The Organization of Islamic Cooperation held on Wednesday Israel responsible for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last week.
The OIC convened a meeting of the Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers in Jeddah to discuss the latest escalation in the region.
The gatherers condemned the ongoing “war crimes and genocide committed by Israel, the illegal occupation, in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.” It noted that since October, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed and wounded over 140,000 Palestinians.
Palestinian envoy to the United Nations Riad Mansour told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Israel’s aggression, oppression and policy of starvation will not stop unless UN Security Council resolutions are implemented, the most recent of which was the US proposed resolution that enjoyed 14 votes in favor.”
By assassinating Haniyeh, Israel wants to drag the region and US to a broad war, he warned.
The Arab and Islamic worlds do not want war, he stressed. They want to live in peace, stop the conflicts and save innocent lives.
In a statement, the OIC said Haniyeh’s assassination was a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter. It is a dangerous violation of Iran’s sovereignty, regional safety and national security.
It warned that the “ongoing Israeli crimes and illegal occupation undermine security and stability in the region and demand immediate and effective intervention from the Security Council given its responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security.”
It also warned of the accelerated pace of Israeli settlement expansion and the daily crimes and assaults committed by the Israeli army and settler militias against Palestinians in the West Bank.
It urged the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in imposing an immediate end to the Israeli hostilities against the Palestinian people and ensure the delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid throughout Gaza.
It stressed the need for respecting the legal and historic standing of the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, it called on all countries to meet their responsibilities in line with international law to refrain from offering any form of aid or support to Israel that would help prolong the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, encourage impunity and allow it to continue its blatant crimes and violations of international law and UN resolutions.
