Iran, Qatar call for global pressure on Israel to stop int'l law violations in Gaza

TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian and Qatari foreign ministers called on the international community to take immediate measures to pressure Israel into stopping its "flagrant violations of international law" in Gaza.

The appeal was made in a phone call between Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in which they discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

The two ministers held Israel accountable for "the present situation in the occupied territories," calling for efforts by Muslim and Arab states to immediately send aid to the "defenseless" Palestinians.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest political initiatives aimed at stopping the Israeli "war crimes" against Gaza.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks in retaliation for the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza, while on the Israeli side, about 1,200 people have lost their lives, the majority of whom were killed in the Hamas attacks.