Iran Denounces Israel's Air Raids on Palestinians

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the air attacks waged by the Israeli forces against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast strongly condemned Israel's new round of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that killed and injured several Palestinians.

He said that Israel launched airstrikes to shift the blame onto others for its own problems and to divert public opinion away from the situation in the occupied lands ahead of the International Quds Day.

The International Quds Day was started by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, in 1979 as a way of expressing solidarity with the Palestinians and underscoring importance of the holy Quds to Muslims.

International Quds Day is an annual event opposing Israel's occupation of Beitul-Muqaddas. Anti-Zionist rallies and demonstrations are held on the last Friday of Ramadan in Muslim and Arab countries around the world, and especially in Iran.

Mehman-Parast further called on international organizations, especially human rights bodies, to condemn the Israeli crimes and to use everything within their power to stop the repetition of such attacks.

At least sixteen Palestinians have been killed and dozens left injured over the past two days by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

The airstrikes began on Thursday, shortly after eight Israelis were killed near the Red Sea resort town of Eilat.

Hamas has said that it had nothing to do with the assault and has warned against any act of aggression against the Gaza Strip.