UNITED NATIONS -- Iran's newly appointed ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations here Monday condemned the war crimes carried out by the Zionist regime on Palestinians, and stressed the right of the latter to defend their territory.

Zarif, who was addressing the 10th emergency special session of the General Assembly, said despite serious shortcomings the report prepared by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the events that took place in Jenin and other Palestinian cities had, to some extent, revealed the crimes perpetrated by the Israeli military during its invasion of the Jenin Refugee Camp and other Palestinian areas last April.

He said the report had accomplished its purpose despite the fact that the Israeli regime took on an obstructionist attitude at the outset and had done its utmost to block any effort by the international community to obtain accurate information about what went on in the refugee camp during the period in question.

Zarif said the report echoed the assertions of independent human rights experts and eyewitness accounts that, among other things, civilians had been used as human shields by Israeli troops.

He added, "The report was also explicit in its description of specific Israeli acts, such as preventing access to medical care and basic humanitarian necessities which amounted to war crimes. "The report also noted that in addition to the denial of aid, medical personnel had also been targeted in the attacks. And while it listed many other acts, which by any definition would constitute crimes of war, the report failed to call those crimes what they actually were within the parameters of international law."

Zarif further said the report's other shortcomings were undoubtedly attributable to the Israeli government's persistent policy of deceit on the diplomatic front, IRNA reported.

"That policy had been highlighted when, well aware of the extent of their crimes, the Israelis had attempted to buy time by misleading the United Nations into believing an international fact-finding mission would be allowed to visit the Jenin Camp," he said.

"Israel should not be allowed to commit war crimes, hold the entire United Nations system in contempt, evade accountability and finally walk away with impunity," Zarif stressed.

"Indeed, the events that had evolved following Israeli's refusal to abide by the will of the United Nations, the Security Council and the wider international community during the past few months was a cause of great concern," he said.

Zarif noted that acts of collective punishment and destruction of the property of persons protected under the 4th Geneva Convention constituted criminal offenses under recognized international law.

"For the sake of its own credibility, the United Nations could focus all its attention on efforts to end such practices and bring their perpetrators to justice," he stressed.

The UN General Assembly opened a special session Monday to discuss the long-awaited report on Palestinian accusations over Israel's incursion into the Jenin Refugee Camp in the West Bank.

The assembly adopted a resolution Monday demanding that the Israeli armed forces withdraw immediately to the positions they occupied when the current Intifada began in September 2000. The resolution also calls for "the immediate cessation of military incursions and all acts of violence, terror, provocation, incitement and destruction."

Zarif also submitted his credentials to Annan.

Prior to his current appointment, Zarif served from 1992 to 2002 as Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs.

From 1989 to 1992 he served as deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. He served in a number of positions at the permanent mission of Iran to the United Nations from 1982 to 1988, including adviser, counselor and charge d'affaires.

He was advisor to the Iranian foreign minister from 1989 to 1999 in Tehran.

Throughout his career in international relations, Zarif has held leadership positions on numerous inter-governmental bodies. This year he held the post of chairman of the Asian preparatory meeting for the world conference on racism.

From 2000 to 2002, he was a member of the United Nations group of eminent persons on dialogue among civilizations. In 2000, he was chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.