Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on the Palestine issue this Thursday, Iran’s envoy Amir Saeed Iravani asserted that the conflict in Palestine can be resolved only through ‘ending the occupation by the Zionist regime’.
The United Nations Security Council hosted an open debate this Thursday to address “the situation in the Middle East including Question of Palestine“, during which, representatives of different countries voiced their concerns on the matter. In the meeting, many envoys from different countries expressed concerns about the Palestine issue and condemned the illegal occupation of the Palestinian lands by Israel as the main cause of the decades-long conflict.
In this regard, for example, Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani rebuked Israel for its ‘atrocities against the Palestinians’, and noted that the conflict in Palestine will never end unless the very cause of the problem, which is the illegal occupation of Palestine, comes to an end.
“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”, Iravani said at the Security Council headquarter in New York on Thursday morning.
Iravani also highlighted the situation in the Occupied Palestine Territories as a ‘pressing and deeply concerning matter’ that cannot be resolved unless the international community comes to its senses and takes immediate attention and action. He also blasted the UN and member states for their silence in the face of Israeli regime’s continuous violence and systemic violation of human rights against Palestinians.
“As documented in the UN reports, innocent lives, including women and children, are being tragically lost due to Israeli ongoing violence. Additionally, the seizure, demolition, and forced eviction of Palestinian homes continue to exacerbate the already dire situation. Sympathy alone is no longer enough. The Security Council must take responsibility for enforcing its resolutions, act decisively to end the occupation and ensure Palestinian rights are protected”, Iravani also noted.
Others, except US, voiced the same concerns on Palestine
Echoing the same concerns as Iranian envoy’s, other politicians present at the meeting also rebuked Israel for the violence against Palestinians.
Speaking of the statistics, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, said that from 27 June through 24 July, 25 Palestinians, including 5 children, were killed, and 249 Palestinians were injured by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank. this is while during the same time period, only 2 Israeli security forces personnel were killed and 39 Israelis were injured due to retaliatory moves by Palestinians.
“This deterioration is taking place alongside ongoing unilateral steps that undermine a two-State solution, the absence of a peace process and the continuing economic challenges facing Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority,” he stressed.
Other envoys from different countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, and China, also supported Palestine and called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. China’s envoy, for example, said in the meeting that Israeli settler violence continues, reminding Israel of its responsibility to abide by international humanitarian law when carrying out security measures
The representative of the United States, however, sided with Israel and while urging all parties to take proactive measures to counter all forms of violence, he said Israel faces real security challenges, and that the US will support Israel’s ‘legitimate right to defend its people’.
