Iran urges world to stand by Palestinians

Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president and the current chairman of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement, issued a statement on Friday condemning Israel’s organized crimes against the Palestinians.
 
Rouhani called on the international community to fulfill its legal and humanitarian duties in ending the siege on the Gaza Strip and send humanitarian aid to the people there.
 
The Israeli Air Force has been waging a mass military assault since Tuesday morning against different parts of Gaza. 
 
The raids have so far resulted in the killing of at least 120 Palestinians, including women and children. According to Palestinian medical sources, nearly 750 Palestinians have also been injured so far. 
 
Rouhani said the recent actions taken by the Zionist regime of Israel have created a catastrophic situation which would jeopardize regional and international peace and security.
 
The military assault is coming at a time that the situation in Gaza is critical due to years of “cruel siege”, which has effectively led to lack of medical supplies and consequent problems, the president explained. 
 
The president expressed concern over the human crisis in Gaza and emphasized the need to send humanitarian aid to the Gazans.
 
Rouhani voiced pessimism over ability of the UN Security Council to stop the war on Gaza and called on UN members to take immediate action to end such cruel aggressions.
Rouhani asks Zarif to use NAM capabilities to counter Israel 
 
On Friday, President Rouhani also telephoned his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Vienna for nuclear talks with the six major powers, asking him to use all the NAM capabilities to stop the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza.
 
Rouhani highlighted the need to provide relief aid to the wounded victims of the attacks and take care of the displaced people. He also urged NAM to take necessary actions in putting an end to the killing of the innocent Palestinian people.
 
Rouhani criticizes UN Security Council’s silence on Gaza 
 
In a telephone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, Rouhani censured the UN Security Council for its silence on Israel’s crimes in Gaza.
 
He went on to say that the UN secretary general should be more active in this respect.
 
The Zionist regime must be aware that the Islamic world, especially the Muslim countries in the region, supports the Palestinians, Rouhani stated.
 
He added that this merciless regime should know that it will receive a response to the crimes it is committing.
 
Iran and Turkey, as the two influential Islamic countries in the region, bear a heavy responsibility in helping the Palestinians, he said.
 
He pointed to the necessity of cooperation between Iran and Turkey and consultations between both countries’ foreign ministers in this respect.
 
The Turkish prime minister said that the crimes being committed in Palestine are intolerable and Turkey is ready to help cooperate to stop them.
 
The Iranian president also telephoned Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Friday, saying that the international community, specifically the Arab League and Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, should take an urgent action in helping the Palestinians.
 
‘Israel should not feel the world is just looking at its crimes’
 
The Zionist regime should not feel that the world will stand idly by and just look at its inhuman actions, Rouhani said in his telephone conversation with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday.
 
The officials held consultations about the situation in Gaza and stressed the need for close cooperation and use all the existing capacities to end the war and violence against its people.