The Foreign Ministers of the Arab-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Committee on Gaza have categorically rejected Israeli statements on displacement of Palestinians from their land occupied since 1967, describing the move as a grave breach of international law.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, September 8, the ministers condemned Israeli policies and practices aimed at uprooting the Palestinian people from their land through expanding military operations in the Gaza Strip, imposing blockade and starvation as tools of war, and repeatedly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
It also condemned “Israel’s attempts to prolong and expand the conflict, which poses a threat to regional and international peace and security.”
The committee reiterated its condemnation of “illegal Israeli measures in the West Bank, including settlement expansion, settler violence, home demolitions, and land seizure.”
Urgent call for ceasefire and humanitarian access
The committee demanded an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access through all crossings. It stressed the urgent need for medical supplies, food, and other essentials, and called on international actors to ensure that aid delivery is not obstructed.
The ministers also urged support for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza to restore governance and rebuild institutions.
They further cautioned that Israeli policies could amount to ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity, urging the UN Security Council to take decisive action to protect civilians and enforce international law.
Support for Palestinian statehood
Reaffirming their commitment to peace, the ministers backed the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, calling it the only path to a just and lasting settlement in line with UN resolutions and the right to self-determination.
The statement comes amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, launched on October 7, 2023, which has killed at least 64,522 Palestinians and injured 163,096, according to health officials. On Monday alone, 21 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across the Strip.
At least 40 Palestinian civilians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and machine gunfire across the Gaza Strip since the early hours of the Monday morning.
Hospitals also reported six famine-related deaths in the past 24 hours, including two children, bringing the toll from starvation to 393, of whom 140 were children. Israel has kept all border crossings closed since March 2, worsening famine conditions and blocking vital aid.
