ISTANBUL

Iran accused Israel on Wednesday of committing "premeditated mass murder" in Gaza and called on the UN Security Council to act to end “systematic and deliberate attacks” on civilians under siege in the Palestinian enclave.

In a speech to the council, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denounced what he called the "grotesque weaponization of thirst and hunger" against a defenseless population in Gaza.

“Today, the situation has grown even more catastrophic. The Israeli regime has devised a systematic method of killing – deliberately targeting and starving civilians as they wait for life-saving aid. This is not just cruelty; it is premeditated mass murder,” Gharibabadi said.

He accused Israel and its "criminal apparatus" of using every possible method of repression, including the deprivation of water and food, to break the will of the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, the Gaza Health Ministry said that ten more Palestinians died of starvation and malnutrition in the strip in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll since October 2023 to 111.

Israel has killed more than 59,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Gharibabadi also condemned what he described as a pattern of "unprovoked and unlawful" Israeli military actions against Iran, conducted with full US cooperation.

He said these attacks had targeted both nuclear and civilian infrastructure, including facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, and had resulted in civilian casualties.

Calling for decisive international action, Gharibabadi urged the UN Security Council not to remain silent in the face of what he called genocide and aggression.

“The protection of civilians and the maintenance of peace are legal and moral imperatives, not political options. Failure to act will not only betray the Palestinian people; it will permanently damage this Council's credibility and the future of this international legal order,” he warned.

On June 13, Israel launched a surprise 12-day military campaign against Iran that included reciprocal strikes and resulted in hundreds of casualties. A ceasefire was announced by Washington on June 24, with both sides claiming victory.