Israeli officials claim the 2 top Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, were responsible for the attacks on Israel in early October 2023 that killed over 1,300 people. They say these leaders are backed by Iran, which provides Hamas with funding, weapons, training, logistics, and political support. While the US has no evidence Iran knew about the specific timing of the October attacks, Israel believes Iran is fundamentally responsible for enabling Hamas' military capabilities. Israel draws parallels between the scale of death in the recent attacks and the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US.