Israel's Crimes Against Palestine Are Genocide, Iran Denounces

Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to declare Israel's aggressions against Palestinians as genocide and crimes against humanity.

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"Innocent men, women, and children are being slaughtered with the most lethal and sophisticated weapons. Houses are being demolished with their residents trapped inside," he stressed during an OIC virtual meeting.

Zarif urged OIC countries to extend the jurisdiction of their national courts to include the prosecution of genocide and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"In order to bring the culprits to justice, a professional and international monitoring committee should be established to monitor and document the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Palestinians," the Iranian minister stressed.

To achieve all this, he proposed to establish an international legal and political campaign against the "Zionist apartheid regime."

"We are facing flagrant and systematic violations of humanitarian and international law. Make no mistake: Israel only understands the language of resistance and the people of Palestine have the full right to defend themselves and challenge the harassment of this racist regime," Zarif pointed out.

The Iranian minister also explained that the barbaric acts committed by Israel demonstrate that the only path to peace is the holding of a referendum among all Palestinian residents, displaced persons, and refugees.

Since May 10, the Israeli bombardment of Gaza has killed 181 Palestinians, among whom are 52 children and 31 women. Missiles launched by Palestinian militias have killed 10 people in Israel, eight of them from rocket hits and two from falling while running to bomb shelters.