The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, on Monday called for urgent international efforts to stop Israel’s ongoing assault on the Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza.
Speaking at the opening session of an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Taha warned of the grave consequences of Israel’s declared intention to impose full military control over Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on what he termed a “Greater Israel.”
He urged the international community to take “concrete steps” to break the blockade and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
The OIC chief condemned Israel’s expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, most recently the approval of a plan to enlarge settlements in the E1 area near Jerusalem, and denounced what he called Israel’s systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza. He stressed that such acts warrant accountability under international criminal law.
Taha reaffirmed the OIC’s support for UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, and called for continued efforts to achieve a ceasefire, ensure the return of displaced civilians, and prepare for a reconstruction conference for Gaza in Cairo.
He also welcomed the outcome of the recent high-level peace conference on Palestine, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France in New York, urging states to adopt its final document. He hailed the recognition of Palestine by several countries and called on others to follow suit and support full U.N. membership for Palestine.
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