Tehran [Iran], August 23 (ANI): Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Saturday (local time) accused Western countries of deliberately choosing to support Israel, saying continued arms supplies and assistance amount to participation in alleged Israeli crimes.

Responding to a call by former British and French diplomats urging their governments to 'uphold international law in Palestine', Gharibabadi, in a post shared on X, said, 'London and Paris should not hide behind the phrase 'expressing concern' from this situation.'

'Continuing to send weapons and providing any kind of support to the regime is a deliberate choice for collaboration and participation in the commission of crimes by the Zionist regime,' he added.

https://x.com/Gharibabadi/status/2091259661328814311

The remarks came after more than a hundred experienced British and French diplomats warned their governments that Israel's policies were moving towards 'ethnic cleansing' and 'the erasure of Palestine'. They called for concrete action by London and Paris, including halting arms transfers, banning trade with settlements and implementing decisions of the Hague courts.

'More than a hundred seasoned British and French diplomats warned their governments that the Zionist regime's policy is heading toward 'ethnic cleansing' and 'the erasure of Palestine.' They called for concrete action by London and Paris to halt arms transfers, ban trade with settlements, and implement the decisions of the Hague courts,' Gharibabadi's another post on X read.

https://x.com/Gharibabadi/status/2091259659009032490

His remarks came after a coalition of 102 former French and British diplomats called on their governments to jointly sanction Israel, warning that Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories threaten the possibility of a future Palestinian state, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, in an open letter published by French newspaper Le Monde, the former diplomats urged France and the United Kingdom to 'act together to uphold international law in Palestine' and push for 'equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians'.

The signatories include former British ambassadors to the United Nations Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, along with former French Middle East directors Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard.

The letter alleged that Israeli policies, including settlement expansion, house demolitions and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, amounted to ethnic cleansing, as reported by Al Jazeera.

'Palestinian house demolitions and rampant settler violence - with the connivance of the Israeli army and police - amount to ethnic cleansing,' the letter said, adding, 'The world no longer sees Israel as a genuine democracy.'

The letter comes amid continuing international criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. According to Al Jazeera, the diplomats said Israel's renewed push to expand settlements in the West Bank was a key reason behind their appeal.

The diplomats called on France and the UK to suspend trade agreements with Israel, halt arms transfers and military cooperation, ban trade with Israeli settlements and restrict citizens from purchasing property on occupied Palestinian land, Al Jazeera reported.

The letter also urged both governments to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza through UN agencies, including UNRWA, and protect access for journalists, diplomats and parliamentarians.

'These actions, imposing penalties for law-breaking, safeguard the rule of law and show that there is an alternative to violence,' the letter stated.

The letter also called on Palestinian leadership to ensure that a future Palestinian state remains 'democratic and law-abiding', while pointing to upcoming elections as an opportunity for political renewal, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI)