TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranians held rallies across the country on Saturday to express support for the Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip and condemn Israel's "crimes" against them.

The rallies were staged in the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as other cities including Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan, Rasht, Bushehr, Arak, and Qazvin, reported the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

In a rally in Tehran, protesters chanted slogans against the United States and Israel, while expressing support for the Palestinians in Gaza, particularly the children.

A number of high-ranking Iranian officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, took part in the rally in Tehran.

Speaking to the official news agency IRNA at the rally, Mokhber said Iran was holding constant diplomatic consultations with other countries and international organizations, urging Israel to stop "crimes and killing of people in Gaza."

In a speech at the Tehran rally, Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Hossein Salami said the entire Iran is teeming with "deep love and emotion as well as support for the Palestinian people and children."

At the end of the rally, a statement was issued with a call for an immediate end to Israel's killing of Gazans and attacks on the civilian Palestinians.

The statement also called for reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at an early date and immediately lifting the siege on the Palestinian enclave to allow in humanitarian aid.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks to retaliate against the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 11,500 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. Enditem

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