TEHRAN – Iran has condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and called for a plebiscite to settle the longstanding Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

In a statement issued in Persian and Arabic on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, denounced the Israeli attacks against civilians in Palestine. 

“The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the Zionist aggression on the land of Palestine, the holy Quds and the noble Gaza, which has led to the martyrdom of dozens of civilians, including women and children, and the destruction of many of inhabited homes, something that blatantly violates the principles of human rights and international laws,” the statement said.

It added, “Unfortunately, we are witnessing a great escalation of the Zionist regime’s attacks, in light of the blatant support of some Western countries.  From this standpoint, we believe that the Palestinian people, who are struggling to restore all their rights, have the natural right to defend themselves, and that legitimate resistance is the only way to confront the aggression and occupation, until the moment these steadfast people restore all of their fair rights and fulfill their sovereignty on all their soil.” 

The strengthening of the Palestinian people’s rights is not only an Arab and Islamic matter, but it is also an international responsibility and the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with the Islamic world and the Islamic peoples as well as all free people of the world who are committed to defending the oppressed, stand by the brave people of Palestine and call on governments and international organizations to stop siding with the aggressor, the statement continued. 

“Genocide against a whole people and crimes against humanity”

It noted, “We also call on the peoples, international organizations and Islamic countries, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to stand together with the oppressed and defenseless Palestinian people, in the face of the horrific terrorist attacks and practices of the Zionist army. The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the criminal acts committed by the occupying regime of Jerusalem must be classified, by the relevant international and regional organizations, as genocide against a whole people and crimes against humanity.”

Khatibzadeh also warned about the consequences of the Israeli crimes, saying they threaten peace and security. 

“We also warn the international community that the Zionist entity seeks, through destabilizing regional security and stability, to achieve its ominous and dangerous goals that ultimately lead to threatening international peace and security,” the statement said, adding, “In this context, we call on the International Security Council to assume its responsibilities, in putting pressure on the Israeli regime, to stop its aggressive and terrorist operations, and not to allow the occupying regime of Jerusalem and its protectors to go too far in trampling on the rights of the Palestinian people.”

The statement concluded, “We would like to emphasize that the only and just solution to the question of Palestine, within the framework of the right to self-determination, is the holding of a popular referendum, with the participation of all indigenous people of the land of Palestine such as Muslims, Christians, and Jews.”

Iran has launched a diplomatic campaign to help the Palestinian people since Israel started its air raid campaign against the Gaza Strip. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone with a number of leaders in the region to discuss the situation in Palestine.
 
On Sunday, Rouhani told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “Islamic countries, especially Iran and Turkey, as two important and effective countries in the region, should collaborate with each other and take advantage of all international potentials, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to confront the aggression and crimes of the Zionist Regime.”

The Turkish president, in turn, said, “Unfortunately, these days we are witnessing Israel’s crimes and brutal attacks in Palestine, which is very worrying.”

Erdogan added, "The international community must show powerful, deterrent reaction to Israel’s insolent attacks on the oppressed people of Palestine.”

Referring to today's extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Erdogan expressed hope that an appropriate decision would be made at the meeting to end these crimes and brutal killings.
The OIC held a virtual emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday. During the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, “We witness the most heinous crimes being perpetrated against our brothers and sisters by Zionist forces in occupied Palestine.”
Zarif noted, “Innocent men, women and children are being massacred by the deadliest and most sophisticated weapons. Homes are being demolished while their residents are trapped inside. Whatever remains of the infrastructure in Gaza—including power and water supply—is effectively destroyed. We are facing blatant and systematic violations of human rights, humanitarian law and international law.”

He added, “The massacre of Palestinian children today follows the purported ‘normalization.’ This criminal and genocidal regime has once again proven that friendly gestures only aggravate its atrocities. The sole aim of Israel’s hypocritical gestures is to divide Muslims and isolate the people of Palestine. Make no mistake: Israel only understands the language of resistance and the people of Palestine are fully entitled to the right to defend themselves and to defy the bullying of this racist regime. These barbaric acts have proven once again that the only peaceful path to peace in Palestine is the holding of a referendum among all residents of Palestine, including displaced Palestinians and refugees.”

The chief Iranian diplomat also said that the Palestinian question is not only an Arab or Islamic issue, but also an international dilemma. He said the international community has a duty to stop the Israeli atrocities. 

“It must not be forgotten that Palestine is not only an Arab or Islamic issue, but also an international dilemma. The crimes committed against the innocent Palestinian people over decades weigh heavy on the conscience of humanity. The international community, therefore, has a duty to condemn the Israeli regime in the strongest terms and compel it to end the destruction and siege of Gaza,” the foreign minister pointed out.

Iran says Israel is committing all four major international crimes at the same time

Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi also denounced the Israeli aggression during a UN Security Council meeting. 

During the Sunday meeting of the Security Council, Takht Ravanchi said Israeli forces are committing a disastrous massacre in Palestine.

“They cowardly kill defenseless women, brutally kill infants and children; they brutally kill families all at once. They shamelessly desecrate holy places; they cowardly bomb and shell residential areas, schools and health facilities, and crazily demolish homes. In short: they are committing all four major international crimes at the same time,” the Iranian diplomat said. 
Takht Ravanchi pointed out that the Israeli regime has committed the worst international crimes, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression, it has waged more than 15 wars, it has occupied the territory of other countries, it has attacked all of its neighbors without exception, invading countries in the region and beyond in the Middle East to Africa, acquiring a variety of weapons of mass destruction, and the list goes on.  

He condemned the UN body’s silence toward the Israeli crimes, saying this silence was due to the U.S. backing of the Israeli regime. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the United States, under both Democrat and Republican presidents, has systematically supported the Israeli regime against any Security Council action and has so far vetoed 44 draft Security Council resolutions against Israel.
Takht Ravanchi stated that the current U.S. administration has also decided to support the Israeli regime and shamelessly speaks of the so-called “Israeli right to security” and uses the so-called “Israel's right to self-defense” to justify its crimes; It denies the inherent rights of the oppressed Palestinians, including the right to life, dignity, liberty, self-defense, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.