TEHRAN – In a letter to Ban Ki-moon, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has called on the UN as the most important international body to take drastic actions to bring an end to the Zionist regime’s war crimes in the Gaza Strip, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.

In regard to Israel’s continued brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip and its widespread use of banned weapons against the defenseless residents of the besieged enclave it is necessary that the UN take effective measures to end the terrible carnage in Gaza, Mottaki stated in the letter to the UN chief.
Israeli forces have fired white phosphorus shells on Gaza which causes sever burns, disabilities, and horrific civilian death and casualties, the letter said.
Phosphorus shells burst in the air billowing white smoke before dropping the phosphate shell. Each shell contains more than 100 wavers which, when ignited, pump out smoke for about 10 minutes. Chemicals in smoke produced by white phosphorus shells and burning chemical particles can cause severe respiratory problems.
Resorting to unconventional weapons along with numerous other violations of the international law show the Zionist regime’s total disregard for the international rules and regulations, Mottaki wrote in his letter.
The use of such “extremely dangerous chemicals” against the defenseless people of Gaza by Israel, which is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, is a clear example of Israel’s disregard for humanity, he added.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction.
Mottaki added that the Islamic Republic of Iran expects the United Nations and other concerned international organizations to fulfill their legal duty in this respect.
Firm condemnation of the attacks from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN and also taking other necessary actions are the least that can be done to comfort the victims and the international community, he noted.