TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday slammed what he called the "silence" of some Arab states and Islamic countries following the killings of Palestinian protesters by Israel.

It is regretful that some regional Arab countries remained silent over the violence against people who want to claim legitimate rights to their own occupied lands, Rouhani said at a government meeting on Wednesday. "On this land, 'legitimate defense by the Zionists' makes no sense," the president said.

However, "the Palestinians will not give up resistance, as they have not ceased it over the past seven decades," he said.

Besides, "the Zionist regime (of Israel) and the United States cannot separate the Muslims from their land of al-Quds (Jerusalem)," he insisted.

Iran has strongly condemned Israel's violence against Palestinian protesters which came concurrent with the U.S. relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday.

Israel launched deadly attack in the Gaza Strip on Monday when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who were protesting against the provocative inauguration of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, killing dozens of Palestinians and injuring many others.