“The OIC must mobilize all its strength and resources to reject and stop Israel’s plan to fully occupy Gaza and expand settlements in the West Bank,” Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta said at an emergency ministerial session of the OIC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
He warned that Israel’s push to realize its vision of a “Greater Israel” and its ambition to assert full control over Gaza pose an existential threat to the survival and sovereignty of countries in the region.
Matta stressed that unity and a collective mechanism are essential to safeguard the sovereignty and future of OIC member states.
“No matter how long it takes or how great the sacrifice required, Palestine will always remain the beating heart of this community,” he declared.
He also urged the OIC to work with international organizations to immediately end the war in Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid delivery through all possible routes.
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The emergency OIC meeting was convened in response to Israel’s reported plans for large-scale permanent occupation in Gaza and broader annexation efforts in Palestine. The urgency of the session intensified after the United Nations declared that Gaza had entered a state of total famine.
“There is nothing more horrific than using starvation as a weapon of war and genocide against our brothers and sisters in Gaza,” Matta said, strongly condemning Israel’s actions.
With growing global public support for Palestine, Matta encouraged the OIC to seize the momentum to push more countries to recognize Palestine’s independence.
He also called on the UN Security Council to convene a special session to end Israel’s occupation of Gaza and all Palestinian territories.
The Jeddah meeting was attended by 43 of the 57 OIC member states, with 21 countries represented by their foreign ministers, including Palestine.
The session concluded with a resolution strongly reaffirming the OIC’s unified stance. It rejected Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza, demanded the immediate opening of humanitarian aid access, and urged the international community and the United Nations to take swift action to stop Israeli aggression.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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