Iranian parliamentary speaker slams Israel's 'genocide'

Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani has described Israel's policies towards the Palestinians and killing of hundreds of people in its onslaught on Gaza a genocide.

His comments came during a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States (ISIPAB) in Iran's capital, Tehran, on Tuesday, which was held to support the people in Gaza against continuous Israeli attacks.

Presiding over the meeting, Larijani said: "The murders performed by the "shameless" Zionist regime (Israel) against the people - especially the women and children in Gaza, which Israel has been blockading - are genocide and a crime against humanity and the world is supporting it by ignoring the regime's murder."

Describing Gaza as the heart of all Muslims, Larijani added: "Resistance powers such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad provided a new perspective in the Middle East."

"Nevertheless, the USA persistently does not recognize their legal rights. They have shown their courage against the Zionist regime and these resisters are the pride of all Muslims in the world."

"We are standing by the resistance, and we support them," he added.

- 'Crime against humanity'

He also demanded that Egypt open the Rafah border gate to make humanitarian aid accessible for people in Gaza and it would be a historic milestone for the Egyptian government, showing the role it played in the third Gaza war.

"ISIPAB's Muslim nations will be organized to support inoffensive Palestinians," Laricani added.

Meanwhile, Palestinian National Parliament Speaker Selim ez-Zenun said: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not tolerate the reconciliation of the Palestinians, that's why they increased the attacks."

"Netanyahu performed a crime against humanity in the glare of publicity, by using disproportionate force after the Palestinian reconciliation," he said.

Zenun also demanded that Israel's arbitrary arrests were to be condemned by the international community and 35 Palestinian deputies should be released.

He called for compliance with Second Geneva Convention, granting rights to the security of life and property, and called for the international community to take action.

Delegates at the meeting decided that Friday, 25 July would be declared a day of mourning worldwide for martyrs in Gaza, and Israel should be judged a war criminal and obliged to pay compensation for the killings, loss of property and damaged infrastructure in Palestine.

Turkey was represented by Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Cicek at the ISIPAB meeting, which was also attended by Syrian, Sudanese, Malian, Palestinian, Qatari, Lebanese, Kuwaiti, Algerian, Pakistani and Omani representatives.

www.aa.com.tr/en