Tehran: The Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology has issued a statement expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine ahead of International Quds Day.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the ministry condemned the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime as one of the great tragedies of the 21st century, calling on the international community to break its silence in the face of these ongoing crimes. The statement highlighted systematic violations by the occupying regime, including the targeting of civilians-especially women and children-the destruction of vital infrastructure such as universities, schools, and hospitals, and the denial of basic necessities like water, food, and humanitarian aid.

The statement begins with an invocation, "In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate," and proceeds to emphasize the severity of the situation in Palestine. The ministry asserts that crime cannot be normalized and calls the ongoing atrocities a profound tragedy of the modern age, witnessed by a global community that remains stunned.

The ministry's statement accuses the occupying regime of flagrantly violating the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and specific Articles of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions. It urges the international community, particularly human rights advocates, to take immediate steps to halt these crimes. The statement outlines several demands, including ensuring the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, guaranteeing the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and ending the blockade of Gaza immediately.

Further points include upholding humanitarian law by distinguishing between military personnel and civilians, respecting the dignity and sanctity of women and children, ceasing attacks on residential areas, hospitals, schools, and universities, and restoring electricity, water, and humanitarian aid without delay. The statement also calls for the protection of human rights for prisoners and the war-wounded, granting the Red Cross access to conflict zones, and referring the Gaza case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Concluding the statement, the ministry calls on the justice-seeking people of Iran to join rallies on the last Friday of Ramadan in solidarity with the Palestinian people.