Like many other mainstream media outlets, on March 14th the BBC News website reported a Hamas statement calling on Iran not to strike neighbouring countries.
The BBC’s report – titled “Hamas urges key ally Iran to halt attacks on Gulf states” and credited to Jaroslav Lukiv – tells readers that:
“The Palestinian armed group Hamas has called on Iran to stop attacking Gulf states, in a rare appeal to its key ally.
The Tehran-backed group urged its “brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries”, saying in a statement that all regional nations should co-operate “to preserve the bonds of brotherhood”.
At the same time, Hamas, which runs Gaza, affirmed Tehran’s right to defend itself against attacks by the US and Israel, which are continuing to strike Iran. […]
Hamas said on Saturday that it had been following the war in the region with “deep concern”.
It called upon “all states and international organisations to work towards halting [the war] immediately”.”
Lukiv goes on to note the death toll in the Iranian regime’s attacks on Gulf countries before telling BBC audiences that: [emphasis added]
“Iran is Hamas’s biggest backer in terms of funding, weapons and political support. […]
Hamas is a member of Iran’s “axis of resistance” – a loose coalition aimed at combating US and Israeli influence.
Turkey and Qatar – which have recently come under Iranian attacks – also provide significant financial and political support to Hamas.”
Both the Iranian regime and its proxies – including the terrorist organisations Hamas and Hizballah – of course seek to do far more than “combating…Israeli influence” but Lukiv has nothing to tell his readers about their goal of destroying Israel.
Lukiv continues with a portrayal of the war between Israel and Hamas that completely erases Hamas’ October 7th 2023 invasion of Israel, massacre of civilians and taking of hostages, as well as the fact that the conflict has not been confined to the Gaza Strip:
“The group fought a devastating war against Israel in the Gaza Strip for more than two years.”
On the day after the appearance of Lukiv’s report, Israel’s national broadcaster Kan 11 reported that in addition to that apparently Qatari instigated public statement calling on its patron to refrain from striking neighbouring countries, Hamas had also sent another letter to the Iranian regime’s new ‘supreme leader’.
“The official letter sent to Khamenei is written in a diplomatic and ceremonial tone, and includes only a general reference to the war. The secret letter, on the other hand, presents an operational declaration of intentions by the terrorist organization, and its tone is more belligerent and assertive.
In the letter, Hamas declares that it is aware of attempts to “tie the hands of the resistance under the guise of agreements,” and makes it clear that the organization will not compromise on its weapons in any way.
It also states that “all fronts must be activated” to exact a price from Israel, while emphasizing cooperation with organizations in the pro-Iranian axis: “We, together with our brothers in the resistance axis in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq – will create the next victories under your leadership.”
In addition, in the letter, Hamas sharply criticizes the Gulf states that are working towards normalization with Israel: “The normalization camp is a losing camp. They did not even dare to protect those who found shelter in their bases,” it says. The secret letter presents a clear line – a call for a multi-sectoral regional escalation, without compromise.”
BBC audiences have to date seen no reporting on the topic of that second letter and its possible connection to a topic on which it reported last month – the election of a new Hamas interim leader.
