Dr Raisi at the joint meeting of the OIC and Arab League regarding Gaza:

What has happened to Gaza in the last 5 weeks a historical shame for morality, law, humanity

The President stated that today the Gaza issue is a confrontation between the axis of honour and the axis of evil and everyone should determine which line they are on, and he introduced the US government as the mastermind and main accomplice to the Zionist crimes against the oppressed people of Gaza in the last 5 weeks and said, "Now that the international assemblies under the influence of America are suffering from indecisiveness, characterlessness, and the lack of identity, we must take the field".

Speaking at the joint meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League on the issue of Gaza, which was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi called the crimes of the usurping Zionist regime in recent weeks a historical shame for morality, law and humanity, and emphasised the main role of the United States in these crimes, as well as the reminder of the responsibility of the Arab and Islamic countries towards the issue of Palestine and the oppressed people of Gaza, making 10 urgent solutions and suggestions for making decisive decisions for the benefit of the Palestinian nation, including "stopping the killing of the people of Gaza", "completely lifting the human blockade of Gaza", "The immediate military withdrawal of the Zionist regime from this region", "The termination of any political and economic relations with the Zionist regime by Islamic countries", "The establishment of an international court to prosecute and punish the Zionist and American criminal leaders", "Establishment of a special fund for the immediate reconstruction of Gaza with the acceptance of Islamic countries" and "sending a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people from Islamic countries".

President's speech at the joint meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League regarding Gaza is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Peace be upon Noble Quds

Peace be upon Gaza and its children

Peace be upon Palestine and its unjustly shed blood

Peace be upon the proud resistance of Palestine and Lebanon

Today, Palestine is the benchmark of Islamic and human honour

Mr President;

At the outset, I would like to thank the Saudi government for hosting and holding this important and joint summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in this sensitive period of regional developments and current circumstances.

Today, in this emergency summit, we gathered here to address the most important issues of the Islamic world, meaning the Palestinian issue, one of the disasters of human history, and the heroic Gaza, to take a historic and fateful decision.

All the problems of the Islamic world are solvable in the light of unity and cohesion. Relying on God Almighty and His absolute power and trusting in the abilities and capabilities of the Islamic world is the way to save the Islamic Ummah, and not trusting the controlling and hegemonic powers. The Islamic Republic of Iran has pursued a policy of good neighbourliness and harmony and opened its arms of brotherhood and friendship to all Islamic countries.

Today we have gathered here on behalf of the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in order to respond to the cry made by oppressed Muslims to other Muslims, and today the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) is the one who brings solace to the land of Palestine. Today, what does the Prophet of Islam expect from his Ummah? Today, what does the Islamic nation want from its leaders and governments?

O my brothers in religion

Today is the day of action. Today is a historic day in the heroic defence of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Today is the day of conflict between the right and the wrong, and the fabricated entity of Israel is a pharaoh for our time and a symbol of corruption on earth and the killing of innocents. The million-strong demonstrations across the globe indicate that the Palestinian issue is in the hearts of the peoples, and for this day is the day of the victory of blood over sword.

What happened in the Gaza Strip over the past 5 weeks is a shameful and historic disgrace to morals, law and humanity. Gaza is oppressed but a hero; bloody but proud; Known as the largest open air prison in the world due to the complete sea, land and air blockade in the last two decades, it destroyed the fortress of the Pharaohs and stood with empty hands and shone brightly.

The Occupying Regime, in violation of all international rules, launched a fierce attack on the Gaza Strip using indiscriminate bombing and the use of phosphorus bombs and other prohibited weapons with the aim of genocide, and turned half of the Gaza Strip into a hill of dirt. To date, more than 11,000 innocent people have been killed, in addition to more than 3 thousand people remaining under the rubble, and most of the victims are innocent women and children. The killing of medical staff and reporters and the bombing of hospitals are part of these horrific crimes. The worst thing is the likely loss of the lives of the victims who have not received medicines and medical supplies due to the siege of the Zionist regime.

These are all our children and family and we must be accountable to the Almighty God. Indeed, what sin did all these children commit that they were killed? Today, the events in the Gaza Strip are a confrontation between the axis of honour and the axis of evil, and everyone must clarify which path they have fallen into; in the path of warriors, or in the ranks of the destroyers of human race.

Honourable heads of Islamic Arab states, honourable secretaries general of organisations

Undoubtedly, the US government is the main perpetrator and accomplice to this crime. Israel is the illegitimate child of America. It is America that has preferred support it over the sacred lives of thousands of oppressed Palestinian children. By immediately forming its security cabinet in the occupied territories, America encouraged the Zionist regime to carry out criminal operations against the helpless people of Gaza and called it legitimate defence. The claim of legitimate defence by the occupying forces, who are constantly violating the rights of Palestinians, is one of the bitter ironies of history, which is not compatible with any of the established legal rules and international standards.

At the same time, the US warship was sent to the region, thus effectively entering the war on behalf of Israel. The all-out support of the Zionist regime in the UN Security Council and preventing the adoption of a resolution to stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza was another service of America to the aggressors, allowing them to conduct war crimes more than ever.

Another action of the US is arming and supporting the Zionist regime with all kinds of deadly weapons and filling up the arms reserves of the usurping Israel, in addition to providing billions of dollars in aid to the military budget of this regime. Both the Zionist regime's war machine and its fuel belong to the Americans. Heavy shipments of weapons are being sent on a daily basis and the Zionist enemy has so far dropped bombs equivalent to seven atomic bombs on the scale of the Hiroshima crime on the people of Gaza. This crime is considered as participation in the crime and should be strictly pursued by international authorities.

The most destructive role is the role of America. The killing of millions of people in the world, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other Islamic countries, is under the responsibility of America. America is the instigator of this battle by entertaining the world with contracts, taking effectiveness from all international organisations.

Respected Islamic governments

Today, the veils of seduction and deception and human rights and the like have been removed, and the usurper Israel is surrounded by global hatred, and everyone clearly sees that the establishment of this brutal regime in the heart of the Islamic world has no other purpose than the domination of Western arrogant countries on the region and most importantly, "weakening and destruction of dear Islam".

But what should be done?

Now that the international assemblies under the influence of America are suffering from indecisiveness, characterlessness, and the lack of identity, we must take the field.

From the beginning of these aggressions, I emphasised in the conversation with the leaders of the Islamic countries that this emergency meeting should be held as soon as possible. I wish this meeting, which also shapes the philosophy of the establishment of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, were held a month ago. Now that it has been delayed, it must lead to a decisive and quick decision in favour of the Palestinians.

The first and most urgent action is to stop killing the people of Gaza and end the indiscriminate attacks against civilians, especially the attacks on hospitals, schools, camps and relief centres. It should not be allowed that the Zionist regime and its supporters, by proposing deviant concepts such as "humanitarian pause", simply seek to escape the pressure of public opinion and create tactical pauses to commit more crimes. All means should be activated to force America and the Zionist enemy to accept the immediate stop of the machine of killing people. We Islamic countries should know that if it were not for the resistance of the people of Gaza and the West Bank against the aggression and expansionism of the Zionists, if it were not for the resistance of Lebanon against the occupation and aggression of the regime, today many Arab and Islamic countries would be engaged in such a war with the Zionists.

Second, the complete removal of the human blockade of Gaza and the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Rafah crossing with the cooperation of the Egyptian brothers for the delivery of aid and the entry of food and medicine into Gaza. The sending of humanitarian aid should be agreed upon by the honourable heads of Islamic countries in this summit and an executive committee should be formed to implement it. The drip-feed flow of humanitarian aid is not acceptable in any way. The crossings leading to Gaza must be opened. American and Western pressure is no reason to close the borders.

Third, the immediate military withdrawal of the Zionist regime from Gaza. The land and government of Gaza has belonged and belongs to the Palestinians and the elected government of the Palestinian people; not agents who act under the influence of America and Zionism. Here, I consider it necessary for all countries, including Islamic countries, to be vigilant in not paying attention to any American-Zionist plan under the guise of participating in providing border security in the occupied and Palestinian areas, which ultimately helps or defends or justifies the occupation.

Fourth; cutting off any political and economic relations with the Zionist regime by Islamic countries. In this regard, the trade embargo against the Zionist regime, especially in the field of energy, should be prioritized. Also, popular movements to embargo Israeli goods should be supported.

Fifth, Islamic governments should identify the army of the aggressor and occupying regime as a terrorist organisation.

Sixth, the establishment of an international court to prosecute and punish the criminal Zionist and American leaders, with priority given to the authorities involved in genocide and crimes against humanity in the recent war.

Seventh, the establishment of a special fund for the immediate reconstruction of Gaza with the acceptance of Islamic countries in this summit.

Eighth, sending convoys carrying humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people from different Islamic countries.

Ninth, naming the day of the Zionists' crime and the bombing of Al-Mamadani Hospital as the day of genocide and crime against humanity.

And as for the tenth action, if the war crimes of the Zionist regime continue and the American administration continues in this unequal war, the Islamic countries should arm the Palestinian people and help them fight against the war-mongering occupier.

These are all immediate and short-term solutions. But the sustainable solution, which was proposed by Imam Khamenei, the wise leader of the Islamic Revolution and has been registered in the United Nations today, is the formation of a single Palestinian state from the Sea to the River based on the democratic principle of "every Palestinian has one vote, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew", and the Islamic Republic will firmly support this point of view.

Esteemed Heads of Islamic Countries

In the past 70 years, all kinds of seemingly-peaceful prescriptions have been proposed, which in the end were nothing but deception. Under the shelter of these tricks, the Zionist regime has continuously evicted and displaced the oppressed Palestinians from their homes and houses, and by building settlements, they have settled an occupying military force in the usurped Palestinian homes.

From the beginning, the Islamic Republic has considered the Zionist regime as occupying, fake and illegitimate. Let alone 75 years; if this occupation continued even longer, the Zionist apartheid regime would still be a usurper and aggressor. This aggressor should be fired, punished, and pay compensation. On the other hand, standing against the occupation is a legitimate defence and a sacred matter. The main solution in dealing with the occupier is resistance. Several decades of zealous resistance against the Zionist enemy, especially the resistance of the last 35 days against the unprecedented crimes of the Zionists, is a unique record. Experience shows that there is no solution other than resistance to push back the occupier. For this reason, we kiss the hand of the heroic Hamas and all the brave resistance groups that are the pride of the Islamic world, and we salute the steely will of the resistant people of Gaza.

I would like to declare that the Islamic Republic of Iran views the resistance to Palestine as a liberation movement, and that the policy of forced displacement of the people of the Gaza Strip is a continuation of violations and a war crime, and that preserving the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy places is a major necessity.

What we repeatedly emphasised over the past years is being heard from the European and American peoples, and I hereby thank all the peoples who have shown solidarity with the people of Gaza. Today, Israel's crimes in Gaza are a reason for the awakening of people in the world. Today, attention must be directed to another topic, which is nuclear Israel. The only racist regime in the world that legitimises the killing of children. This regime is not under the supervision of any international organisation and threatens innocent people with atomic bombs.

The Islamic resistance, which has achieved great successes in defence of Palestine and the region, is the result of the awakening of the Islamic Ummah and the experiences of more than 70 years of confronting the aggression, hegemony, and arrogance of the Zionist enemy and the arrogant countries that support it.

Dear brothers and sisters

Muslim nations consider it a source of shame for them that governments provide fuel to Israel's war machine for economic benefits while the blood of their brothers is spilling on the ground in Gaza.

Now the blood of the Islamic Ummah has come to a boil. Everyone should know that today they have been exposed to a divine test, and if today's meeting of the heads of Islamic countries is not able to take a decisive action in saving the people of Palestine, it will add to the impatience of the governments and nations in defending Palestine, and they may start acting on their own.

Respected heads of Islamic states, Mr President

Allow me to conclude with a few greetings:

Peace be upon the oppressed children and martyrs in Gaza.

Peace be upon the children who seek refuge in the Holy Qur’an near the Gaza collapses and recite its verses.

Peace be upon the children who shiver from the severity injustice, fear and intimidation.

Peace be upon my dear children in the Gaza Strip

Peace be upon you, you who gave meaning to resistance through steadfastness in the face of the most advanced global armies and the most malicious people on the face of the earth.

Peace be upon you whose small hands and thin bodies have shown the extent of the barbarism and brutality of the usurping Zionists.

Your blood-stained faces, your dismembered bodies, and your broken bones under the rubble of the American bombs, shout your steadfastness.

There is no doubt that the future belongs to the resistance and that the true hero is you, steadfast people, and we will not abandon you. Palestine is definitely victorious.

Al-Quds is ours and victory is ours.

May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you