Pezeshkian calls for collective Muslim push to stop Gaza genocide
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday underscored the necessity of collective efforts by Islamic countries to prevent the continuation of a humanitarian catastrophe caused by the Israeli regime in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Iranian president made the remarks in a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday.
Pezeshkian called on Muslim countries to leverage active diplomacy and diplomatic pressure to terminate the regime’s genocidal war against Palestinians.
“The atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza are unacceptable to any free human being, and I hope that Islamic countries, through active diplomacy and diplomatic pressure, will prevent the continuation of these crimes and will respond to them with cohesion, unity, and responsibility,” the Iranian president said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always defended the rights of the oppressed Palestinian nation, and other Islamic countries should adopt a stronger and more active stance in support of the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza too,” he added. “Collective efforts will be very effective in confronting the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza.”
Pointing to the Israeli-imposed 12-day war on the Islamic Republic, Pezeshkian said, “We are blamed for defending the oppressed people of Palestine and their human rights, and we abhor the oppression and tyranny inflicted upon them; the arrogant powers of the world consider this wrong, and that is why they pressure us.”
Ibrahim, for his part, decried Israel’s aggression against Palestinians, saying, “The Malaysian government has issued a strong statement against Israel's crimes in Gaza and is pursuing extensive diplomatic efforts to stop the genocide in Gaza. We hope that with the cooperation and assistance of other Islamic countries, we can stop these crimes.”
The Israeli regime has been ravaging the besieged Gaza Strip since Hamas’ Operation al-Aqsa Flood on the occupied territories in 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians and wounding upwards of 150,000 others up to now. Most of the victims are women and children, as indiscriminate Israeli attacks target schools, mosques, and even tents that shelter displaced Palestinians. Israel’s relentless bombardment campaign has devastated the territory and led to food shortages, famine, and acute starvation.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry on Wednesday, at least 135 Palestinians, including 87 aid seekers, were killed and 771 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in just 24 hours. Nearly 200 Palestinians have also lost their lives from starvation in the region.
Complete takeover of Gaza
On Tuesday, the regime’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met military affairs minister Israel Katz and military chief of staff Eyal Zamir to discuss a complete military takeover of Gaza.
However, disagreements emerged over the prospect of the plan, with the regime’s military chief of staff saying that the full occupation would be like "walking into a trap".
Netanyahu claimed on Tuesday that Israel must "complete" the defeat of Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The army chief has suggested alternatives to a full occupation, such as an encirclement of specific areas where Hamas is believed to be hunkering down, according to the Channel 12 broadcaster.
But Katz hit back with a clear message.
"It is the right and duty of the Chief of Staff to express his position in the appropriate forums," he wrote on X.
"But once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism... until the objectives of the war are achieved," he added, using an acronym for the Israeli military.