TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has stronglycondemned an Israeli attack on protesters calling for the return of landseized by Tel Aviv in 1976, and stated that it will “spare no effort” tohelp Palestinians restore what it claims is rightfully theirs.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran issued a statementcondemning the Israeli attack on protesters during the so-called Land Day,which saw least 17 killed and over 1,400 protesters injured, Sputnik hasreported.

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, as the Iranian nation’s powerfularm, will spare no effort to help the Muslim people of Palestine and willfurther activate its available capacities to restore Palestinians’ rights,”according to the statement.Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas held Israel responsible for thecivilian casualties during protests and called on the internationalcommunity to urgently intervene to “protect” Palestinian people against the”escalating daily aggression” by the government of Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, cited by Press TV.

Dubbed “the Great March of Return,” the marches that began on Friday areplanned to last several weeks, culminating on May 15 to mark Nakba Day (Dayof Catastrophe), the day that Israel was created, according to the website.

The IRGC statement condemned the US and the EU for their support of Israeland said that the attack on unarmed protesters proves that Israel is afraidof a new intifada (uprising). IRGC statements called for an immediatereaction to what it termed Israeli ‘crimes’ and the taking of practicalsteps to restore the rights of Palestinians.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohhamad Javad Zarif also condemned the attackin his Twitter account.

“On the eve of Passover (of all days), which commemorates God liberatingProphet Moses and his people from tyranny, Zionist tyrants murder peacefulPalestinian protesters — whose land they have stolen — as they marchto escape their cruel and inhuman apartheid bondage. Shameful,” Zariftweeted.