Gaza War A Consequence of Israeli Atrocities: Iran’s UN Mission

On October 7, the Palestinian fighters launched a hybrid surprise operation, dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm, outside Gaza after Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in recent days and a record number of Palestinians were killed by Israel in recent months.

The Zionist regime has responded by pounding the besieged Gaza Strip after formally declaring war against the Palestinian Hamas group.

In a statement released on Monday, Iran’s UN mission declared Tehran’s position regarding the situation in Palestine.

The statement is as follows:

1. The ongoing situation in occupied Palestine is the result of the longstanding denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination, the ongoing Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people and their land, the continued desecration of Muslim holy sites, including al-Aqsa Mosque, and the continued terrorism of the Israeli regime.

2. For 75 years, the Palestinian people have been victims of the Israeli regime's unrelenting aggression, violence, racial discrimination, and apartheid policies. The occupation of their land continues with blockading cities, the destruction and confiscation of property and farmlands, and the forced evacuation of people from their homes. Such ongoing atrocities represent a clear violation of international humanitarian law and established principles and norms of human rights.

3. The Israeli occupation and its brutal atrocities are the only reality that generations of Palestinians have grown up with. Israel's flagrant violations of peremptory norms of international law, including the unequivocal prohibition of acquiring territory through force, the inherent right to self-determination, and the prohibition on racial discrimination and apartheid, stand as blatant evidence of such occupation.

4. Regrettably, the international community has yet to respond adequately or hold those responsible for these grave and serious violations accountable. The absence of accountability and the unsettling silence of the UN bodies, in particular, the Security Council has allowed decades-old UN resolutions to remain mere words on paper. At the same time, we continue to bear witness the ever more horrifying atrocities perpetrated against the Palestinian people by the Israeli regime.

5. While recognizing the inherent right of self-defense for all Palestinians under international law, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains steadfast in its belief that the question of Palestine can only be resolved by ending the occupation, recognizing the inalienable rights of self-determination of the Palestinian people and through holding a national referendum with the participation of all Palestinian people, which requires the full restoration and protection of these rights, leading to the establishment of Palestinian sovereignty over entire Palestine.

6. The Islamic Republic of Iran stands firmly behind the aspirations of the Palestinian people and supports the efforts of resistance groups and oppressed Palestinians in their unwavering pursuit of their inherent and indisputable rights against occupation and aggression. This support is fully consistent with international law and the UN Charter, including the principle of the right to self-determination. This will be Iran’s principled position until the occupation ends.

7. The recent decisions and measures taken by Palestine's resistance are firmly rooted in the fundamental principle of self-determination, representing a completely legitimate response to seven decades of oppressive occupation and the numerous atrocities committed by the Israeli regime. Iran unwaveringly stands in solidarity with Palestine; however, it is important to note that Iran is not involved in Palestine's response, as these actions are solely determined by the Palestinians themselves. Palestinians have the freedom to make choices that they believe serve their best interests and to exercise their own judgment in determining their course of action.

8. The Israeli regime, on the other hand, is currently engaged in an indefinite and belligerent occupation, driven by annexationist intentions, which blatantly violates the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. This egregious violation of international law carries significant repercussions and necessitates that the international community and United Nations member states assume responsibility and act decisively to terminate this illegal occupation. Mere sympathy is no longer adequate.

9. Certain States must forsake their double standards. If these States genuinely wish to uphold their professed commitment to aiding victims in conflicts, then their assistance must unequivocally prioritize the actual victims rather than those perpetrating aggression, as is the case in other conflicts. Rather than extending assistance to the aggressor, support should be channeled towards the genuine victims in Palestine -a nation that has endured a staggering 75 years of invasion, occupation, and dispossession.