Palestinian unity crucial in face of Zionist regime’s war crimes, Iran warns

TEHRAN – The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, has issued a strong condemnation of the Zionist regime’s intensified military actions and human rights violations against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, calling on all Palestinian groups to set aside internal differences and strengthen their unity to confront the ongoing aggression effectively.

“Maintaining cohesion among Palestinian factions is critical to resisting the occupying regime’s efforts to sow division,” he stressed in a statement published on Wednesday.

Baqaei underscored the failure of the occupying regime to achieve its goal of crushing Palestinian Resistance over the past 16 months. 

“The Zionist regime is attempting to mask its failures through horrific measures, including the mass killing of women and children, the destruction of healthcare facilities, mosques, and civilian homes, and targeted attacks on journalists and medical personnel in Gaza,” he said. He added that similar measures are being employed in the West Bank, including assassinations, mass arrests, and relentless aerial bombardments.  

Baqaei’s remarks came as international efforts continue to negotiate a halt to what he described as ongoing genocide in the region.  

Baqaei pointed to recent attacks, including the killing of dozens of civilians in Gaza over a 24-hour period and a drone strike in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Tuesday, which killed six Palestinians. Among the victims was a 15-year-old boy. The attack, carried out by an Israeli drone, also injured several others. Local reports identified the remaining victims as young men aged between 23 and 34, including three brothers.  

The spokesperson further condemned the actions of extremist Zionist settlers, who have ramped up their attacks on Palestinian civilians and Islamic holy sites in the West Bank and Al-Quds.  

The Iranian official also highlighted the international community’s obligations, particularly those of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to ensure peace and security. He urged the Council to adopt firm measures in its upcoming emergency session to address the crisis.

Baqaei emphasized the necessity of enforcing international legal rulings, including those of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), against the Zionist regime. 

He called for accountability measures, such as supporting indictments from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the regime’s leaders for crimes against humanity. “The world demands an end to the culture of impunity that has enabled the apartheid regime to carry out heinous crimes without consequences,” Baqaei declared.