Iran FM spox: Human rights a plaything for some criminal regimes

AhlulBayt News Agency: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has denounced the fatal shooting of a young Palestinian man by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, saying human rights have turned into a plaything in the hands of some criminal governments.

Nasser Kan’ani made the remarks in a post published on his Twitter page after video footage widely circulated on social media showed an Israeli soldier putting the Palestinian man, identified as 22-year-old Ammar Mefleh, in a headlock on the street in the town of Huwara, south of Nablus, as two other men try to wrestle him away.

The man then appears to strike the Israeli soldier, before the trooper pulls out a handgun and shoots him several times at point-blank.

“The assassination of young Palestinian Ammar Hamdi Mefleh by the Zionist regime's military fire at point-blank and before many eyes deserves an international reaction. Nevertheless, the daily crimes of the criminal Zionist regime are neither condemned by the so-called advocates of human rights, nor a fact-finding commission is formed to probe such crimes,” Kan’ani tweeted.

He added, “Human rights have become a plaything in the hands of some criminal governments.”

Israeli forces present at the scene prevented residents and ambulances from providing aid to the injured Palestinian youth, provoking clashes with locals.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Mefleh died of his critical wounds.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, said on Twitter that he was horrified by the latest killing.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said the criminal execution in the town of Huwara reflects the extent of organized racism being practiced by Israeli military forces.

Shtayyeh expressed his utter shock and anger over the heartbreaking video footage of Mefleh being fatally shot at point-blank by an Israeli soldier.

He said Israeli soldiers feel assured that they will not be held accountable for their crimes, and the approach emboldens them to repeat such offenses.

Shtayyeh warned of the dangerous repercussions of such horrific crimes, calling on the international community to immediately intervene to stop the crimes committed by the occupying Israeli regime against the Palestinian nation.

He also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to quickly hold the perpetrators to account.

Moreover, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the heinous crime committed by an Israeli soldier against 22-year-old Palestinian youth Ammar Mefleh.

The ministry held Israel directly responsible for the assassination, stating that the crime proves once again the regime’s predetermined plans to exacerbate the situation and expand the scope of targeting killings of Palestinians.

Israeli forces have recently been conducting overnight raids and killings in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, where new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.

Since the start of 2022, Israeli troops have killed more than 200 Palestinians, including more than 50 children, in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds as well as the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to the United Nations, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank this year is the highest in 16 years.

Local and international rights groups have condemned Israel’s excessive use of force and “shoot-to-kill policy” against Palestinians.


/129