Israel’s resumption of war ‘huge mistake’: Iran MP
Renewed assaults might expand conflict in region
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
Israel made a “huge mistake” by resuming aggression against the Gaza Strip, an Iranian lawmaker said on Monday, warning about a spillover of war.
“The Zionists’ move could lead to the expansion of war beyond Gaza and into the region and even other parts of the world,” Fada-Hossein Maleki said in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily.
Maleki, who sits on the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Israel, backed by the US, was pressing ahead with its war on Gaza in a way that civilian targets, including people and hospitals, were mainly hit in “brutal attacks”.
He emphasized that the Zionists’ goal in the ruthless massacre in Gaza was an attempt to cover up their defeat from the dominant operations of Hamas in Operation Al-Aqsa. The result was the shattering of the prestige of the Zionist regime, and they sought to present an appearance of victory through widespread massacres of the people in Gaza.
Operation Al-Aqsa was carried out by the resistance group Hamas forces on October 7 in response to the Israeli crimes against Palestinians and the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The operation, branded as “Black Saturday” by Israel, led to the Israel-Hamas war.
The operation is considered an unprecedented failure for Israel. In the first 20 minutes, over 5,000 missiles were fired from Gaza toward Israel, causing significant damage. In response, Israel pounded various parts of Gaza indiscriminately, killing thousands of people, mostly civilians.
Under pressure from the Islamic world and some Western countries, Israel declared a cease-fire. Protesters, rallying across the world, including those from European and American countries, demanded an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The cease-fire, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, commencing on November 24, lasted seven days. During this period, Hamas and Israel exchanged prisoners, and humanitarian aid was allowed into the war-torn Gaza Strip. However, Hamas declared that the conditions for releasing captives would be different, involving talks on ending hostilities, a complete halt, and lifting the blockade imposed by Israel on the coastal enclave.
Maleki emphasized that Hamas having conditions for the prisoner swap was “natural,” especially considering “the Zionists’ lack of commitment during the cease-fire.”
He warned that Israel had begun a “dangerous game” by resuming the war.
“The second phase of the war would definitely drag in many countries and would inflict further damage and hardships on the world,” the MP said.
Referring to the motivations behind restarting attacks on Gaza, Maleki stated that Israel aimed to deliberately involve some countries in the war, directly engaging the United States.
“Such decisions have been made in the think tanks run by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet.”
Maleki noted that such a situation would usher in a new phase of the war, disrupting the region’s security, with some countries not remaining silent, and others being drawn into the conflict.
This, he asserted, is not in the interest of the region and the world.