Iran urges UN Security Council to act against Israel's actions in Gaza

Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Baqeri Kani, has called for immediate and decisive action by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to stop what he described as Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Kani made these remarks while addressing the Security Council in New York on July 17, Caliber.Az informs, citing Iranian media.

The Iranian minister highlighted Israel's alleged crimes in Gaza over the past nine months, emphasizing the high toll on innocent civilians, particularly women and children. “Over the past 285 days, the Israeli-occupying regime has been committing extensive international crimes in Gaza. This regime, through a campaign of brutality and terror, continues to massacre innocent people, mostly women and children,” Kani stated.

Kani provided alarming statistics, noting that approximately 20 people are killed or injured every hour in Gaza. He also reported that over 80% of residential areas and all critical infrastructure, including hospitals, mosques, churches, educational centers, and historical sites, have been destroyed. He accused the Israeli regime of weaponizing starvation by blocking aid routes and attacking refugee camps and displaced people.

Despite global condemnation and calls for an end to the violence, Kani accused Israel of continuing its actions with full impunity. He pointed out that the UNSC has adopted four resolutions and that the International Court of Justice has asked for three provisional measures against Israel, yet no tangible action has been taken to stop the ongoing violence.

Kani proposed that the UNSC adopt a comprehensive and legally binding resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to compel Israel to end its actions in Gaza. He urged the Security Council to implement measures to ensure a permanent ceasefire, open border crossings for humanitarian aid, and press Israel to withdraw its military and security forces from Gaza immediately and unconditionally.

Kani also called for lifting the siege on Gaza, halting forced displacement, stopping illegal settlement activities, and providing full compensation for damages inflicted on Gaza's people and infrastructure.

The Iranian minister criticized the United States as a significant obstacle to ending the Gaza war, urging the international community to ensure that those responsible for the crimes in Gaza and other Palestinian territories are prosecuted and punished. He emphasized that the only way to restore peace is to end the occupation, aggression, and crimes committed by Israel.

Kani warned against any potential Israeli aggression towards Lebanon, describing it as a dangerous miscalculation that could destabilize the region further. He cautioned that any attack on Lebanon would be met with a decisive response from the region and the global community. Kani highlighted the responsibility of the United States, as Israel’s main supporter, to contain Israel’s threats and actions.

In conclusion, Kani stressed the UNSC's responsibility to achieve peace and criticized its inaction over the past 80 years, which he claimed has emboldened Israel to commit more crimes against Palestinians. He called on the Security Council to take necessary measures to compel Israel to cease its actions and ensure accountability for its crimes.