GAZA STRIP: Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Saturday condemned overnight US strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying Washington had poured “oil on the fire” in the Middle East. The group said that the United States had exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.
Hamas held Washington accountable for the consequences of what it deemed “brutal aggression” against both Iraq and Syria. “We confirm that the region will not witness stability or peace except by stopping the Zionist (Israeli) aggression and the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing against our people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement released in English-language.
The US launched the airstrikes in retaliation for a drone attack that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers in Jordan on Sunday. The military operation targeted a total of 85 locations at seven different sites in Syria and Iraq. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 23 fighters killed in Syria, while the Baghdad government disclosed 16 casualties in Iraq, including civilians.
Iraq Strongly Condemns US Airstrikes
Earlier, Iraq strongly condemned the US strikes against armed groups on its territory, terming it as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
General Yehia Rasool, a spokesman for Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani, in a statement warned of disastrous consequences of such attacks for the country and beyond. He said Friday’s strikes in western Iraq near the Syrian border are a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and will bring terrible consequences for the security and stability of Iraq and the entire region.
The Syrian government also confirmed the US air strikes, citing multiple explosions in Deir Ezzor and subsequent power disruption, terming them as American aggression.
Meanwhile, Tehran has condemned the US air strikes on Iraq and Syria, denouncing them as a “strategic mistake” that will only escalate tensions and instability in the region. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, labeled the attacks as an “adventurous action” by the US government, questioning its consequences and impact.
Kanani stated, “The US military attacks on Iraq, Syria, and Yemen merely provide for the goals of the Zionist regime,” referring to the close ties between the United States and its ally, Israel. He emphasized that the airstrikes violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, in addition to being a breach of international law and a blatant violation of the United Nations charter.
