Israel faces military defeat ‘beyond repair’, proud of Palestine: Iran's Khamenei amid Gaza war. ‘We kiss…’

Supreme leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday claimed that Israel has faced a military and intelligence defeat ‘beyond repair’ amid the ongoing declared "war" between Israeli forces and Gaza-based Hamas militants. Khamenei said he is proud of Palestine and supports Palestinians, but denied Iran's involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday that killed hundreds of Israelis and foreigners.

In his first televised speech since the attack, Khamenei said, “We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime. Those who link Iran to the Hamas attack on Israel are mistaken.”

Khamenei's statement comes after the United States' top general warned Iran not to get involved in the crisis and said he did not want the conflict to broaden. Iran makes no secret of its backing for Hamas and has applauded the weekend attack while denying any involvement.

"We want to send a pretty strong message. We do not want this to broaden and the idea is for Iran to get that message loud and clear," General Charles Q Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters travelling with him to Brussels.

The attacks on Israel by Hamas militants that began on Saturday have killed more than 900 Israelis, mostly civilians. At least 1,500 Palestinians have also died. Vowing retaliation in a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the response had “only started", and “what we will do to the enemy will echo down through generations".

The White House earlier on Monday said Iran was complicit even though the United States has no intelligence or evidence that points to Iran's direct participation in attacks in Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

Israeli shelling on Lebanon killed at least three Hezbollah militants on Monday, and Israel said one of its officers was killed during an earlier cross-border raid claimed by Palestinians in Lebanon.

The cross-border violence marked a significant expansion of a conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza to the Israeli-Lebanese border further north.

Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel fought a brutal month-long war in 2006.

The US military is "surging" fresh supplies of air defences, munitions and other security assistance to Israel to help it respond to an unprecedented weekend attack by Hamas.

On Sunday, the Pentagon announced that it was sending an aircraft carrier strike group closer to Israel.

"It sends a very strong message of support for Israel. But it's also to send a strong message of deterrence to contain broadening this particular conflict," Brown said.

He compared Hamas' actions to those of Islamic State militants.

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