TEHRAN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Friday strongly condemned Israel's plan to take over Gaza City.
He made the remarks in a statement released by the ministry a few hours after Israel announced on Friday that its Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City.
Baghaei said the plan for the military occupation of Gaza City and forced displacement of its citizens "is a plot to complete the genocide against the Palestinian nation."
He said the "criminal" Israeli leaders' threat to completely occupy Gaza is further a "proof of Israel's specific intent to carry out ethnic cleansing in Gaza and genocide against Palestinians," which should be considered by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Baghaei highlighted the legal and moral responsibility of each government and the United Nations to stop the "genocide and heinous crimes that are being perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territories," and criticized the United States and certain other Western countries for continued complicity in Israel's "crimes."
Baghaei urged an end to the catastrophe in Gaza and collective actions by Muslim countries in support of the Palestinian people. ■
