Iranian, Iraqi FMs call for special OIC session on Palestine

The foreign ministers of Iran and Iraq in a telephone conversation have exchanged views on the latest developments in Palestine.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Palestine amid the cessation of hostilities between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Israel, the Iranian government said, according to Anadolu.

The two sides, the statement noted, "emphasised the need for coordination and coherence among Muslim countries in supporting" the Palestinian nation and called for a special session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Palestine.

The Gaza-based Hamas resistance group launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel in the wee hours of October 7 morning, firing a barrage of rockets.

In retaliation, the Israeli military bombarded the Gaza Strip, razing down many high-rise buildings on October 7-8.

At least 600 Israelis have been killed so far while the death toll on the Palestinian side has also jumped to 370, as per reports.

Iran's foreign minister, speaking to his Iraqi counterpart, asserted that the Palestinian nation has a "legitimate right to resist aggression and occupation," the ministry statement noted, adding that the latest operation is a "natural response to continuous aggression" of Israel against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian people.

Amir-Abdollahian called for the "coordinated and effective action of Islamic countries to help Palestine and stop the aggressive attacks of the Zionist regime against the women and children of Gaza and the West Bank," the statement hastened to add.