TEHRAN- Iran’s UN envoy has called on the United Nations to resurrect its 1975 resolution that referred to Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination, and has underlined the Islamic Republic’s strong condemnation of the Israeli murderous onslaught on the beleaguered Gaza Strip.

During the UN General Assembly plenary session on Tuesday, Amir Saeid Iravani spoke about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people’s exercise of their fundamental rights.

“Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed a violent act of aggression carried out by the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of more than fifteen thousand Palestinian civilians,” Iravani said.

He noted, “The current situation on the ground is a direct result of continued Israeli occupation, which is the core of crises and conflicts in West Asia.”

The number of Palestinian casualties increased rapidly in the first half of 2023, according to the Iranian envoy, who added that Israeli settlers, who are supposed to act like regular civilians, targeted Palestinians, including children on their way to school, and attacked and vandalized Palestinian homes and vehicles.

He went on to continue, “International law unequivocally asserts that those among armed settlers, who directly take part in hostilities with the backing of military forces cannot be afforded the status of civilians protected by humanitarian law.”

Iravani criticized Israel for its recent targeting of people and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, highlighting the Palestinian right to self-defense.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructures is expressly prohibited under international law… It is imperative to underscore that if any party is justified in exercising the right to self-defense, it should rightfully be the Palestinians since their plight has been rooted in the historical occupation and atrocities perpetrated by Israeli forces long before the formation of their resistance as a response to the oppressive Israeli regime,” he noted. 

The Iranian diplomat also cited a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report stating that more than 3,200 Palestinians had been detained in the previous 50 days and that 5,000 Palestinians, including 160 children and 1,100 inmates, were being kept in Israeli prisons without facing charges or going on trial.

Iravani stressed, “It is an inalienable right for Palestinians, inter alia, to seek full accountability of the Israeli regime and its officials for their crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. These barbaric crimes must be addressed by the international community in a decisive manner and Palestinians must be protected internationally.”

“This is high time for the General Assembly to revive its Resolution 3379 adopted in 1975 determined Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination. In order to address the situation, the occupying regime should no longer be allowed to commit all its crimes while enjoying total impunity,” he added.

Iran’s permanent ambassador to the UN demanded the permanent lifting of the blockade on Gaza, the end of the Israeli occupation, and the creation of an independent Palestinian State with al-Quds as its capital, emphasizing that the occupying regime must adhere to all of its obligations outlined in the UN Charter.

Iravani emphasized that the Islamic Republic holds that the occupation must stop and the Palestinian people’s intrinsic right to self-determination must be restored in order to bring about a lasting peace in Palestine.

“In our view, as long as the Palestinian people are not allowed to fully exercise their right to self-determination, any hope for durable peace and stability in the region will be nothing but a futile wish,” he said.

“We believe that the most important and urgent priority is to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza and turn it into a durable ceasefire and rapid and extensive transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

After the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying regime in reaction to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians, Israel declared war on Gaza on October 7.

After seven weeks of nonstop bombing, a four-day ceasefire went into effect on Friday to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. On Monday, the Israeli regime and Hamas decided to extend the truce for two more days.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, so far over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, most of them women and children. 

Iran never launched assault on American troops: envoy

On Tuesday, while addressing the meeting of the Security Council regarding the situation in West Aasia, Iravani said that “the baseless accusations of the United States against my country will be categorically rejected in this meeting. These baseless accusations appear to be part of a deliberate attempt by the United States to divert attention from the serious violations of international law and the UN Charter in the Syrian Arab Republic.”

The senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasized, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been involved in any action or attack against the American military forces in Syria or elsewhere. Iran has always adhered to its commitments to promote peace and security in the region.”