OIC decries Israeli aggression, warns against Gaza occupation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
25 Aug 2025 23:03
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The OIC condemned "Israel’s" plans to occupy Gaza and displace Palestinians, held it responsible for genocide and famine, and called for an immediate ceasefire, protection of journalists, and full Palestinian statehood on the 1967 borders.

Smokes rise to the sky following an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP)

The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convening for its 21st extraordinary session in Jeddah at the request of Palestine, Turkey, and Iran, reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause to the Islamic world and reiterated its unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

In a final communiqué issued Monday, the Council strongly condemned "Israel’s" declared intention to occupy and impose full military control over the Gaza Strip, rejecting any plans aimed at forcibly displacing the Palestinian people. It described such intentions as a dangerous escalation and a blatant attempt to entrench the illegal occupation through force and demographic manipulation.

'Israel' held responsible for genocide, humanitarian catastrophe

The OIC Council held "Israel, the occupying power," fully responsible for the crimes of genocide, the ongoing humanitarian disaster, and the famine ravaging the Gaza Strip. The ministers demanded the immediate and unconditional opening of all border crossings to allow the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities.

The statement also condemned the continued Israeli intransigence and refusal to respond to regional and international mediation efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire, urging global powers to intensify pressure to halt the aggression.

Warning against settlement expansion and 'Greater Israel' rhetoric

The Council denounced recent statements by the Israeli occupation prime minister promoting the so-called “Greater Israel” vision, warning of its serious repercussions on regional and global stability.

It also condemned "Israel's" illegal settlement activities, particularly the latest approval of 3,400 settlement units in the E1 area of occupied Al-Quds, which the Council said aims to alter the geographic and demographic character of Palestine and undermine the so-called two-state solution.

Settler terror, attacks on holy sites, and journalist assassinations

The OIC further warned of the increased terrorism perpetrated by extremist settlers, protected by the Israeli occupation forces, across the West Bank, including occupied al-Quds. The Council stressed the urgency of holding these settlers accountable for their crimes.

It also condemned the systematic attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil, and denounced ongoing attempts to interfere in their administration and distort their identity.

The Council further rejected all policies aimed at displacing the Palestinian people, whether from within the Gaza Strip or across other occupied territories. It warned all states against any form of cooperation with "Israel’s" displacement plans, asserting that such collaboration would constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

The ministers condemned the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza, referring to the recent assassination of media professionals as war crimes. According to the Council, 238 journalists have been martyred since the beginning of the aggression, in what it described as part of "Israel’s" broader effort to silence media coverage and suppress press freedom.

Gaza's media office updated the death toll of the massacre of journalists since October 7, 2023, revealing that 246 media personnel have been targeted and killed as of August 25, 2025.

A call for justice

Lastly, the OIC reiterated that a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-state solution, ensuring the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Al-Quds as its capital, in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.