Iran Warns Islamic Nations against israeli Attempts at Normalizing Ties

The Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs condemned Israel’s continued crimes against the defenseless people of Palestine and said Islamic countries should counter the criminal regime’s attempts to normalize relations with them.

Addressing a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, Gholam Hossein Dehqani underlined the OIC’s heavy responsibility toward the oppressed Palestinians.

He further called for the organization’s practical measures to force the Israeli regime to end its atrocities against the people of Palestine, Gazans in particular.

The Iranian diplomat also emphasized that it is necessary for Islamic nations to counter any attempt by the Israeli regime to normalize ties with them and other regional countries.

The remarks came as Israeli troops killed seven Palestinians, two of them children, and wounded dozens more in the deadliest day in recent weeks as Gazans stepped up protests along the border fence on Friday.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered at five locations along Gaza Strip’s frontier with Israel in response to calls by Hamas.

Two of the dead were children, aged 12 and 14, the Gaza Health Ministry said, adding that all seven sustained gunshot wounds to their upper torso. At least 90 other protesters were wounded by live fire.

At least 194 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza protests began on March 30 to demand the right of return to lands that Palestinian families fled or were driven from on Israel’s founding in 1948, and the easing of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade.