TEHRAN, Dec 28: Iran’s Supreme Leader issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians in Gaza against Israeli attacks “in any way possible”, state television reported.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also declared on Monday a day of public mourning in Iran after Israel killed more than 280 Palestinians in two days of air strikes on Gaza.

“All Palestinian combatants and all the Islamic world’s pious people are obliged to defend the defenceless women, children and people in Gaza in any way possible,” Khamenei said.

“Whoever is killed in this legitimate defence, is considered a martyr,” he said in a statement.

A religious decree is an official statement by a ranking religious leader that commands Muslims to carry out its message.

While there is no religious and legal force behind it, Khamenei is respected by many Iranian and non-Iranian Shias.

Khamenei criticised some Arab governments for their lack of response towards the Israeli raids.

“The even greater catastrophe is the encouraging silence of some Arab governments who claim to be Islamic,” he said, also accusing the West of being indifferent to the killing of Palestinians.

Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful authority, urged Muslim countries to punish Israeli leaders.

“The officials of this regime ... should be tried and punished for this crime by Islamic governments.”

Various protests were held in Tehran on Sunday, including one by Iranian lawmakers chanting “Death to Israel”.

Iran is ready to receive Palestinians wounded in the raids, foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said.

—Reuters