Zionists, Trump hatching dangerous plot in Middle East: Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has denounced the Israeli regime's "criminal and inhumane" actions after it killed more than a dozen Palestinians during Friday's Land Day rallies, warning that Zionists and US President Donald Trump are hatching a "dangerous plot" against the Middle Eastern countries.

Larijani, who is the current president of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States (PUIC), said on Sunday that the latest deadly attacks by the illegitimate Israeli regime were continuation of the Zionists' repeated crimes backed by the US government.

The Israeli regime's policy for creating tension and crisis and Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds constitute a dangerous plot, which threatens regional stability and security, he said.

On Friday, around 30,000 Gazans marched to the fence with the occupied territories at the start of a six-week protest, dubbed "The Great March of Return," demanding the right to return to their homeland.

PressTV-16 Palestinians shot dead as Gazans hold mass rallies

Israeli military forces have shot and killed 16 Palestinians during massive anti-Israeli rallies staged by thousands along Gaza-Israel borders.

The rallies coincided with the 42nd anniversary of Land Day, which commemorates the murder of six Palestinians by Israeli forces in 1976.

Friday's demonstrations turned violent after Israeli forces used tear gas and live fire to force back demonstrators who had approached within a few hundred meters of the heavily-fortified fence.

The clashes left 17 Palestinians dead and over 1,400 others injured in Gaza in what was the single deadliest day in the Israel-Palestine conflict since the 2014 war.

Larijani further said, "Tel Aviv's ruling terrorists only understand the language of force and resistance is the most important factor in countering the ambitious goals of the Zionist regime (of Israel)."

He called on parliaments of the OIC member states and other countries across the world to adopt necessary measures to condemn the Israeli regime's crimes, support the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and prevent the Zionists from creating a new crisis.

The Great March of Return rallies culminate on May 15, the day Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe) when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out of their homes in 1948, the year Israel was created.

Israel's Friday massacre of the Palestinians drew condemnations worldwide, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calling for “an independent and transparent investigation” into the incident.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) described as "invalid and impossible" the fantasy of providing stability and security for the Israeli regime.

PressTV-Gaza carnage expedites Israeli eradication: Iran's IRGC

Iran's IRGC says it will spare no effort to help the restoration of Palestinian people's rights.

"The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, as the Iranian nation's powerful arm, will spare no effort to help the Muslim people of Palestine and will further activate its available capacities to restore Palestinians' rights," the statement pointed out.

Read more:

• Israel's Netanyahu thanks troops for killing Palestinians
• Israeli forces injure dozens of Palestinians in fresh Gaza protests

Muslim countries must close embassies in Tel Aviv: Senior MP

A senior Iranian lawmaker also on Sunday said Israel's killing of 17 Palestinians once again revealed that this bloodthirsty regime was the main enemy of Muslim nations and urged all Muslim countries to close their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi also called on the OIC to "condemn this crime to support the oppressed Palestinian people."

He said the Israeli regime cannot take any criminal action without the US support and Trump's embassy transfer decision had further emboldened the Tel Aviv regime.

In December last year, the US president sparked global uproar by announcing a dramatic shift in Washington’s policy on Jerusalem al-Quds. He declared that the US was recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and planning to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

PressTV-Trump: Jerusalem al-Quds is Israel's capital

US President Donald Trump has recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.

Relations between the US and Palestine have been strained and there have been regular anti-US protests by Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since Trump declared his decision on al-Quds. Many say Trump's move has effectively killed any chances of further negotiations.

The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem al-Quds policy drew fierce criticism from the international community, including Washington's Western allies, and triggered protests against the US and Israel worldwide.

The United Nations General Assembly later voted by a resounding majority to reject Trump's Jerusalem al-Quds move.

Read more:

• Israel expedites process for US embassy construction in al-Quds
• US to regret Trump's 'foolish' embassy decision: Velayati

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