TEHRAN) – Iran on Wednesday strongly condemned relentless Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank while negotiations are being held for a possible ceasefire. 
“While the occupying regime has failed to achieve its declared objectives to eliminate the resistance of the Palestinian nation against tyranny and occupation during the past 16 months, it intends to portray itself as a victor by massacring more women and children, destroying the health infrastructures, mosques and houses of people, killing journalists and medical staff in the Gaza Strip, and through suppression, arrests, terror and aerial strikes in the West Bank,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement.
The spokesman also condemned the Israeli killing of women and children in military strikes during the past 24 hours against Gaza and in a terrorist drone attack on the 
Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.
Baghaei touched on the escalation atrocities by Israeli forces and terrorist acts by extremist Zionist settlers against the people of Palestine and desecration of Islamic sites in the West Bank and holy Al-Quds.
The spokesman stressed the need for Palestinian groups to maintain unity, strengthen solidarity, and avoid any division or discord in their confrontation with the Zionist regime.
Baghaei also reminded the United Nations Security Council of its responsibility to protect international peace and security.
He touched on an upcoming emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Palestine, saying the public opinion in the world and region expects the body to honor its duties under the UN Charter, take decisive measures to stop the Zionist regime’s genocidal crimes, execute the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court against the apartheid Israeli regime’s officials, and put an end to Israel’s impunity and its heinous crimes.