Iran’s Zarif Urges Aid Delivery to Gaza


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for paving the way for delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a meeting with UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos in Tehran, Zarif underlined the necessity of setting the ground for sending humanitarian aid to the war-stricken people in Gaza.

Nearly 2,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed, some 10,000 wounded and as many as 3,000 Palestinian homes have been destroyed or damaged in the Israeli air strikes on Gaza, which started on July 8 and was later followed by a ground invasion.

More than a quarter of the impoverished enclave's 1.8 million residents have been also displaced by more than a month of bloodshed by the Israeli forces.

On Wednesday, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators agreed to extend a ceasefire in Gaza for another five days after failing to reach a long-term agreement in Cairo-mediated talks.

Iran’s foreign minister further referred to the troubles people are facing in countries like Iraq and Syria as a result of violence and extremism and said regional states should cooperate in sending and distributing aid to those suffering from the violence.

Valerie Amos, for her part, appreciated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s contributions to the United Nations’ humanitarian efforts in Syria.