Deputy FM: Resistance Not To Remain Silent Faced With Zionistsˈ Crimes

Tehran, March 15, IRNA – Condemning racist-Zionist regimeˈs brutal aggressions towards besieged Gaza residents, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday resistance will not remain silent faced with Tel Avivˈs aggressive crimes. The top diplomat stressed in an interview with IRNA that defending the rights of the Palestinian nation is a humanitarian, religious and international duty. Criticizing the biased stands adopted by some countries claiming to be the defenders of the human rights in favor of the criminal acts committed by the illegitimate Israeli entity, he stressed the need for adopting a clear and decisive stand by the Islamic countries on the criminal acts of the Zionist regime. Earlier on Tuesday, too, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman had denounced the Zionistsˈ crimes against the oppressed and defenseless Palestinians in Gaza. Marzieh Afkham had said that the Zionist regimeˈs barbarian attacks on Gaza Strip and Tel Avivˈs invasions stem from that usurper regimeˈs helplessness in the face of the Islamic resistance. She added that no doubt such terror attacks will further consolidate the Palestinian nationˈs resolve to liberate the occupied lands and reject the mirage of compromise with the West. A cease-fire didnˈt last very long Thursday as more than a dozen rockets from Gaza were fired at southern parts of the occupied Palestine in retaliation against recent aggressive crimes of the Zionists and the usurper Israeli air force hit what it labeled as seven terror sites. Of the 18 rockets fired, eight struck Israel and eight landed in Palestinian areas, the Zionistsˈ so-called defense officials said. Palestinian security officials told CNN that the Israeli warplanes bombed a training base of al-Qassam Brigades -- the military wing of Hamas -- while another targeted an old intelligence building. There were no casualties, the officials reported. IDF said it attacked four sites in the southern Gaza and three in northern Gaza. There was news earlier of an Egyptian-brokered truce. Islamic Jihad Khaled Al-Batash told CNN that the truce started at 3 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET). Two hours later, two rockets were fired from Gaza, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Islamic Jihad said the flare-up came after three of its operatives were killed Tuesday by an Israeli military strike in Gaza. The operatives had traveled to Gaza to inspect an Israeli drone -- a small surveillance aircraft -- that had become disabled, Islamic Jihad said. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas blamed the Israelis for the outbreak. ˈThe Israeli occupation forces killed in cold blood three Palestinians in the West Bank and another three in Gaza, and we did not hear any condemnation or any apologies to these acts from the Israeli government,ˈ he said Thursday in a joint news conference in Bethlehem with British Prime Minister David Cameron. ˈAnd, yesterday, the launching of rockets happened from Gaza and Israel retaliated to that, and we condemn this escalated military aggression in all its forms, including the firing of rockets,ˈ he told reporters, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Only a few days ago, Egypt declared Hamas a terrorist organization and outlawed its activities in the country. This followed the military-backed governmentˈs fierce crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, which is linked to Hamas. The announcement of the cease-fire came shortly after four Palestinian residents were critically wounded in an airstrike on tunnels near the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian medical sources told CNN. A Hamas website reported five people were injured in two attacks. Security sources said one of the attacks struck west of Rafah, destroying two tunnels; a second attack struck east of Rafah on open land./end