Qalibaf: Iran, Algeria need to work to help aid deliveries to Gaza
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says Iran and Algeria need to work to help deliveries of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Qalibaf made the remark in a meeting with President of the National People’s Assembly of Algeria Ibrahim Boughali, in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 19th high-level parliamentary meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC).
He stressed the importance of forging unity and coherence in the face of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine and restoring the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
He criticized the lack of unity among Muslim countries to support Palestine, saying, “Today, not only do some Muslim countries fail to support Palestine, but also a number of them back the Zionists in such oppressive conditions.”
Qalibaf urged Muslim countries to find a solution and call on other nations to keep abreast of the Palestinian issue to help the nation achieve a final victory.
He also called on the parliaments of Muslim countries to adopt a clear and transparent stance on the Palestinian issue.
The Israeli military resumed bombardment of Gaza on March 18, killing thousands of Palestinians, and injuring many others, after it shattered the 2-month ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the deal on the exchange of Israeli captives with Palestinian abductees.
At least 52,928 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 119,846 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said on Monday that it is ready to immediately engage in negotiations to reach a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In his remarks, the top Iranian parliamentarian also said Iran and Algeria have the capacity to improve close ties in the fields of industry, health, and transportation.
Boughali, for his part, said some countries are normalizing relations with Israel, which would not serve their interests but would rather embolden the regime to commit more crimes.
He added that forced displacement and lack of medicine and food are the current serious problems in Palestine and urged Muslim countries to take further steps towards restoring the Palestinians’ rights in international courts.
No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, with international organizations warning that half a million people, a quarter of the population in the Gaza Strip, face starvation unless aid deliveries are restored soon.
On bilateral cooperation, the Algerian parliament speaker also said Tehran and Algiers can make use of their exemplary capacities to strengthen economic cooperation.
