(i24)Despite Iran’s public support for Hamas, Tehran has decided to distance itself from threats of waging a war against Israel “in the name of Hamas.”

According to the report, Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei told the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, that his country would not wage a war against Israel on behalf of Hamas, during a meeting between the two men in early November.

According to Iranian officials, Khamenei’s position stems from Hamas’ failure to inform Tehran of its intention to carry out an attack on Israel.

The attack on towns surrounding Gaza resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and more than 5,000 injured, in addition to the kidnapping. 239 hostages, a catastrophic toll unprecedented across the country since its establishment.

However, Khamenei assured Haniyeh that Iran would continue to express its political support for the organization but would “not directly interfere in the war.” It was also claimed that Khamenei asked Haniyeh to take care to silence voices within Hamas calling on Iran and Hezbollah to forcefully join the campaign against Israel.

A CNN report stated that a document was found left behind by Hamas militants in the towns surrounding Gaza, showing the extent of Tehran’s involvement in extending military aid to Hamas and its efforts to train Hamas members to independently manufacture and develop weapons.