has claimed that Islamist fighters launched their surprise assault on Israel Saturday, dubbed “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge,” as retaliation for the Jewish state’s recent “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

Deif claimed the attacks are payback for the 16-year Gaza blockade, Israeli raids in the West Bank and violence at Al Aqsa — the disputed Jerusalem holy site.

With Post Wires