Israel must be held accountable for genocide in Gaza: Iran's UN envoy

Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations has strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s brutal military attacks against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, calling for the occupying regime to be held accountable for the genocide in the besieged territory.

Zahra Ershadi made the remarks on Tuesday as she read out a statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members at a meeting of the Special Committee of the United Nations Charter.

“The Non-Aligned Movement condemns the continuing brutal Israeli military campaign against the defenseless Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and reiterates the demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and protection of the Palestinian people,” she said.

Ershadi expressed NAM's grave concern about the warnings by the UN special rapporteurs about the “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, and urged the international community to honor its commitment and take all measures to put an end to the massacre.

In this regard, NAM welcomes the application filed by South Africa on December 29, 2023, instituting proceedings against the Israeli regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding violations of commitments under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Iranian envoy stated.

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Ershadi further noted that the policies and measures being carried out by Israel in the occupied territories constitute “grave breaches of international law and flagrant defiance of UN resolutions,” calling on all countries around the world to refrain from supporting, facilitating or cooperating, directly or indirectly, with "such unlawful policies."

NAM member states reiterate their call for the continued provision of the needed humanitarian and socio-economic assistance to the Palestinian people, including refugees, she said.

The Iranian envoy also stressed the need to support the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), while denouncing Israeli legislation aiming to restrict the agency’s activities in the occupied territories.

Ershadi further emphasized NAM’s commitment to the principles of international law and the UN Charter, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue, urging the international community to take practical steps to end the occupation, realize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, and establish lasting justice.

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Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out its historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Tel Aviv regime failed to achieve its declared objectives of freeing captives and eliminating Hamas despite killing at least 48,284 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza.

After 15 months of genocide, Israel accepted Hamas’ longstanding negotiation terms under the Gaza ceasefire, which began on January 19.

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