TEHRAN – Iran and Turkish foreign ministers issued a joint appeal on Monday, calling for immediate and coordinated action on Muslim states, halting the Israeli regime’s continued genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, now entering its 22nd month.
The appeal took place in a telephone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
Araguchi has led to harsh criticism of the Israeli regime’s escalating military campaign, which has been claiming the lives of more than 59,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The vast majority are women and children.
He specifically condemned Israel’s comprehensive lockdown on Gaza and deliberately denounced “weaponizing hunger” by severely restricting the invasion of food, water and other important humanitarian supplies.
“The Zionist regime is taking away Gazan’s most basic necessities of life in order to strengthen the fatal impact of the war,” Araguchi said in his call.
Top Iranian diplomats urged the Muslim world to demonstrate “serious mobilization” and prompted the immediate convening of an emergency OIC summit.
He further emphasized the need to activate all available regional consultation mechanisms specifically designed to pressure the end of violence.
The Iranian foreign minister has expanded the scope of concern, and collective Islamic efforts must also address Israel’s “fatal atrocities” across West Asia, explicitly referring to the simultaneous military escalation of the regime against Lebanon and Syria.
Reflecting the stance of his Iranian colleagues, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan has vehemently condemned Israel’s attacks on both Gaza and Syria.
Speaking from Ankara, Fidan emphasized the important need for “quickly and coordinated actions” by OIC countries to stop Israel’s “fatal attacks.”
The call between Iran and the Turkish foreign ministers came as Iranian and European diplomats gathered in Istanbul on Friday to prepare to resume nuclear negotiations.
Furthermore, diplomatic exchanges occurred against the backdrop of catastrophic humanitarian conditions within the besieged Gaza Strip.
Despite repeated international pleas, the Israeli regime maintained near-full control over the entry point for aid and had little to no supply flow that was desperately needed.
A report from Unrwa, the United Nations agency of Palestinian refugees, paints a disastrous picture. Currently, about 1 million children are facing acute hunger across territory, with malnutrition rates rising, overwhelmed and medical facilities are collapsing.
An account of the witnesses and a report from Palestinian sources explains a scene of complete despair.
Israel’s establishment of so-called aid distribution points has proven that a mass of significantly malnourished Palestinians, including children, are putting Israeli gunfire at risk with desperate attempts to ensure minimal food supply.
The widely reported situation as artificial hunger has been described by human rights groups as unprecedented in its cruelty, severity and speed.