OIC condemns Israeli "war crimes," calls for Palestinians protection

AMMAN — The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee, convening at the level of Foreign Ministers in an extraordinary open-ended session on Wednesday, issued a final communiqué stressing the importance of preserving the legal and historical status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The communiqué also highlighted the critical role of the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department as the sole authority responsible for supervising affairs and managing access to the holy sites, under the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's holy sites.

The OIC statement of the Jeddah-held meeting condemned the ongoing Israeli "war crimes, aggression, and genocide" in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, which over the past 300 days have resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than 140,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children. 

The OIC also denounced the extensive destruction of essential infrastructure and the displacement of more than two million people.

It also called for an immediate cessation of Israeli aggression and condemned the policy of collective punishment and starvation imposed on the Palestinians, rejecting any attempts to forcibly displace them.

The communiqué also warned that Israel's ongoing aggression threatens regional security and stability and urged the UN Security Council to take immediate and effective action. 

The OIC also reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem to the Islamic world, insisting on the preservation of Jerusalem's Arab and Islamic identity and on Palestinian sovereignty over the holy city, which is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and the capital of Palestine.

The statement called for respect for the status quo of Jerusalem's holy shrines, particularly Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, emphasising that its full area of 144 dunams is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims.

The ministers condemned the acceleration of Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the daily violence perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces and settler militias in the West Bank. 

They also expressed concern over Israel's treatment of Palestinian prisoners, citing practices such as extrajudicial executions, torture, and enforced disappearances. 

The OIC also called on international organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to address these violations and to ensure the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners.

The communiqué also criticised Israel for enacting discriminatory laws, including measures aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state and undermining the work of UNRWA. The OIC reiterated the position of the International Court of Justice that Israel has no sovereignty over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967.

The OIC also urged the UN Security Council to enforce a comprehensive cessation of Israeli aggression, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and implement resolutions No. 2720 and No. 2728 to provide international protection for the Palestinian people.

The statement further warned against ongoing Israeli provocations at the Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, particularly those instigated by the Israeli minister of national security. 

The session concluded with a mandate for the OIC Secretary General to follow up on the implementation of the communiqué and to report to the next meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers.