TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Tuesday met in Doha with Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, as the Israeli regime continues its relentless bombing campaign against the besieged Gaza Strip. 

The meeting comes after the two held a telephone conversation over the past week, during which the senior Iranian diplomat reiterated Tehran’s strong support for the Palestinian cause while slamming the latest Israeli crimes against the impoverished population of Gaza. 

Iran’s Foreign Minister was in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar to discuss the latest developments in the besieged Gaza Strip with Qatari and Hamas officials. 

During a meeting with the Emir of Qatar on Tuesday, the top Iranian diplomat lauded Palestinian resistance forces for their unflagging fight against the Israeli regime. He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as horrific due to the “savage attacks by the Zionists against the oppressed citizens of Gaza” while warning that Washington and European governments will have to face unforeseen consequences due to their support for Israel’s genocidal attacks. 

The top diplomat stressed the importance of Islamic countries maintaining a firm and cohesive position against the Israeli regime. He urged other Islamic countries to take more concrete steps towards helping the Palestinian people. 
“Islamic countries should use all their capabilities to put an end to the war crimes and genocide committed by the Zionist regime against the oppressed people of Palestine and lift the humanitarian siege on Gaza,” he said. 

Amir Abdollahian noted that as a result of the continuation of Israeli crimes against defenseless people and the complete blockade of Gaza, there is a gradual “escalation” and “expansion of conflicts” in the region. 

“It is natural that resistance groups and movements will not remain silent in the face of all these crimes and full support from the United States for the Zionist regime. Therefore, it is necessary to use the latest political opportunities to stop the war, and if the situation goes out of control, no party will be safe from its consequences”.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his part, condemned the ongoing Israeli crimes against the people of Gaza as “unacceptable” and “intolerable”. He said Qatar will continue its efforts to put an end to the war. 

This is Amir Abdollahian’s second trip to Qatar in the past three weeks. He visited Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in his last regional tour which aimed to find a diplomatic solution to help the civilians in Gaza. 

Israel unleashed a heavy bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip after Hamas resistance forces carried out an operation inside the occupied territories on October 7. The regime has also put the territory under a “full siege”, depriving the 2.3 million population of Gaza of food, water, medicine, and fuel. Israel has been violating international law and committing literal war crimes while striking Gaza. It has been targeting schools, hospitals, mosques, and churches, so far killing more than 8500 Palestinian civilians. At least half of the casualties are believed to be children.

Iran, Qatar pushing for ceasefire

After the meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and the Emir of Qatar, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman announced that the two countries are pushing for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

“Both countries have the establishment of a ceasefire on their agenda. We want to put an end to the criminal attacks of the Israeli regime so we can deliver humanitarian aid [to Gaza],” Nasser Kanaani told reporters. 

“Both nations agree that the current situation is not acceptable. There is also consensus that the expansion of the conflict could potentially affect every country in the region,” he added. 

Kanaani also slammed the U.S. for obstructing a ceasefire, saying Washington is the biggest obstacle towards reaching calm. He pointed out how the United States on October 25 vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. 

The diplomat also urged Islamic countries to help bring an end to the immense pain and suffering of Palestinians. “It is expected that Islamic countries which have toxic ties with the Israeli regime, sever their relations in the shortest time possible and also use other widely accessible measures to pressure the Zionists”. 

Kanaani said Palestinian people rightfully expect Muslim nations to give them a hand and Islamic states must take advantage of their national and international capacities to live up to those expectations. 

MHA/PA