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Senior Iranian diplomat suggests holding referendum on Palestine’s future

Ali Bagheri Kani pointed out that "the solution to the Palestinian issue should be in the hands of the Palestinians themselves," who "do not need external guardians"

DUBAI, November 24. /TASS/. Holding a referendum among Palestinians on the future of their territories is the only way to solve the Palestinian issue, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said.

"The only solution to the Palestinian issue is to hold a referendum in which all Palestinians will participate: both those who live in the occupied territories and those who left them and live in other countries. They should determine their own destiny and choose for themselves the desired mechanism of governance," the IRNA news agency quoted the diplomat as saying.

The deputy foreign minister pointed out that "the solution to the Palestinian issue should be in the hands of the Palestinians themselves," who "do not need external guardians." "Problems start when non-Palestinians want to make a decision on the Palestinian issue," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on November 11 that his country does not intend to resume settlement construction in the Gaza Strip after the end of the military operation. The Israeli side only plans to exercise security control. Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pointed out that Israel does not intend to determine how the enclave will be governed after the end of hostilities.

On November 5, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that his administration is ready to return to governing the Gaza Strip as part of a comprehensive political solution to the Middle East conflict. Abbas pointed out that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the state of Palestine and that it will be fully responsible in both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip after the end of the hot phase of the conflict within the framework of a comprehensive political solution.