SItuation in OPT, Siege of Gaza – Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of OIC Exec. Cttee – Final Communiqué/Non-UN document

Final Communiqué of the Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of The OIC Executive Committee At The Level of Foreign Ministers on the Latest Developments in Palestine in Particular the Siege Imposed on the Gaza Strip

Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Jeddah — Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia – 3 February 2008 (25 Muharram 1429h)

The Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the Level of Foreign Ministers, meeting on 3 February 2008 (25 Muharram 1429H), at the Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

Proceeding from the principles and objectives enshrined in the OIC Charter and acting in accordance with the OIC resolutions on the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif;

Hailing the steadfast resistance of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli aggression and reaffirming its support of their just struggle in order to regain their inalienable and imprescriptible rights, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital, and their right to a just settlement of the issue of Palestinian refugees in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 194;

Reaffirming that the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Al-Quds, constitute one single geographical unit;

Asserting that the persistent illegal Israeli violations and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories—including the assaults on the city of Al-Quds, the excavations and settlement activities; as well as the killings, assassinations, and incursions, most particularly the latest incursions and assaults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which have left in their trail hundreds of victims amongst Palestinian civilians—constitute gross violations of human rights and exacerbate the humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories;

Noting that the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip—including closing down the border crossings and cutting the flow of fuel supplies, food, and medicines as well as actions in the West Bank such as setting road blocks—constitutes collective punishment of the civilian population; provokes serious humanitarian repercussions; and is considered a war crime, crime against humanity and a blatant breach of international law;

Having taken cognizance of the Report of the OIC Secretary-General on the Grave Conditions in Palestine and the Blockade Imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip and having listened to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine and the interventions of Their Excellencies the Ministers and Heads of Delegations;

1. Condemns Israel for its despicable aggression on the Palestinian people and its illegal and illegitimate practices, most particularly the extrajudicial killings and assassinations, bombardment of homes and infrastructures, and the unjustifiable blockade that Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip as a collective punishment that comes under the category of war crimes. Holds Israel, the occupying force, responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and asserts that these conditions are the direct result of Israel’s persistent assault, closure of border crossings, and disruption of the flow of fuel, food, and medical supplies to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

2. Expresses its deep disappointment at the failure of the Security Council to assume its responsibility in addressing the humanitarian plight in Gaza, calls upon the international community to act swiftly and provide immediate protection for the Palestinian citizens in the occupied Palestinian territories and tasks the Islamic Group at the UN to pursue necessary measure to secure an adequate action by the United Nations.

3. Welcomes UN Humans Rights Council Resolution No. A/HRC/S-6/L.1 adopted at its Extraordinary Session on 23 January 2008 on the Human Rights Violations Arising from the Israeli Military Attacks and Incursions in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Particularly in the Gaza Strip. Calls for the implementation of its provisions, especially the call to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, in compliance with human rights law and international humanitarian law.

4. Welcomes the initiative launched by the Secretary-General and aimed at drumming up essential support to secure the necessary humanitarian needs for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip; expresses its appreciation for the role assumed by civil society institutions in the Member States by lending their help to the population of the Gaza Strip; and exhorts them to provide greater humanitarian assistance.

5. Urges the Member States, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and private financial institutions to endeavor to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in order to alleviate their suffering, which has been created by Israel’s violations, including its blockade, killings, and starvation.

6. Reiterates its appreciation and support of the efforts deployed by the Arab Republic of Egypt in order to alleviate the Palestinian people’s suffering and to find a way out of the current humanitarian crisis. The meeting also expresses its support for the call made by Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak for the Palestinian factions to expeditiously end their differences and resume the national dialogue on foundations that secure Palestinian national unity and serve the Palestinian people’s higher interests in a way that is conducive to the reinstatement of the legitimate authority’s role in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.

7. Welcomes the Palestinian Authority’s declaration that it was ready to assume the responsibility for operating all Gaza Strip crossings; and calls on the parties concerned to resume the application of internationally-agreed arrangements so as to ensure the reopening of the Gaza Strip crossings, including the Rafah Crossing, and so as to prevent the recurrence of the current humanitarian crisis in the future.

8. Reaffirms its unequivocal support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with full sovereignty over all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, and with Al-Quds as its capital. Reiterates the illegality of Israeli measures aimed at judaizing the city of Al-Quds and altering its geo-demographic character as well as the illegality of the assaults and excavations being implemented within the vicinity of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.

9. Mandates the Secretary-General, in coordination with the Chairs of the Summit and Foreign Ministers Conference and Palestine, to take the necessary steps in order to contact influential international stakeholders and the United Nations with a view to lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and resolving the ensuing humanitarian crisis.