ISLAMABAD: Urging the world to hold Israel accountable for war crimes against Pales­tinians, Pakistan on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to ensure food, water, medicines, fuel and other essential supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza.

“The OIC and its member countries should take a lead role in these efforts,” caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said.

The 57-member bloc of Muslim-majority countries “deplores the international positions that back the brutal aggression against the Palestinian people, and grant Israel impunity, taking advantage of the double standards that provide cover for the occupying power”, said an OIC statement published after an emergency meeting of foreign ministers.

The OIC, based in Jeddah, called on the international community “to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for these heinous war crimes against the Palestinian people”. It also condemned the UN Security Council for failing to stop the violence.

At OIC, FM Jilani calls for opening humanitarian corridors to supply food, medicine to Gazans

In his remarks, Mr Jilani appreciated the efforts by Egypt, the UN and other countries and called for emergency supplies for the Palestinians in Gaza from all OIC member states and the wider international community.

He said that as always, Pakistan will actively participate in this endeavor. He said the entire population of Gaza, including women, children, and elderly, was being collectively punished by excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israel.

“The deliberate targeting of a large number of Palestinian children is particularly harrowing. It is the eleventh day of a relentless, disproportionate and callous military campaign against civilians in Gaza. The Strip has been militarily sieged, and electricity, water, and all humanitarian aid channels have been cut off,” he said.

Occupation termed ‘root cause’

He said the root cause of this latest violence lies in the prolonged and illegal occupation of Palestine and the usurpation of the lands and properties of Palestinians and accompanying oppression, racial apartheid, and massive violations of human rights.

Any response to the current conflict must be based on UN resolutions that recognise the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and the elimination of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories including Al Quds Al Sharif.

“Any attempt to create a false equivalence between the aggressor and the victims would be naive. The struggle of peoples under foreign and alien occupation for self-determination and national liberation is legitimate under international law. Equating this struggle with terrorism would amount to gaslighting the real issue and deliberately ignoring the underlying cause of enduring instability in the region,” he said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Executive Committee adopted a Joint Communiqué outlining the collective stance of the Ummah on the situation in Gaza.

On the sidelines, the foreign minister also held meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Türkiye. The meeting was co-convened by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023