Iran's military chief of staff says Oct 7 'accelerated decline' of Israel

z, said the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 accelerated Israel's decline, in a statement on Wednesday, as Israelis marked the third anniversary of the deadliest day in their country's history.

What did Iran's military chief say about the October 7 attack?

In a statement, Ali Abdollahi said the Resistance Front turned its defensive strategy into an offensive one for the legitimate defense of the Palestinian people and their land. He said that shift accelerated the decline of what he called the Zionist regime. Abdollahi is chief of staff for Iran's armed forces.

“The Resistance Front turned its defensive strategy into an offensive strategy for the legitimate defense of the Palestinian people and their land, and accelerated the decline of the Zionist regime,” Abdollahi said.

How was the third anniversary of the October 7 attack marked?

The anniversary was marked with memorial events in Israel, including at a kibbutz near the Gaza border that was overrun by Hamas-led fighters three years ago. Families mourned victims of the attack, which triggered Israel's military campaign in Gaza and plunged the region into a wider conflict. In Gaza, Palestinians living among the ruins of devastated cities marked the anniversary against the backdrop of a war that has displaced nearly the entire population and separated families.

The 7 October 2023 attack was the deadliest day in Israel's history. Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, in a cross-border assault that traumatized the country and fueled demands for government accountability.

What is the situation in Gaza since the ceasefire?

Israel's ensuing air and ground campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. That figure includes at least 1,400 killed since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect last year. The truce halted major fighting but has failed to end Israeli strikes or resolve disputes over Hamas' disarmament.

The anniversary is the first since the ceasefire deal took effect on 10 October 2025. Israel remains in control of about two-thirds of Gaza, where its forces have demolished buildings and ordered residents to leave areas under their control.

Hamas controls much of the remaining territory, a densely populated coastal area where about 2 million Palestinians live, many in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.