The OIC Committee of Six on Palestine on Tuesday urged the international community to take urgent concerted actions to stop Israeli atrocities against the civilian population of Palestine.
The committee which met here on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, called for protecting the Palestinians against the blatant and illegal use of force and flagrant violations of human rights.
The foreign ministerial-level meeting also proposed the forming of a joint group open to all OIC Member States to promote the implementation of the Committee’s decisions.
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani led the Pakistan delegation at the meeting that was chaired by the Secretary General of the OIC and also attended by ministers and high officials from Palestine, Türkiye, Guinea, Malaysia and Senegal.
The foreign minister noted with deep concern the continued deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including occupied Jerusalem, in particular Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
He strongly condemned the Israeli atrocities, including the killing of innocent civilians, storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, expansion of illegal settlements, settler violence, administrative detentions and airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip that were in complete disregard for human rights and rule of law.
The minister stressed that it was imperative to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing illegal actions and acts of aggression for meaningful deterrence.
In this regard, he welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution passed on December 31, 2022, which called upon the International Court of Justice to provide an opinion on the legal ramifications of Israel’s unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territories.
While reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of Palestine and stressing the importance of implementation of the relevant UN and OIC resolutions, Foreign Minister Jilani reiterated the call for the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga