Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has lambasted the United Nations Security Council for its failure to avert tragedies in the Gaza Strip, arguing the international body could not fulfill its role to stop the war due to the influence of certain member states.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), Volker Turk, in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday, during which he thanked the senior UN official for visiting the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to assess the situation there.
The top Iranian diplomat said that the purpose of his visit to Geneva and subsequent negotiations is to explore avenues aimed at ending the ongoing atrocities in the besieged Palestinian territory.
“In addition to attacks on residential neighborhoods across Gaza, the Zionist regime has now established strikes on hospitals as a priority. Due to the influence of some member states that back the Zionist regime, the UN Security Council failed to fulfill its role to stop the war and end the tragedy,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
He went on to stress the role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in ending the ongoing Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip, calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to convene an extraordinary meeting and help find a solution to the Gaza conflict.
Amir-Abdollahian also demanded the formation of a team of experts in order to document the criminal acts that the Israeli military has already committed, and is perpetrating in Gaza.
The Iranian foreign minister also pointed to Tehran’s constant, intensive efforts to end the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and advance humanitarian initiatives in connection with the current crisis in Gaza, stating that it is very likely for the situation to spiral out of control at any moment.
“The only thing that can control the status quo is to stop the invasion of Gaza, send humanitarian aid, and prevent the displacement of the people of Gaza,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
He emphasized that it is in the best interest of all parties to work toward such goals.
For his part, Turk described the humanitarian situation in Gaza and even the occupied West Bank as terribly worrying, elaborating on his attempts as well as those of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to alleviate the sufferings of Palestinians.
“It is clear that actions need to be taken to stop the war. We must do our utmost to find a solution for the current complicated and deplorable situation, and prevent the war from spilling over and the situation from becoming more complicated,” he said.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the coastal territory, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the regime on October 7.
At least 11,320 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,650 children and 3,145 women. More than 29,000 individuals have sustained injuries as well.
