During a press briefing at the Iranian embassy in the Thai capital city of Bangkok on Sunday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani told reporters that Operation Al-Aqsa Strom, carried out by Hamas on October 7, was a “legitimate reaction” to the Israeli regime’s violence against Palestinians.
“The crisis in the occupied [Palestinian] territories did not erupt as the result of the developments that took place on October 7. The operation launched by Hamas was the Palestinians’ natural and legitimate reaction to the 75-years-long occupation of their land by the Zionist regime,” he said.
He also voiced concern about the fate of foreign prisoners, especially Thai citizens, held in Gaza following the Hamas operation.
According to Bagheri Kani, the issue of Thai prisoners was seriously pursued by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during his recent trips to Lebanon and Qatar and meetings with senior representatives of Palestinian Resistance groups there.
Since Friday, Hamas released 14 Thais and a Filipino, along with 26 Zionist prisoners, including women and children, as part of a four-day truce that took effect in the Gaza Strip after seven weeks of bombardment.
Israeli regime in turn freed 78 Palestinian women and children from its prisons.
During his short stay in Bangkok, Bagheri Kani also met with high-ranking Thai officials, including President of the National Assembly Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and acting Chairman of the National Security Council Chatchai Bangchuad.
The two sides underlined the need for the promotion of bilateral relations, particularly in the field of economy and tourism, and highlighted the longstanding amicable relations between the two nations.