TEHRAN- Iran on Thursday urged the Palestinians to band together in the face of the Israeli enemy after disturbances in a refugee camp in Lebanon resulted in deaths and pitted different Palestinian factions against one another.

At least 12 people have died and several more have been injured in days of clashes in the Palestinian Ain al-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has insisted on the need to fully stop combat in the heavily populated refugee camp, saying that all parties must abide by a ceasefire.

“Palestine needs unity and cohesion within the ranks of the Palestinians more than ever,” the spokesman added.

“It is necessary that the Palestinian groups, currents, and nation remain vigilant and use their power and resources to fight against the occupying Zionist enemy, which is the source of all the problems for the Palestinian people, along with instability and chaos in the region,” Kanaani underlined. 

In addition, Kanaani urged the Palestinians to create the conditions necessary for a total renunciation of Israeli occupation, resettlement of all refugees in their original lands, and establish an independent, unified Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.

More than 63,000 people, most of them Palestinians, live in Ain al-Hilweh in the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon.

Over 2,000 people have reportedly been forced to evacuate since the start of the battles in the camp, which featured heavy weaponry, according to the UN organization for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

In June, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also voiced skepticism on the likelihood that the United States and Europe will request a UN truth-finding committee to investigate the crimes committed by the Israeli government in Jenin.

“12 martyrs, 140 injured, complete destruction of water and electricity networks, complete demolition of 300 buildings, damage to approximately 500 houses, destruction of streets and shops, and more, are the result of the Zionist army's insane aggression against the refugee camp in Jenin,” Kanaani tweeted. 

He questioned the goal of the U.S. and Europe requesting a truth-finding committee from the Human Rights Council in response to Israel’s savage assault on Jenin and its refugee camp, stating, “Never!”

Israel resorted to airstrikes, ground operations, and drone attacks on innocent civilians in Jenin that forced hundreds of families to abandon their homes.

A group of United Nations experts, cited by the official Palestinian Wafa news agency, described Israel’s campaign in Jenin as potentially constituting a “war crime.”

They denounced Israeli operations in the West Bank that resulted in the deaths and displacement of Palestinians, as well as the damage of houses and infrastructure. 

The experts were concerned about the relocation of around 4,000 Palestinians as well as the collective punishment inflicted on the people.

Historically, the United States, the principal ally of Israel, has protected the regime from responsibility by using its veto power to kill anti-Israel resolutions at the UN.

The experts agreed that in order for the current bloodshed to halt, Israel’s unlawful occupation must end, since it is fundamentally awry.