OIC calls for 'unconditional ceasefire' to prevent further loss of life in Gaza

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for an "unconditional ceasefire" to halt further loss of life in the besieged Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

In a communique issued after an extraordinary session held in Istanbul, the information ministers of the member states condemned "the ongoing military aggression launched by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people as well as its systematic oppression, massacre, and genocide of Palestinians civilians in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, and in the occupied West Bank including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and call for an unconditional cease-fire to prevent further loss of life."

The OIC reiterated that the "only path to peace and security in the region is through the realization of the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, including national independence and sovereignty with East Al-Quds as its capital."

"Reaffirming our determination to amplify our voices in every platform to support the inalienable rights of the brotherly Palestinian people in the face of Israel's barbaric oppression and attacks, and to enhance our efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory, especially in Gaza Strip," it stressed.

They also criticized Israel's misinformation campaigns, accusing it of spreading false and misleading information to cover up its actions.

The ministers condemned the Israeli forces’ “deliberate and systematic” targeting of Palestinian journalists, and stressed that this is part of a campaign to "silence the voices of truthtellers."

The communique also condemned the Israeli forces for targeting journalists and the telecommunication system in the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to open an "immediate investigation" into these crimes and to hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable.

Reiterating their determination "to work collectively and closely at the international level to combat disinformation," the communique said the ministers "demonstrate our common will to act in solidarity and unison to expose indiscriminate attacks targeting Palestinian civilians, including settler terrorism in the West Bank, which aim to cause forced displacement of the Palestinian people."

Emphasizing “collective determination” to expose the Israeli attempts to "minimize international" reaction by "intimidating journalists," the OIC criticized the Israeli forces for not ensuring journalists' safety as required by international humanitarian law.

The OIC's Media Monitoring Unit will develop a media strategy with OIC media bodies and national news agencies to counter Israeli disinformation and war crimes at international forums, as directed by the joint Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2023, it said.