OIC Underlines Strong Opposition to US Decision on Jerusalem, Reaffirms Full Solidarity with Palestine

Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday issued a final declaration following an extraordinary Islamic summit conference in Turkey's Istanbul in response to the grave developments in Palestine.

News ID: 70250

Date: 20 May 2018 - 10:30

TEHRAN (FNA)-According to the final communique, the leaders from Islamic countries reviewed the alarming situation and growing tensions in the occupied territory of the state of Palestine.

The declaration emphasized that "the central mission and raison d'etre of the OIC is protecting the City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, its historic and legal status, its spiritual place, and to take all necessary measures to put an end to the violations committed by Israel and any party that supports this regime and its colonial and racist policies".

The OIC states also held Israel, the occupying power, fully accountable for the grave atrocities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the latest episode of willful murder of at least 60 civilians, and injuring of nearly 3,000 others in mid-May.

Speaking at a joint press conference with OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that they held a very meaningful summit in terms of showing solidarity with the Palestinian people as well as conveying the necessary messages to Israel, which has been carrying out a massacre in Gaza.

Criticizing Washington, Erdogan said responsibility for the consequences of "this provocative decision to sabotage the peace process entirely belongs to the US".

"We won't accept the unlawful decision of the United States to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem despite all warnings," Erdogan stated, adding that "we will never end our solidarity with the Palestinian people".

The leader also urged the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council, to fulfill their legal obligations with regards to Palestine.

Stressing that sending an international peace force to help Palestinians who are sacrificing their young children every day to Israeli terror is "imperative", he said "we once again reject the US decision on Jerusalem”.

He added that an aid campaign will be carried out during Ramadan across all OIC states for Palestinians.

Yousef al-Othaimeen, the OIC's secretary general, said in his closing speech that "we reiterated the need to provide international protection for the Palestinian people", adding that "we decided to assign the OIC's secretariat general to form an international commission of experts to investigate the Israeli crimes in the Palestinian territories".

"We also confirmed that the US move to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem has nothing to do with changing the realities on the ground”, he stressed.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians launched the Great March of Return in the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday to demand their right of return to their villages and towns they were forcibly displaced.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that the death toll of the Palestinians matyred by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes has risen to 63, while more than 3,000 people, including children, women and journalists, have been injured by Tel Aviv regime's forces who are positioned along the fence.

The rally also coincided with the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the Washinton's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, furthering stoking tensions and angering Palestinians.

UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein condemned reckless killing of peaceful Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces, writing in a message carried on the UN human rights Twitter account that “shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in Gaza must stop now. The right to life must be respected”.

Al-Hussein also called for punishment of those behind killing of Palestinians saying that “those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account”.

The Amnesty International has also stressed that the attacks on Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Monday are “willful killings constituting war crimes".

The 46-day peaceful protests began on March 30, which coincided with the 42nd anniversary of the Land Day, which marks the day Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during protests against land confiscation in 1976. It continued until May 15, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, in which over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes in 1948.

Since the start of the rallies, over 110 Palestinians have been killed and at least 12,000 injured along the fence in Gaza, with no reports of Israeli casualties, according to reports.

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