to report «iusnews»; Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian accused US of complicity in the Israeli war on Gaza, and further stressed Washington’s unyielding support for Tel Aviv has made it difficult to reach a permanent ceasefire in the blockaded territory which has been under siege and bombardment for two months.
In a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, Amir Abdollahian thanked the UN chief for the invocation of Article 99 following the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza, saying, “The use of Article 99 of the United Nations Charter is a brave action on your part to maintain international peace and security, and is supported by the world’s public opinion.”
The foreign minister touched on the adverse and tragic situation in the besieged Gaza Strip and the displacement of women and children in deserts in Southern Gaza in cold winter amid the Israeli war.
He called for speeding up efforts to create deterrence against the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza and boosting support for Palestinians through the immediate opening of the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid and stopping the forced migration of Gazans.
“As long as the United States backs the Zionist regime’s crimes and the continuation of war, not only is the ongoing war likely to spread, but also the situation in the region could explode out of hand,” the top diplomat stressed.
“The Israeli regime’s claim that Hamas called off the ceasefire is a sheer lie, and despite efforts to make the ceasefire last, Washington’s support for the continuation of the Israeli regime’s military strikes has made it difficult to reach a lasting ceasefire,” Amir Abdollahian noted.
American officials, including President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have publicly ruled out any possibility of achieving a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the besieged enclave.
Washington’s unconditional support for Tel Aviv has sparked growing criticism and accusations of disregarding the atrocities being committed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against the civilian population of Gaza.
American public support for Israel's war in Gaza has also reached a new low, with a fresh survey showing that less than a third of respondents support the war, and the majority of those polled think that Israel should call for a ceasefire to the conflict, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week.
Iranian officials say Israeli authorities are yearning for the cessation of their military operation in the Gaza Strip and declaration of a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, but White House statesmen do not agree.
Guterres, for his part, denounced as “catastrophic” the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, underlining the need for an urgent ceasefire and de-escalation of tensions in the besieged territory.
The resolution was backed by almost all other Security Council members and many other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Guterres pointed to the activation of Article 99 of the United Nations Charter, which has not taken place since 1989, adding the measure was adopted due to the complicated situation in Gaza and across Palestine.
“The aforementioned process has been activated as the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is felt more than in the past,” he underscored.
“A humanitarian pause should be made and the spread of tensions in the region should be prevented,” the UN chief continued.
Guterres also stressed the necessity of continuing efforts until the realization of Palestinian rights and the formation of a Palestinian State based on the previous resolutions approved by the United Nations.
Article 99 states that the UN chief “may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”.
In a move not taken in decades, Guterres invoked the article on Wednesday to notify the UN Security Council about the threat that is posed to international peace and security by the Israeli war.
In early October, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land, sea and air against Israel. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,200 and injured over 5,500, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.
Following the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing more than 17,400 Palestinians, including at least 7,000 children and over 5,000 women, and wounding over 45,000 others, and levelling entire neighbourhoods. Thousands more are missing and feared buried under the rubble. The bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has also pushed 1.9 million people out of their homes.
Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water supplies. The move has plunged the blockaded territory into a humanitarian crisis.
The Gaza Health Ministry has confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”. Dozens of hospitals and tens of medical centers are out of service due to Israeli raids, according to the enclave's health ministry. The UN agencies have also warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.
Following the Hamas military operation against Israel, American officials promised rock-solid and unwavering support to Tel Aviv. The US has also pledged unwavering support for Israel as its military pummels Gaza with bombardment, announcing it will provide Tel Aviv with everything it needed. Washington has also deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean, as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 sailors and marines.
Iranian officials say the United States is waging a war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through Israel, and cautions that the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. They stress death of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is the outcome of the US massive military equipment’s shipments to the occupied territories, calling for trial of Israeli and American officials for their crimes against the Palestinian people. They note If Washington’s political and military aid to Zionists is cut off, the regime won’t be able to proceed its military campaign against the besieged strip.
Tehran says the history of Israel is full of assassinations, massacre, torture and killing of Palestinian kids, and described Tel Aviv regime's atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say Tel Aviv has been struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement and scores of other inhumane moves.
