The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned on Wednesday Israel’s decision to prevent 37 international non-governmental organizations operating in the humanitarian and health sectors from carrying out their activities in Gaza.
The Secretariat stressed that these organizations “play an indispensable role in alleviating humanitarian suffering in Gaza.”
The OIC General Secretariat “warned of the grave consequences of this arbitrary measure, which is likely to dangerously exacerbate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli restrictions that hinder the entry of sufficient humanitarian and medical aid.”
It deemed the Israeli decision as “illegal and a “blatant violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which obliges the Israel to facilitate the work of international and humanitarian organizations and to allow the adequate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.”
The OIC General Secretariat called on the international community “to take the necessary measures and exert effective pressure on Israeli authorities to reverse this decision, ensure the protection of humanitarian workers, and guarantee the freedom of humanitarian organizations to operate without restriction throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.”
