TEHRAN- Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, has given a severe warning on the situation in the Gaza Strip, saying that an Israeli ground invasion of the beleaguered territory will “open the gates of hell” for the Zionists and plunge the entire region into chaos.

Qalibaf made the statements while speaking at an extraordinary session of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday broadcast live by webinar.

The Iranian Parliament speaker emphasized that if Israel’s atrocities in Gaza continue, the situation will quickly spiral out of control.

Qalibaf criticized the complete blockade on Gaza, which has prevented the coastal enclave from receiving necessities, including water, power, food, and medication.

“The blockade of Gaza and cutting off the supply of water, electricity, medicine and food to this area is a clear example of genocide,” he added. 

The speaker also highlighted, “In addition, the use of non-conventional military weapons, such as banned phosphorus bombs, in these attacks violates international conventions on the prohibition of chemical weapons.”

The Israeli regime, the Parliament speaker said, is at “a political and social impasse” and is prepared to ignite the entire region to maintain its hold on power.

Qalibaf cautioned that another battle in the region could change the course of history “within a matter of hours” given the high level of tension in East Asia caused by U.S. militarism and the impact of the Ukraine war on the world’s political landscape.

By continuing to give military support to the Israeli occupying regime, the United States is “deeply complicit” in Israel’s abuses of Palestinians’ human rights, the top lawmaker emphasized.

“The parliaments of Islamic countries should ask America to change its policy on Gaza and demand an end to the siege,” he said.

Qalibaf also asked Islamic countries to take multinational firms who aid the Israeli regime accountable for their participation in abusing Palestinian rights in Gaza.

Given the critical needs of Palestinians in Gaza, Qalibaf emphasized that Islamic parliaments must promptly campaign for the reopening of borders into the blockaded enclave to assist humanitarian relief delivery.

Over 600,000 have evacuated their homes in anticipation of an Israeli ground assault on Gaza.

Since October 7, the Israeli regime has been pounding Gaza from air, sea, and land, creating a human tragedy and also targeting infrastructure used by civilians. 

Additionally, it has placed a total siege on the enclave, depriving its 2.3 million inhabitants of even the most basic essentials. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have left thousands dead and injured.  

The attacks started immediately after the multi-pronged surprise attack on the Israeli regime by the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement. The October 7 attack by Hamas resistance fighters was the heaviest blow to Israel since it came into existence in 1948.

The attack showed that the rights of Palestinians cannot be ignored and that Israel cannot go unpunished for its relentless violent attacks on the Palestinians and land grabs in the West Bank.     

During a weekly news briefing on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that the Gaza-based resistance groups are battling the Tel Aviv regime on behalf of the entire Palestinian people.

He once again issued a warning against the negative effects of the Israeli regime’s treatment of Palestinians, particularly in light of its horrific military campaign against the beleaguered Gaza Strip.

The spokesman also condemned the false portrayal of what is occurring to the helpless Gazans by Western mainstream media, noting that it aims to absolve the oppressors and replace them with the oppressed.

The top diplomat also referred to Israel’s conduct in Gaza as a “war crime”, citing both its decision to shut off supplies of water, food, and medication to the enclave as well as its serial use of weapons that are prohibited by international law against civilians.

“The world public opinion has awakened. We are witnessing that various nations are significantly throwing their support behind the Palestinian nation. Iran has repeatedly emphasized that the prolongation of the status quo could agitate the atmosphere in the region,” Kanaani stressed.