Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Israeli regime is notorious for killing Palestinian children as dozens have been killed so far this year.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a tweet on the occasion of the death anniversary of the 12-year-old boy Muhammad al-Durrah in his father’s arms in the Gaza Strip.
Mourning the loss, the minister said, “Infanticide is a characteristic of the Israeli regime”, noting that “since the beginning of 2023, 40 Palestinian children have been martyred by the apartheid, fake Zionist regime.”
Muhammad al-Durrah was killed by Israeli fire on September 30, 2000, the second day of the Second Intifada (uprising) against the Israeli regime.
A video showing Muhammad and his father, Jamal, sheltering by a concrete water barrel in a hail of bullets shortly before Muhammad’s death sparked anger across the world.
Over the past months, Israel has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied territories. As a result of these attacks, dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested.
More than 200 Palestinians have been killed this year in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza. The majority of these fatalities have been recorded in the West Bank.
The United Nations said 2023 is the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since it began keeping track of fatalities almost two decades ago.
Previously, 2022 had been the deadliest year with 150 Palestinians killed, of whom 33 were minors, according to the UN.
The rising number of fatalities last year prompted UN experts to condemn the treatment of Palestinians, including attacks on their homes and destruction of their property.
