Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has said that the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) set to take place in Jeddah next week will look to develop a “coordinated response” to the Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, Jilani outlined that the OIC’s Executive Committee “open-ended extraordinary meeting” was being held to discuss three issues.
“The first objective is to develop a coordinated response of the OIC member countries in respect of the current situation in Palestine. The second is to bring an end to this violence by Israel against Palestinian people (in Gaza), stated Jilani.
He said that the third and another important objective was to discuss ways to provide “immediate humanitarian assistance to the people besieged by Israeli actions”.
The United Nations (UN) has said that the ongoing blockade of Gaza and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’ appeal urging Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate to the southern part could mark a “dangerous new low” in the humanitarian situation.
The UN has warned that around 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza could be displaced by IDF’s evacuation appeal, which is being viewed as a pre-cursor to full-fledged ground operations by IDF.
On Saturday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi also echoed OIC’s appeal calling for an immediate end to IDF’s bombing campaign in Gaza, comparing it to a “collective punishment” of an entire population.
In a call with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Saturday, Wang said that Israel’s actions have gone “beyond the scope of self-defense”.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that a ground operation by IDF could lead to “serious consequences for all sides”.
OIC’s Position on Israel-Hamas War
The OIC meeting takes place after a historic phone call between Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi this week.
The OIC has condemned the Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, terming it as a “war crime”.
“The OIC holds Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the repercussions of the continuation of this sinful aggression, calling, at the same time, for the international community to intervene urgently to force Israel, the occupying power, to stop its ongoing attacks against the Palestinian people immediately, and to ensure the opening of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the entry of medicines and food supplies and basic needs to the Gaza Strip,” the OIC said this week.
According to official estimates from both the countries, nearly 1,300 Israeli citizens and over 2,200 Palestinians have left dead in escalation of violence after Hamas carried out its deadliest ever terrorist attack against Israel last weekend.