Iraq’s top Islamic cleric, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, in a statement called for collective efforts to end the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.
Iraq’s prominent Islamic cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has called on both Islamic and non-Islamic countries to take immediate action to end the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
The office of Ayatollah Sistani issued a statement on Friday night, calling for urgent action to end the suffering of Gazans, which has been intensifying over the past weeks due to continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of food, water, and other basic supplies. The curbs are part of Israel’s genocidal war that began in early October 2023.
“After nearly two years of relentless killing and destruction that have left hundreds of thousands dead or wounded, and devastated cities and residential areas, the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza are now enduring horrific conditions,” the statement read. “Severe food shortages, widespread famine, and starvation are affecting everyone, including children, the sick, and the elderly.”
Ayatollah Sistani emphasized that while such “brutal savagery” is to be expected from the occupying forces – who persist in their attempts to displace Palestinians – the international community, especially Arab and Islamic nations, must not allow this humanitarian crisis to continue.
“Rather, they must redouble their efforts to end this tragedy and do everything within their power to compel the Israeli regime and its supporters to allow the swift entry of food and essential supplies for innocent civilians,” he added.
The Grand Ayatollah noted that the heartbreaking scenes of hunger and famine in Gaza, widely broadcast by the media, leave no person of conscience able to enjoy even a sip of water or a bite of food.
