Israeli bombardment on Khan Younis, February 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Cairo, February 25 (RHC)-- The information ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states have condemned Israel’s “systematic oppression, massacre, and genocide of Palestinian civilians" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In a communique issued after an extraordinary session held in the Turkish port city of Istanbul, the information ministers of the member states called for an "unconditional ceasefire" to halt further loss of life in the besieged Palestinian strip.
"The ongoing military aggression launched by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people as well as its systematic oppression, massacre, and genocide of Palestinian 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 ministers said.
They also criticized Israel’s misinformation campaigns, accusing it of spreading false and misleading information to cover up its actions. The IOC 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 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 occupying authorities accountable.
Elsewhere in the community, the ministers 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”.
The U.S.-Israeli genocidal war on Gaza is on its 142nd day, with continued massive aerial and artillery strikes on the besieged strip. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed at least 86 Palestinians in the last 24 hours.
Israeli warplanes bombed a residential block in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza, killing and injuring several civilians. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out multiple aerial and artillery attacks on the al-Zeitoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City, with numerous victims remaining trapped under the rubble.
Nearly 30,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7. Most of them are women and children.
Meanwhile, figures show Israel has been exploiting the global attention on the genocide in Gaza to ramp up the demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied al-Quds. During the first nine months of last year, Israel demolished 97 Palestinian homes on the east side of the city.
But since launching its deadly onslaught on Gaza in early October, Israel has bulldozed 87 homes. Those figures are according to Ir Amim, a local non-profit organization that monitors home demolitions in al-Quds. Activists say Israel is trying to drive more Palestinians out of East al-Quds.
The regime tries to justify its much-criticized practice by claiming that the houses have been built without permits. However, it has practically made it impossible for Palestinians to obtain those documents through legal discrimination.
