Iran may be to blame for brutal attack on Israel, says Labour bigwig

09 October 2023 , 11:30

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A Palestinian demonstrator throws rocks towards Israeli soldiers during clashes as a crackdown begins against Hamas (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Labour grandee Tom Watson has become the first high-profile member of the party to link the fundamentalist regime of Iran to the breakout of war in the Middle East.

The Shadow Cabinet has strongly condemned the outbreak of violence led by Hamas terrorists, but security experts have said that the outlawed group does not have the equipment or resources to launch such an assault by itself.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel from Lebanon in support, raising questions about whether their Tehran paymasters were ultimately responsible.

Watson said it had yet to be confirmed, but all signs were pointing to the fundamentalist regime in Iran, whose hardline rulers have come under internal pressure from mass public protests.

"This was a cynical attempt to destroy peace by another state," the former Armed Forces Minister told the Mirror's News Agenda Explained podcast . "There are allegations as yet unproven, but from the modus operandi it seems that this is Iranian-backed action. They've masterminded this plan, and they're trying to undermine the whole of the peace process across that region."

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Labour grandee Tom Watson talks to the Mirror's Susie Boniface on the outbreak of violence in Gaza

In recent months, Israel has signed groundbreaking peace deals known as the 'Abrahamic Accords' with Muslim neighbours including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Saudi Arabia was also involved in talks, bringing a possibility of ending Israel's isolation within the region and producing new trade deals to boost local economies.

"This is probably one of the most historic moments of misery in the Middle East, resonant of the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago," said Lord Watson. "We awake this morning to realise 250 kids have been slaughtered at a music festival - you can't possibly imagine what that's like, parents sending their kids off to what should be a joyous event. They're civilians, not military, they're innocent people and have been slaughtered in a terrorist attack."

He agreed there was a risk of hardliners on all sides becoming more so, but said in the long-term peace needed to be restored.

"Israel needs to be able to defend itself, no country would allow that to happen. But then we need to look at the longer term, about how we revisit that peace process and make sure everyone knows what the prize is, which is a peaceful and prosperous region," said Watson.

Susie Boniface