Iran Refuses to Compromise on Palestinian Issue - Iranian Foreign Minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the Islamic Republic sees the problems of Palestine as its own.
The remarks follow the Israeli military forces' attack on Palestinian protesters who had gathered near the Gaza border on Friday, which resulted in at least 17 people killed and over 1,400 wounded.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran sees the problems of Palestine as its own, like all other friends and neighboring Muslims, and their security and freedom as its own security and freedom," Zarif said in an article in the Turkish Yeni Safak newspaper.
The rallies were held to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of Land Day, which stems from March 30, 1976, when six unarmed Palestinian citizens were killed by Israeli forces during protests against the expropriation of Arab-owned land in northern Israel to build Jewish communities.
Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces used mostly gunfire against the protesters, in addition to tear gas and rubber bullets to push them back from a heavily fortified fence. According to Channel News Asia, Friday was the bloodiest single day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 war in Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that Israel was responsible for the violence and declared Saturday a national day of mourning. Schools, universities, as well as all government institutions across the country were off on March 31.
Abbas urged the international community to step in and "protect" the Palestinian people against Israel's "escalating daily aggression."
According to Press TV, in his article Zarif pointed out that Iran's security and stability hinged on the security and stability of the region, and in this context called for actualization of a joint security agreement "based on mechanisms that spur dialogue, common principles and trust".
He said that Iran has expressed its readiness to "cooperate with all sides to ensure good neighborly relations and security and to protect common interests", stressing the importance of respecting the differences of views and the interests of all the countries in the region.
"Iran believes that our common interests are far greater than the differences of opinion arising from unfounded anxieties and temporary interests that will not be a priority in the years to come," the politician concluded.
- Source : Sputnik
