The office of the highest religious authority, Ali al-Sistani, warned today, Saturday, that Israeli practices "have increased the risks of major clashes which, if they occur, could result in catastrophic outcomes for various countries in the region and their peoples." He called for "solidarity and cohesion to pressure towards ending the genocidal war in Gaza."
This came in a statement issued by his office regarding the "new massacre" committed in the Gaza Strip. The statement noted that "once again, the Israeli occupation army has perpetrated a major massacre in the steadfast Gaza Strip by targeting those sheltered in the (School of the Affiliated) for the displaced and homeless, resulting in a large number of innocent civilian casualties both dead and wounded, in a horrific crime added to the series of its continuous crimes for more than ten months."
The statement mentioned that Israel has conducted "treacherous" assassination operations targeting prominent leaders, leading to the death of several of them. It indicated, "This has violated the sovereignty of several countries in the region, increasing the risks of major clashes in them which, if they occur—God forbid—could lead to catastrophic consequences for various countries in this region and their peoples."
It further stated that "words fall short of condemning these heinous crimes," expressing sorrow that the perpetrators of these crimes "enjoy unlimited support from several major countries, preventing them from being subjected to international laws pertaining to perpetrators of crimes against humanity."
It called on "the world to stand against this monstrous brutality and prevent the occupation forces from continuing their plans to inflict further harm on the Palestinian people," and urged Islamic nations to "unite and coalesce to pressure towards ending the genocidal war in Gaza and providing more assistance to its people."
The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday that at least 93 people were killed due to a new Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City, just two days after the targeting of two other schools.
