Iran FM urges diligent work toward immediate halt to war in Lebanon, Palestine
Iran’s foreign minister stressed that all influential parties must work diligently to bring an immediate end to the conflict in Lebanon and Palestine, and that the legitimate interests and demands of the Lebanese and Palestinian people must be considered to achieve a favorable diplomatic outcome.
Addressing a gathering of ambassadors and heads of foreign missions in Tehran on Tuesday, Abbas Araghchi said, “At this critical juncture, the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses the need for collective diplomatic efforts to stop the Zionist regime’s crimes and aggression, and we urge members of the international community to take swift and decisive action to halt the bombing campaigns and the slaughter of innocent civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, and to provide urgent assistance to the dire situation of refugees and facilitate humanitarian aid in these areas.”
Israel waged a genocidal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out an operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
So far, at least 43,020 Palestinians, mostly women and children were killed, and 101,110 others injured in the besieged Gaza.
After nearly a year of exchanging fire across the border with Lebanon, Israel also intensified its strikes on southern part of the country and beyond over the last month.
The Iranian foreign minister added, “We firmly believe that as long as the aggression in Gaza and Lebanon continues, the region will not see peace. We have proposed a regional and operational solution for a lasting, fair, and comprehensive peace in the region, which is based on recognizing the inherent rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”
Regarding Lebanon, he added, “We believe that the facts on the ground and the country’s geography must be taken into serious consideration. Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance have deep roots in the country and are not going anywhere.”
He emphasized, “Any plans that only serve the interests of the Zionist regime are doomed to fail. The Security Council is duty-bound to take action against this regime’s insistence on continuing the war and bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon, and to impose strict sanctions against the Zionist regime based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter.”
Israel’s ban on UNRWA
In a move that has further escalated its war crimes, Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday to ban the UN relief agency UNRWA from operating inside the occupied territories, alarming some of Israel’s Western allies who fear it will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The move has stirred a growing international backlash, including from Israel’s allies — the United States and European powers.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned in a statement that the decision could lead to catastrophic outcomes for Palestinian refugees, deeming such a scenario unacceptable.
Gaza war mediator Qatar on Tuesday condemned the Israeli parliament’s decision with its Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari saying, “We emphasize that stopping support for UNRWA will have disastrous consequences.”
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has mediated months of negotiations for a deal to end the Gaza war and exchange Israeli captives held there for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The talks have thus far failed to result in an agreement, with both of the warring parties accusing the other of blocking it.
The US State Department warned on Monday that humanitarian assistance was not getting to people that need it in Jabalia in northern Gaza, which spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US does not accept.
“That’s one of our assessments, is that the food and water and medicine that needs to get to people in Jabalia, they aren’t getting it right now. And we want to see that change,” Miller said.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said around 100,000 people were marooned in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun without medical or food supplies.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris urged the EU to review trade ties with Israel Tuesday over Israeli lawmakers’ “despicable” ban of the UN’s Palestinian aid agency UNRWA.
The Irish leader criticized the Israeli parliament’s “shameful” banning of the agency, which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza.
“Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia and others have been calling for more actions at an EU level. I think that would be a very effective way and I’ll be continuing to make that case,” he said.