Iran Trained Hamas and Islamic Jihad, The Wall Street Journal

Several weeks before the attack on Israel, Iran trained around 500 Palestinian militants, although it remains unclear whether the exercises were part of preparations for the October 7 assault. This information was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with intelligence data related to the attack and U.S. officials.

“Ahead of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, hundreds of militants from the Palestinian group underwent specialized combat training in Iran, according to those familiar with intelligence data related to the assault,” the publication states.

According to sources, 500 militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad participated in the September exercises led by officers from the Quds Force, a unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps specializing in foreign operations. They also reported that senior Palestinian officials and Iranian Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force, were present at the drills.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials indicated that Iran regularly trains militants within its own territory and in other countries, but they noted that there are no signs of mass training in the period leading up to the attack.