OIC slams Israeli crimes against Palestinians, urges end to Gaza war

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned Israel’s continued war crimes against Palestinians, including genocide and forced displacement, urging global efforts to end the regime’s devastating onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the 57-member bloc slammed the occupying regime for depriving the Palestinian civilian population of food, medicine, water, medical care, protection, and other basic services.

It further blasted Israel for targeting United Nations staff, as well as facilities and workers in the health, humanitarian, and media sectors, in flagrant violation of the world body’s resolutions.

On December 22, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza. It came 10 days after the General Assembly voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

The vote highlighted the stiffening consensus around the world for the need for an end to Israel’s relentless offensive against Gaza, in a rebuke to the US that has repeatedly blocked truce calls at the UN.

Also in its statement, the Jeddah-based OIC “renewed its demand to the international community to assume its responsibility towards forcing a stop to the Israeli military aggression, ensuring delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip…, countering attempts at forcible expulsion of Palestinian civilians, and providing protection for the Palestinian people.”

Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 21,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 55,243 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in the Gaza Strip, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.

UN: Gazans forced to move amid heavy Israeli attacks

Additionally on Wednesday, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said that “heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea,” continued across most parts of Gaza.

“Most people in Gaza are displaced. Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. Lack of food and survival items worsen the dire living conditions and increase or amplify health issues,” it added in its latest update on the Gaza war.

OCHA also cited recent data by the World Health Organization (WHO) that showed only 13 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional.

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