JEDDAH: The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, issued a strong condemnation on Monday regarding the ongoing and intensifying military aggression by Israel against the Gaza Strip, which has persisted for twenty-three consecutive days.
The relentless assault has resulted in the tragic loss of thousands of lives, with innocent civilians, including women, children, medical personnel, and journalists, suffering casualties. Moreover, it has led to the deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure such as buildings, hospitals, schools, places of worship, and United Nations facilities, as stated by the OIC Secretariat in Jeddah.
Israel’s continued threats to target hospitals, along with its obstruction of access to essential resources like food, medicine, water, and electricity, are viewed as acts of collective punishment, war crimes, and clear violations of both international law and international humanitarian law, according to the OIC statement.
OIC Demands Israel’s Accountability for Aggression in Gaza
The Secretary-General also reiterated the OIC’s rejection and condemnation of the escalating acts of violence, incitement, and organized terrorism perpetrated by extremist settler groups and Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, including the occupied city of Al-Quds.
These criminal actions have tragically resulted in the loss of over 115 Palestinian lives since the beginning of the month. “The OIC holds Israel, as the occupying power, fully responsible for the continuation of these criminal acts,” read the press statement.
The OIC Secretary-General called upon the international community to intervene urgently in order to compel Israel, as the occupying power, to cease its brutal aggression against the Palestinian people immediately.
The international community is urged to ensure that Israel respects and adheres to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. Furthermore, the OIC emphasizes the importance of establishing permanent humanitarian corridors to facilitate the delivery of essential medicines, food supplies, and basic necessities to the Gaza Strip.
