Resolution of Palestinian issue hinges on ending Israeli occupation: Iran's UN ambassador

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations says the resolution of the decades-long Palestinian issue hinges on cessation of the Israeli regime’s occupation of Palestinian lands, and recognition of the fundamental right of Palestinians to decide their own fate.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfast in its belief that the conflict in Palestine can only be resolved through ending the occupation and recognizing the inalienable rights of self-determination of the Palestinian people," Amir Saeid Iravani said Thursday while addressing a United Nations Security Council session entitled “The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” in New York.

"This requires the full restoration and protection of these rights, leading to the establishment of Palestinian sovereignty over the entire Palestine. However, such a resolution cannot be achieved if the Security Council fails to act,” he noted. 

The diplomat added that Tehran regards it as a duty to support Palestinians’ legitimate rights to resistance in the face of the oppression and aggression of the apartheid Tel Aviv regime, besides their right to self-determination.

Iravani underscored that the stance will be Iran’s principled policy until the Israeli occupation ends. 

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The senior Iranian diplomat described the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories as "pressing and deeply concerning," demanding immediate attention and action from the international community.

“The Israeli regime's violence and gross and systemic violation of human rights against the Palestinian people continue unabated,” he said, noting that the seizure, demolition and forced eviction of Palestinian homes continue to exacerbate the already dire situation. 

The Iranian UN envoy highlighted that the recent uptick in Israeli acts of aggression, particularly the recent military onslaught on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, is of particular concern.

The rise in Israeli military raids as well as arrest and destruction campaigns across the West Bank, alongside violence and terror from extremist settlers, have compounded the already dire humanitarian situation for Palestinians, Iravani said.

He went on to denounce the continued blockade of the Gaza Strip as a collective punishment against its population, and "a clear expression of a war crime and a crime against humanity." 

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Iravani said the Security Council’s silence has rendered UN resolutions ineffective and emboldened the Israeli regime to continue its crimes against Palestinians.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank in recent months, with the Israeli military carrying out near-nightly raids and the Palestinians responding with retaliatory attacks.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the beginning of this year.

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