JEDDAH: Iran has called on member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take a strong stance against Israel in the wake of the deadly strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza that left over 500 Palestinians dead.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian urged for measures such as an oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel, as well as the expulsion of all Israeli ambassadors during an emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, convened to address the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Amirabdollahian called for an immediate and complete embargo on Israel, including oil sanctions and the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors.
Iran Proposes War Crimes Documentation
He also suggested forming a team of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.
The call for action followed a devastating Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital, resulting in a high casualty count, as reported by Palestinians. Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza’s Health Ministry spokesperson, noted that hundreds had lost their lives, and rescue efforts continued to recover bodies from the rubble.
The hospital strike sparked widespread pro-Palestinian protests across the Middle East and North Africa, including demonstrations outside Israeli embassies in Jordan, Turkey, and near the US embassy in Lebanon, as well as protests in Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, and Iraq.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the hospital attack as a “hideous war massacre” and accused Israel of crossing the red lines.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll on human lives, with Gaza’s health authorities reporting at least 3,300 deaths and 13,000 injuries over the 11-day conflict. In Israel, the death toll reached 1,400, with 4,475 injuries. The international community has been closely watching and condemning the situation, with calls for a peaceful resolution to the crisis growing more urgent.
