TEHRAN – Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered a scathing condemnation of Tel Aviv’s atrocities in Gaza during a UN special session marking the anniversary of the Nakba.

The term "Nakba," Arabic for "catastrophe," marks the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, now commemorated at the UN Headquarters on its 77th anniversary.

In his address, Iravani characterized the Israeli regime’s military campaign in Gaza as “textbook genocide,” emphasizing that the United States is a “full partner” in these atrocities.

“While we gather here, the Israeli regime, with U.S. support, deliberately targets hospitals, schools, women, children, UN staff, and journalists,” Iravani stated, citing figures of “over 60,000 martyrs” and “countless injured and missing.”

He emphasized that the evidence of Israel’s “brutal crimes” is “undeniable,” with international courts and judicial bodies “fully aware of their barbarity.”  

Iravani also criticized the “war of narratives” waged by Israel and its allies, calling it “double injustice” against Palestinians.

“For decades, fabricated narratives have tried to swap the roles of victim and perpetrator,” he argued. “They hypocritically preach peace while expanding genocide and aggression, tout human rights while grossly violating them, and silence innocent voices demanding an end to this slaughter.”

The ambassador reiterated Iran’s stance on Palestinian rights, stressing their “inalienable right to self-defense and return to their homeland.”

He blamed the Israeli regime and its supporters for “displacing millions, orphaning children, and destroying Palestinian lives,” calling them the “main source of regional instability.”

Since October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv’s war in Gaza have caused catastrophic civilian harm, with the latest reported figures indicating at least 61,709 killed, including 17,492 children, over 111,588 injured, and more than 14,222 missing and presumed dead.

The UN and human rights organizations have documented systemic destruction of hospitals, schools, and residential infrastructure, deepening the humanitarian crisis.