Hamas, which has been in conflict with Israel for more than six months in the Gaza Strip, has voiced its approval of Iran’s attack on Israel. Al Jazeera on April 14 quoted a Hamas statement saying that Iran’s military action was a “natural right” and a fitting response to the attack on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria.
Similarly, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has clashed with Israel several times since the Gaza war broke out, has backed Tehran for its “unprecedented” attack on Israel, calling it a “brave and wise decision” in response to the Damascus attack.
Hezbollah and Israel have repeatedly "tied for tat" by firing missiles at each other in the past 6 months. Hezbollah sees this as a move to support the people of Gaza and Hamas forces. Escalating tensions have raised concerns about a scenario of Hezbollah and Israel repeating the full-scale war similar to 2006.
Hezbollah forces attend the funeral of commander Wissam Tawil in January 2024
More than 300 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Iran fired at Israel in the early morning of April 14 were almost all intercepted. However, this is believed to have been within Tehran's calculations as it could minimize casualties while being highly symbolic, according to CNN. The Iranian military also said that the attack had "completed all its objectives".
The Houthi forces in Syria and Yemen considered Tehran's attack "legitimate". In a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Iran's response was a legitimate right to self-defense. In a separate statement on April 14, the Syrian Foreign Ministry expressed "Damascus's solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran", according to AFP.
The Times of Israel reported on April 14 that the attack came not only from Iran but also from Tehran’s allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. At the same time as the Iranian attack, Hezbollah announced that it had fired a series of rockets at Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had hit a major Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site in the village of Nabi Chit, Lebanon.
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