The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gave the final go-ahead last Monday in Beirut

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, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group.

Officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions—the most significant breach of Israel’s borders since the 1973 Yom Kippur War—those people said.

Details of the operation were refined during several meetings in Beirut attended by IRGC officers and representatives of four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas, which holds power in Gaza, and Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group and political faction in Lebanon, they said.

  • @[email protected]
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    901 year ago

    I have nothing but a gut feeling to back this up, but isn’t this oh so convenient for russia? Now the very powerful USA Israel lobby will be asking for as much aid as possible.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if russia was behind this and other escalations.

    • @[email protected]
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      461 year ago

      It might disrupt US focus a little, but Israel’s military really doesn’t need help on this. Israel is heavily militarized with a very advanced domestic defense industry. And as much as Russia has flopped, they’re still a former superpower while Hamas is DIYing half their equipment

    • @lemmylommy
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      291 year ago

      It is. They also were very, very quick to point out that „the west“ is at fault for supporting Ukraine too much and therefore Israel not enough.

      • @[email protected]
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        201 year ago

        This does not account for US domestic politics though. Now, Republicans who have been pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine aid will be screaming from the rooftops about how that money should have all gone to Israel instead. They started blaming Biden for this the day it happened, meanwhile not a peep about Netanyahu

    • rastilin
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      191 year ago

      I think I saw Russia’s name before, so it’s not just you wondering about that. It would be completely unsurprising to find out that Russia is giving a push to plans that had been mothballed for a while.

      • Optional
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        21 year ago

        I actually think it’s better for russia to fracture the democrats over it. Stop the genocide b/w support Israel. That’s the spin they’re expecting, and have already started to see dividends from that in the press.

        The curse of over-simplifying is the only winner in any of that messaging. Keep the discussions long, detailed and boring. Ignore the blaring “dems in disarray” messaging they’ve already got chambered for next week.

    • @AliasAKA
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      1 year ago

      I think if they were involved it will backfire on them. The reality is it is now going to be a lot easier, and the military-industrial complex is extremely eager, to put aid for Israel as a joint package in aid with Ukraine. Net result may be that aid is enhanced for both nations.

      Edit: that said they do want Iranian drones. I could see them supporting it from that perspective and also happy to run their misinformation campaigns for them to dry and drive a wedge.

    • @[email protected]
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      91 year ago

      It’s not like we really have a budget to hit, we can just fund both. If anything, Republicans in the House who are arguing that we need to spend the money here instead of on military aid will lose that talking point if they vote for Israeli aid. And the Senate who wants Ukrainian money can tie the two together to force more money to Ukraine.

      Not that it can’t be Russian-encouraged, they probably do want the US preoccupied somewhere else, but Hamas has their own reasons for launching the attack, not everything has to be about the United States.

    • BarrierWithAshes
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      1 year ago

      Israel’s been neutral in the Ukraine conflict. I doubt Russia would seriously risk turning Israel.

      And even then, if Russia wanted to do something theyd do it through Syria, not Gaza.

      At the very least this maybe could be a diversion to get eyes off Ukraine but I seriously doubt that. Hamas is probably just pissed off Saudi/Israeli relations have been improving and want to stop that.

      Russia really isn’t some illuminati spymaster country.

      • TechyDad
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        11 year ago

        It could have been a move to take Israel off the “Ukraine Playing Field” before they ever entered. Before, there was a risk of Israel lending support to Ukraine. Now, Israel will be using all of its military capabilities closer to their home.

        Of course, that’s just a possibility. Personally, I don’t think Russia had much, if any, hand in this. At most, perhaps Iran told them what was going on so the Russian disinformation machines could spin up as much confusion and dissent as possible in the West.

        Russia might also exploit this situation for their gain, but it doesn’t mean they planned it.

    • @[email protected]
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      1 year ago

      Well considering they’re Iran’s biggest ally and Iran wants nothing less than total destruction of State of Israel and slaughtering of all the Jews…

    • @what
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      -71 year ago

      Not every attack is caused by the boogieman that people think Russia is

      • TechyDad
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        21 year ago

        But at the same time, I don’t doubt that Russia will jump in to cause as much chaos as possible if they think it will help them. Just because they didn’t help plan this attack doesn’t mean they can’t push (through “certain people that they know”) for aid to go to Israel instead of Ukraine.

        • JWayn596
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          21 year ago

          I don’t think this is gonna help Russia. Republicans are gonna look dumb for looking hypocritical when they demand aid be sent to Israel.

          Democrats can conveniently package Israel-Ukraine aid to make Republicans, who while resistant to Ukraine aid, see it as the easiest option to satisfy their base.

          It’s already happening too. Check the politics sub here.

          • TechyDad
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            21 year ago

            Republicans are also using the attack for blatant political purposes. One of their newest lines is that Hamas are sending troops across the southern US border to join sleeper cells and attack our cities. And, of course, they claim that Biden is just letting these nonexistent Hamas in because Sleepy Joe/Open Borders/Liberals Evil or something.

            • JWayn596
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              01 year ago

              I wouldn’t give it that much attention. It’s probably yogurt and greenfield or whatever those weirdos are named.

              • TechyDad
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                11 year ago

                It starts with people like that (or random conspiracy theorists on X and Truth Social). Then, it spreads to people like Trump. Before you know it, FOX News is running special reports about how Hamas is absolutely crossing the southern border.

                They’re likely testing this line out to see what kind of traction it gets and, if it’s successful enough, you’ll see more and more right wing talking heads parroting it.