grandmother (UNA) - The work of the extraordinary open-ended meeting of the Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation began today, Wednesday, “to discuss the continuing crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people and its assault on the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Organization in Jeddah, in the presence of the heads of the Delegations of members of the Executive Committee and member states of the organization.
At the beginning of the opening session of the meeting, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Gambia and Chair of the Fifteenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, said: Today we stand at a critical crossroads in the history of our nation, and we face a crisis that threatens to collapse decades of diplomacy and plunge our world into a deep conflict.
He pointed out that the recent events in Gaza and the assassination of the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran represent a major escalation in the ongoing conflict that has already torn the hearts of every peace-loving individual here and abroad.
He added: “As we gather here, the illegal occupation of Palestine continues to be a source of enormous pain and suffering, undermining not only the prospects for a peaceful solution, but also exacerbating tensions in the region.”
Tangara stressed that the humanitarian catastrophe currently unfolding in Gaza has far-reaching consequences not only for the region, but also for the international community.
Tangara pointed out that the Gaza economy, which was weakened by years of siege and conflicts, is currently facing more turmoil, in light of the damage and destruction of vital infrastructure for economic activities, such as roads, factories, and farms.
The Gambian Foreign Minister warned that the escalation in Gaza threatens wider regional instability, noting in this response the repercussions of the conflict related to increased refugee flows and the possibility of cross-border armed activities.
He stressed that the situation in Gaza tests the effectiveness of international and humanitarian law, especially with regard to the protection of civilians in the conflict zone, calling on the international community to unite to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need and to move towards a sustainable political solution that enhances peace and security for all people in the region.
He stressed that respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is crucial to maintaining international order and promoting peaceful coexistence.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussein Ibrahim Taha, expressed during his speech his strong condemnation of the war crimes and daily genocide committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the occupied city of Jerusalem, the latest of which was the sinful assassination of Mr. Ismail. Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, former Palestinian prime minister during his presence in Iran.
The Secretary-General affirmed that the Israeli occupation’s persistence in these crimes constitutes a continuation by Israel, the occupying power, in violating all international taboos, customs, laws and resolutions, and embodies an assault on Iran’s sovereignty and national security, in flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the provisions of the United Nations Charter.
Hussein Ibrahim Taha called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to force Israel, the occupying power, to respect the rule of international law and stop its threats and attacks that endanger regional and international peace and security, impose an immediate and comprehensive cessation of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, and avoid sliding into war. A comprehensive regional approach that would undermine the security and stability of the entire Middle East region.
The Secretary-General stressed the need to mobilize joint efforts to compel Israel to commit to implementing international legitimacy resolutions, and to take the necessary measures to implement the advisory opinion recently issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation, and to hold it accountable in accordance with international criminal law for all the crimes it committed.
The Secretary-General expressed his condemnation of all illegal Israeli measures, including the adoption of resolutions rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state and the classification of UNRWA as a terrorist organization, and called for providing more political and financial support to the UNRWA budget, to enable it to exercise its vital role in providing basic services to Palestinian refugees and contributing to alleviating The human suffering experienced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
Hussein Ibrahim Taha also called on the active parties of the international community to engage in sponsoring a political path to end the Israeli occupation and achieve peace based on the vision of a two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, and to expand recognition of the State of Palestine and support its membership in the United Nations.
In this context, His Excellency the Secretary-General praised the tremendous efforts made by the Ministerial Committee headed by Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emerging from the extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic Summit held in the city of Riyadh, where the Ministerial Committee visited a number of pivotal countries to conduct consultations. Intensive to solve the Palestinian issue.
Before the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation met with Ali Bagheri Kani, the acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the meeting, which was held in the Office of the Secretary-General, the two sides reviewed regional developments and a number of issues of common interest.
The Iranian Foreign Minister-designate affirmed Iran's support for the organization and its first issue, the Palestinian issue, while the Secretary-General of the Organization stressed the priority that the Palestinian issue enjoys on the agenda of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
It is noteworthy that the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation comes in light of the continuing crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, which have so far led to the death of more than 40000 martyrs and the injury of more than 91000 Palestinian citizens, the majority of whom are women and children, and the destruction of civilian objects including This includes 430000 homes, as well as infrastructure, health and educational facilities, places of worship and historical sites, displacing nearly two million Palestinians from their homes.
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