Hamas lauds Iran’s attack on Israel

Hamas on Sunday praised Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, saying it was a “deserved response to the crime” of a strike on Iran's consulate in Syria two weeks ago.

The strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound on April 1 killed two Iranian generals and was widely attributed to Israel.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group backed by Iran, also appealed for continued support for its war with Israel in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Hamas directed the appeal at Arab and Islamic nations, as well as Iran-backed groups in the region.

Hamas said in the statement that it is fighting for “the right of our Palestinian people to freedom and independence and the establishment of its Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.” Hamas has been branded a terror organisation by the West and has rejected a so-called two-state solution, instead seeking Israel's destruction.