TEHRAN – The Foreign Ministers of Iran and Turkey issued a joint appeal on Monday, demanding immediate and coordinated action from Muslim nations to halt the Israeli regime's ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, now entering its 22nd month.

The appeal was made during a telephone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Araghchi delivered a scathing condemnation of the Israeli regime's escalating military campaign, which has claimed the lives of more than 59,000 Palestinians since October 2023, the overwhelming majority being women and children.

He specifically denounced Israel's comprehensive blockade on Gaza, accusing it of deliberately "weaponizing starvation" by severely restricting the entry of food, water, and other critical humanitarian supplies.

"The Zionist regime is depriving Gazans of the most basic necessities of life to intensify the deadly effects of its war," Araghchi stated emphatically during the call.

The Iranian top diplomat called for the Muslim world to demonstrate "serious mobilization," urging the immediate convening of an emergency OIC summit.

He further stressed the necessity of activating all available regional consultative mechanisms specifically designed to pressure for an end to the violence.

The Iranian Foreign Minister expanded the scope of concern, noting that collective Islamic efforts must also address Israel's "deadly atrocities" throughout West Asia, explicitly referencing the regime's concurrent military escalations against Lebanon and Syria.

Echoing his Iranian colleague's stance, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan strongly condemned the Israeli assaults on both Gaza and Syria.

Fidan, speaking from Ankara, emphasized the critical need for "prompt and coordinated action" by OIC member states to halt Israel's acts of "deadly aggression."

The phone call between the Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers took place as Iranian and European diplomats prepare to gather in Istanbul on Friday to resume nuclear negotiations.

Additionally, the diplomatic exchange occurred against a backdrop of catastrophic humanitarian conditions within the besieged Gaza Strip.

Despite repeated international pleas, the Israeli regime maintains near-total control over the entry points for aid, drastically reducing the flow of desperately needed supplies to almost nothing.

Reports from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, paint a harrowing picture: approximately one million children are now facing acute starvation across the territory, with malnutrition rates soaring and medical facilities overwhelmed and collapsing.

Eyewitness accounts and reports from Palestinian sources describe scenes of utter desperation.

Israel's establishment of so-called aid distribution points has proven perilous, with swarms of severely malnourished Palestinians, including children, risking Israeli gunfire in frantic attempts to secure minimal food supplies.

The situation, widely reported as a man-made famine, is described by human rights organizations as unprecedented in its cruelty, severity, and speed.