Zarif Urges Islamic States To Back Gazans

Tehran, July 28, IRNA - Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the Islamic states should extend assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. Zarif made the remarks in a telephone conversation with the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani. Islamic states have huge resources and are capable enough to render invaluable services and assistance to people in Gaza, Zarif said. In the telephone conversation, Zarif felicitated OIC secretary-general on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Fitr and said world public opinion mainly Muslim world strongly condemn atrocities and crimes of the Zionist regime against innocent and oppressed children and women. The Iranian foreign minister called for immediate action of OIC in persuading world countries and Islamic nations to put pressure on Zionist regime and its allies to immediately halt their aggression and underlined that any truce should go in parallel with removal of blockade to Gaza Strip and their commitment on non-repetition of such inhuman measures. Shipment of relief supplies are the pressing need of the Gazan people, he said, calling for an international action to provide the people in Gaza with food and medical supplies. Iranian government and nation have voiced readiness to send humanitarian relief supplies to Gaza and even dispatch medical team to the region to treat injured people and hospitalize them in the country, Zarif said. He called on the OIC, Arab League and Egypt to help immediate transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. As the current leader of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) , he said Tehran is ready to host OIC Qods Committee at foreign ministers level. Meanwhile, OIC secretary-general for his part congratulated Zarif on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Fitr and thanked the efforts made by Iran as NAM chairman for backing people in Gaza. They called for mutual cooperation of the Islamic states to help lift Gaza blockade and re-opening of Rafah crossing./end