Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah chaired on Wednesday an emergency open-ended extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.
Held at the ministerial level, the meeting was held at the headquarters of the organization's General Secretariat in Jeddah.
Prince Faisal said the meeting was called in response to tragic and violent developments in the region. The aim was to discuss and assess the grave situation regarding the escalation of military operations in the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas.
He reiterated the Kingdom's firm rejection of the repeated and escalating attacks carried out by Israeli forces. "Despite numerous appeals for an immediate cessation of these military actions, they continue to result in the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives, including children, women, and the elderly," he added.
"Our values and principles dictated by our righteous Islamic religion prohibit the unlawful killing of people, terrorizing the safe people, and targeting children, women and the elderly," he stressed.
Prince Faisal emphasized the Kingdom's grave concerns regarding the deteriorating situation, highlighting the unpredictable consequences and the potential for increased extremism. He also underscored the alarming levels of violence and the growing scope of the crisis.
He therefore called on the international community to take a responsible stance by providing protection to civilian Palestinians, the need to abide by the international humanitarian law without selectivity or double standards, including the rejection of forced displacement, lifting the siege on Gaza, and stopping the targeting of critical infrastructure and interests.
The FM stressed the need to seriously exert efforts to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian situation and reduce the growing suffering in Gaza by calling for the evacuation of the injured, and opening humanitarian corridors to deliver aid, medical equipment and medicine.
He underlined the importance of upholding peace as a strategic option to break the cycle of violence and suffering.
"As part of our position in support of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, we call upon the international community to fulfil its responsibilities in implementing international resolutions and to create conditions necessary for restoring the course of peace to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and lead to a just and lasting peace that contributes to regional and international peace and security," he stated.
The Kingdom will continue to coordinate closely with Arab countries and partners in the international community to end this crisis in a way that meets the aspirations of the leaders and peoples of Islamic countries, and guarantees legitimate rights to a decent life under a just and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian people, he remarked.
The Kingdom's delegation included Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, Undersecretary of Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs Dr. Saud Al-Sati, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the OIC Dr. Saleh Al-Suhaibani.
