Iran Calls for Prosecution of Israeli Officials over Gaza War

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana’ani strongly condemned Tel Aviv's attack against the headquarters of the Qatar Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza and further urged the international community to hold Israeli war criminals to account.

News ID: 84426

Date: 15 November 2023 - 14:34

Kana’ani on Tuesday censured the Israeli shelling of the Gaza Reconstruction Committee, saying such crime reveals the barbaric and anti-human nature of the Zionist regime.

The Israeli army has in recent weeks targeted several hospitals, residential areas, ambulances, mosques, and other civilian infrastructure. Entire neighborhoods in the besieged enclave have been completely leveled as Israel's assault in northern Gaza.

“The public conscience has been shocked by the Zionist regime’s crimes and barbarism against Gaza and cannot stay silent on this cruelty any more,” he added.

Denouncing Israel’s recurrent and brazen violation of international law and its continued aggression against the people of Palestine, the spokesperson asked the international community to condemn the Zionist crimes and employ all international capacities to hold Israel accountable and prosecute its war criminals.

In early October, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land, sea, and air against Israel. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,200 and injured over 5,500, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.

Following the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing more than 11,000 Palestinians, including at least 4,500 children and over 3,000 women, wounding over 30,000 others, and leveling entire neighborhoods. The bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has also pushed 1.5 million people out of their homes.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel, and water supplies. The move has plunged the blockaded territory into a humanitarian crisis.

The Gaza Health Ministry has confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”. Dozens of hospitals and tens of medical centers are out of service due to Israeli raids, according to the enclave's health ministry. The UN agencies have also warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.

Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, where some 2 million people live in an area of 140 square miles. It has been almost completely cut off from the rest of the world for nearly 17 years. More than half of its population lives in poverty and is food insecure, with nearly 80% of its population relying on humanitarian assistance.

Tehran says the history of Israel is full of assassinations, massacre, torture, and killing of Palestinian kids, and described the Tel Aviv regime's atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say Tel Aviv has been struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement, and scores of other inhumane moves.