Iran's Religious Leader Calls For 'Arming Palestinians'

Iran's top religious authority called on the Muslim world to arm Palestinians in Gaza who have been under Israeli attack for the last three weeks.  



Speaking at a prayer ceremony in the Iranian capital Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said three important steps should be taken in order to help Palestinians in Gaza: "Punishment of the Zionist regime and its supporters, appreciation of the Gazans' unique resistance and arming Palestinians."



Khamenei called Gaza the "priority issue of Islam and humanity."



He said that humanity should react against Israel's "murders."



Touching on Israel and the EU's demand to disarm the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, Khamenei said that their aim was to leave Palestinians totally defenseless against the "Zionist regime." The entire world, especially the Islamic world, should do their utmost to arm Palestinians, he added.



Although Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign nation after Turkey, relations between Iran and Israel have been generally hostile.



Since July 7, Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip – from air, land and sea – with devastating bombardments with the ostensible aim of halting rocket fire from the strip.



Israel claims that the offensive aims at halting rocket fire from the blockaded Palestinian territory.



The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the country rose to 1158 on Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry.



At least 56 Israelis – 53 soldiers and three civilians – have been killed since the hostilities began.



Israel's military operation, dubbed operation "Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip – which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – within the last six years.



In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week-long operation "Cast Lead."



www.aa.com.tr/en - Tahran