Iran urges expulsion of Israel from UN women commission

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has demanded Israel's expulsion from the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). 

In identical letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN Economic and Social Council President Bob Rae, UNCSW Chair Abdulaziz M. Alwasil, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Gharibabadi condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

Gharibabadi declared, “The presence of the criminal Zionist regime…which has turned Gaza into a slaughterhouse for civilians…in the UN Commission on the Status of Women…is an end to the credibility of international institutions.” He cited the UN's report showing that nearly 70% of the over 44,000 deaths in Gaza were women and children, mostly in attacks on residential buildings.

He detailed the horrific toll on children, stating, “The child-killing Zionist regime kills a child in Gaza every 10 minutes. More than 17,000 Palestinian children have been martyred…and more than 255,000 Palestinian children in Gaza have lost their fathers or mothers.” He further highlighted the devastating impact on Lebanese women, including increased miscarriages and maternal deaths due to the bombings.

Gharibabadi asserted, “It is no longer a secret to anyone that the Zionist regime has violated the fundamental rules of international law…in Gaza and Lebanon on a very large scale,” citing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. He condemned the “U.S. and certain Western governments’ support” for these actions.

He concluded: “It is absolutely clear that the Zionist regime…should never be allowed…to have a seat in or rejoin human rights institutions, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.”

By Khagan Isayev