TEHRAN -- Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said on Saturday the Palestinian Jihad is in defense of Islam saying the Palestinians are in a war to defend the Islamic territories.

In a meeting with visiting Head of Foreign Affairs Department of the Palestinian Authority, Farouq Qaddoumi and his accompanying delegation, Shahroudi said Iran would go ahead with its support for the Palestinians in their anti-Israeli struggles.

He condemned the expansionist policies of the United States and Israel and said Iranian nation continues backing the Palestinians in the fight against the Zionists.

He called on the Muslim countries to provide support for the defenseless Palestinian people who are now target of the cruel acts of the Zionists in the occupied lands.

He went on to say that Israel does not limit its expansionist policies to the Palestinian territories and it is hatching ploys against the Muslim world.

Qaddoumi elaborated on the current situation in Palestine and called for support for the Palestinian Intifada.

The Student Basij of Tehran universities will also gather in front of the United Nations Office today to announce their support for the innocent people of Palestine.

Issuing an announcement on Sunday, they said that the Zionist's atrocities is not only a war against the Palestinian nation, but is the vast aggression of the global arrogance, headed by the United States against the world of Islam.

They further called on all Arab and Islamic countries and the international communities to help the Palestinians and take urgent measures to put and end to Zionists' atrocities.

The Tehran University of Medical Sciences also stressed its support for the Palestinians and expressed readiness to provide those Palestinians injured during struggles against the Zionist regime with appropriate medical aid.

Meanwhile, a great number of Iranian children gathered in front of the Palestine Embassy in Tehran on Sunday and announced their support for the Palestinian children.

According to reports released yesterday, the children shouted slogans of 'Down With U.S.' and 'Down With Israel' and called on the international communities to make efforts to stop the massacre of Palestinian children. The Armenian Society of Tehran also in a gathering here Saturday night at Targmanchats Church voiced their support for the righteous struggle of the Palestinian nation and asked for an immediate halt to the Zionist regime's impudent behavior toward sacred sites of the world monotheists. During the gathering in which over 2,000 Tehrani Christians participated, the Society of Armenians of Tehran, on behalf of the Iranian Armenians, also asked for immediate withdrawal of the occupying forces of Israel from Palestinian territories and full implementation of all United Nations resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Tehrani Armenians, meanwhile, appealed to the international community and human rights activist individuals and organizations to launch a 'global campaign' against the atrocities being committed by Israel against mankind.

Meanwhile, an Iranian Armenian authority evaluated the Zionist army's incursions in Palestinian territories a threat against the whole world's peace and security, here on Saturday night, and not merely an attack against the Islamic world, IRNA reported.

Deputy of Isfahan and southern Iran Armenians at the Majlis, Zhorzhic Abramian said here during the massive gathering of over 4,000 Tehrani Armenians: "We believe that the Palestinian issue is not merely an Islamic world concern, and attacking the oppressed Palestinian nation is not just attacking the Islamic world's interests.