The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has demanded immediate halt of Israel's hostilities against Palestinians and protection for the Palestinian people by dispatching an international protection force to save innocent lives from ongoing attacks and terrorism by the occupation forces and the extremist colonialist militias.
The OIC demanded this in a unanimous resolution adopted at a virtual open-ended extraordinary meeting of the OIC Executive Committee of the Foreign Ministers hosted by Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The resolution condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric attacks launched by Israel, the occupying authority, against the Palestinian people and their land and holy sites; demanded complete and immediate stop of these attacks that have affected innocent civilians and their properties, in gross violation of international law and United Nations resolutions on the question of Palestine; and warned that the continuation of and incitement to these attacks and provocations, the threat on the lives of innocent civilians, causing severe suffering to them increase the risks of instability, with serious implications for security in and outside of the region.
The resolution warned, in particular, against the dangerous effects of Israel’s continued and deliberate inflammation and provocation of the religious sensibilities and feelings of the Palestinian people and the entire Islamic Ummah with its heightened attacks on worshippers, especially starting from the beginning of Ramazan, blocking worshippers’ access to the holy sites to perform their religious rites, including Muslims’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christians’ access to the Church of Holy Sepulchre during the Easter celebrations, violent storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the occupation forces, terrorising and attacking peaceful worshippers, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
The resolution demanded a stop to all violations being carried out by Israel, including disrespect for the holy sites, in particular, the sacredness of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and not to undermine their historical and legal status.
The resolution reiterated that Israel is an occupation force and does not possess any legitimate right whatsoever on occupied Palestinian land, including East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that all measures undermining its status are null and void and of no legal effect.
The resolution reaffirmed that the Hashemite management of Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque Waqfs is the only body authorised to manage all affairs of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Al-Quds Haram Al-Shareef. It reiterated its rejection and condemnation of the ongoing Israeli settlement colonisation of occupied Palestinian land, including East Jerusalem and the establishment of racial segregation system there, in particular through the building of settlements, destruction of Palestinian properties and building of an expansion wall, confiscation of lands, homes and properties, forceful expulsion and eviction of Palestinians from their homes and land.
The resolution affirmed that all these acts constitute gross violation of international law, attaining the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity for which the occupation must be held accountable and the colonial system boycotted and sanctioned. It expressed particular concern at the rapid pace of the Israeli policy of colonisation of Palestinian lands, especially the threat to forcefully evict hundreds of Palestinian families from their homes in the occupied East Jerusalem, including families in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods which face imminent evictions from extremist colonialist groups with the support and backing of the Israeli occupation authorities, in cooperation with the racial courts.
The resolution demanded immediate cessation of those illegal policies and practices. The resolution held Israel fully responsible for the deterioration of the situation caused by its systematic crimes against the Palestinian people across the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory. It called for the importance of protecting medical and first-aid crews and of allowing them to do their work without hindrance, in line with the provisions of international law in this regard; and stressed the need to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, in conformity with international humanitarian law standards by dispatching an international protection force to save innocent lives from ongoing attacks and terrorism by the occupation forces and the extremist colonialist militias.
The resolution underscored the responsibility of the Security Council to act swiftly to end the Israeli occupation’s barbaric attacks on the Palestinian people. It expressed its denouncement of the Security Council’s inertia in dealing with the Palestinian question, the oldest on its agenda; and invited it to assume its responsibility towards the Palestinian people and to respond to the calls of states and peoples around the world to rise to its responsibilities to stop these violations, save innocent lives, act without delay to stop the deterioration on the ground and the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, implement its own resolutions and ensure that they are fully respected, being the foundation and key to a just and lasting solution supported by the prevailing international consensus.
The resolution reiterated that failure of the Security Council to assume its responsibility to deal with this crisis will necessitate approaching the United Nations General Assembly to assume its responsibility, including resumption of the proceedings of the Tenth Emergency Special Session to stop Israeli aggression in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to ensure provision of international protection for the Palestinian people, to take measures to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and gross violations of the rules of international law and human rights, and to blockade its colonial system.
The resolution called upon the international community to abide by its collective commitments and take measures and steps to compel Israel to fulfil its obligation as occupying authority, including ensuring protection for the Palestinian population. The resolution affirmed that the time has come to take serious measures to hold Israel accountable for its gross violations and to stop exempting it from the same rules that are binding on the rest of the world.
The resolution reiterated its readiness for engagement in all efforts to support the just Palestinian cause and guarantee the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and subsequent just and comprehensive solution on the basis of the two-state solution, in accordance with the internationally agreed principles on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative leading to the establishment of the independent State of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Shareef as its capital, and to continue to work with the international community to achieve that end.
The resolution reiterated that Al-Quds Al-Shareef and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s first Qibla and third holiest sanctuary, is a red line for the Islamic Ummah, that only with its full liberation from occupation and its return to the Palestinian people and the Islamic Ummah will there be security and stability.
The resolution saluted the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and for their historic stand in the face of aggression and occupation, and epic defence of their legitimate rights, standing up to the obliteration, eviction and revocation attempts by the Israeli racist, colonial regime; and reiterates its support and backing for the Palestinian leadership.
The resolution invited member states to provide all forms of support and backing for the Palestinian people to strengthen their resilience on their land and to stress the importance of activating the financial safety network, in accordance with the resolution of the 14th Islamic Summit, particularly for the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure, properties and homes sheltering hundreds of Palestinian families who have been rendered homeless because of the heavy destruction carried out by the Israeli occupation forces.
The resolution called for international legal action through specialised international courts and various United Nations agencies to compel Israel to pay the necessary material and moral reparations for the damages done to the Palestinian infrastructure as well as public and private properties.
The resolution decided to move urgently and carry out the necessary contacts to implement this resolution and convey its contents to all relevant bodies to act urgently. TLTP