Muslim states must work to help end Gaza siege: Zarif

The Iranian foreign minister has called on Muslim countries to step up diplomatic efforts to help end Israel’s crippling blockade on Gaza amid the regime’s fatal assaults on the Palestinian territory.

In separate phone conversations on Sunday, Mohammad Javad Zarif exchanged views with his opposite numbers from Algeria, Jordan, Pakistan, Sudan and Morocco over Tel Aviv’s military offensive against the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Israeli-blockaded coastal enclave.

The top Iranian diplomat said Islamic countries and Muslim member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) should take “joint action” at the international level to pressure the Tel Aviv regime into stopping its brutal attacks on Gaza.

He added efforts must be intensified to provide Gazans with humanitarian aid as well as medical supplies and treat those wounded in Israeli raids, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Palestinians and injured thousands of others over the past 20 days.

The Iranian official also emphasized the need for Muslim states to back the demands of Gazans, adding that “this support should continue until a lasting ceasefire is reached.”

Zarif’s counterparts, in turn, stressed the importance of cooperation among Islamic countries to tackle the crisis plaguing the Gaza Strip, saying the needs of the Palestinians residing there must be met.

Israeli war on Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 1,062 Palestinians since July 8. At least 6,000 others have also been injured. Gaza has been under a crippling Israeli siege since 2007.

While Tel Aviv confirms the death of 43 Israelis in Gaza war, Hamas puts the number at about 100.