ISLAMABAD – Strongly condemning Israel’s attacks against the Palestinian people, the Muslim world on Sunday warned against dangerous consequences of Israel’s deliberate inflammation and provocation of religious sensibilities and feelings of Palestinian people and entire Islamic Ummah.
In a resolution adopted by the virtual open-ended extraordinary meeting of OIC’s Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers, the Muslim countries demanded complete and immediate stop of the Israeli attacks that had affected innocent civilians and their properties, in gross violation of universal law and UN resolutions on the question of Palestine.
The OIC warned that the continuation of and incitement to these attacks and provocations increased risks of instability, with serious implications for security in and outside of the region. In particular, the OIC warns 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.
The resolution stated that Israel’s attacks on worshippers, especially in Ramadan, blocking access to the holy sites, 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-Haram Al-Shareef by the occupation forces, terrorizing and attacking peaceful worshippers, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
The body 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 session demanded a stop to all violations being carried out by Israel, including disrespect for the holy sites, in particular, Al-Haram Al-Shareef and not to undermine their historical and legal status. “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 said.
The Muslim world body reiterated that Israel was an occupation force and did not possess any legitimate right whatsoever on occupied Palestinian land, including East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Shareef. All measures undermining its status are null and void and of no legal effect.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of the historical Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds and its role in preserving them and the existing legal and historical status there, and in preserving the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the sanctuaries. The resolution affirmed that all these acts constituted gross violation of international law, attaining level of war crimes and crimes against humanity for which the occupation must be held accountable and the colonial system boycotted and sanctioned.
The session expressed 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. The OIC demanded immediate cessation of those illegal policies and practices that are at variance with the occupation’s obligations under the UN Charter, the Fourth Geneva Convention, international human rights law and UN resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2334 (2016).
It also called for these illegal measures to be challenged at all levels and for urgent international measures to be taken to confront them. The OIC held Israel fully responsible for the deterioration of the situation and called for the importance of protecting medical and first-aid crews and of allowing them to do their work without hindrance. The session stressed the need to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, in conformity with humanitarian law standards as has been repeatedly advocated by the UN General Assembly and in line with the final communique of the 7th extraordinary Islamic summit, by dispatching a protection force to save innocent lives from ongoing attacks and terrorism by the occupation forces and the extremist colonialist militias.
The OIC underscores the responsibility of the Security Council to act swiftly to end the Israeli occupation’s barbaric attacks on the Palestinian people and expressed its denouncement of the Security Council’s inertia in dealing with the Palestinian question, the oldest on its agenda. The OIC emphasized the UNSC to 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 Muslim countries reiterated that failure of the Security Council to assume its responsibility to deal with this crisis would necessitate approaching the UN 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 territories. The OIC called upon the international community, including the high contracting parties to the fourth Geneva Convention, 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 OIC 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 rule that are binding on the rest of the world. The house reiterates 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.
The OIC noted that the extensive Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people coincided with the 73rd anniversary of the catastrophe, the 1948 tragedy during which widespread ethnic cleansing operation was conducted leading to the forceful removal of 800,000 from their homes and land, after the barbaric massacre carried out in more than 400 Palestinian towns and images by Zionist groups in Palestine.
It invited member states to make concerted and individual efforts, to rally round and defend Al-Quds and its holy sites, face up to Israel’s crimes, provide Palestinian people with support and the wherewithal for steadfastness to confront the Israeli attacks. The member countries saluted the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and for their historic stand in the face of aggression and occupation.
The OIC 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 importance of activating the financial safety network. The OIC decides to move urgently and carry out necessary contacts to implement this resolution to mandate the secretary general to contact the president of the European Commission, the UN secretary general, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other representatives of relevant organizations and groups to convey the contents of this resolution.