Jeddah: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) denounced the Israeli Knesset’s approval of legislation aimed at annexing the occupied West Bank and imposing alleged Israeli sovereignty over it.
According to Qatar News Agency, an OIC statement on Thursday said that this legislative action, coupled with another law formalizing a settlement, represents a blatant infringement of international law, pertinent United Nations resolutions, the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.
Furthermore, the OIC applauded the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion, which unequivocally reiterated Israel’s legal and humanitarian obligations under international law. The court’s opinion emphasized the necessity for unimpeded humanitarian operations spearheaded by the United Nations and its associated bodies, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), while also highlighting the accountability mechanisms for those perpetrating attacks against humanitarian personnel and infrastructure.
The OIC asserted that the occupied Palestinian territory, which encompasses the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – including east Jerusalem – constitutes a singular geographical entity. Consequently, any claims of Israeli sovereignty over these areas are devoid of legal standing and are categorically null and void according to international law.
The OIC called upon the international community, specifically the United Nations Security Council, to fulfil its obligations and take immediate and decisive action to curb these violations and transgressions. Such actions not only jeopardise the viability of a two-state solution but also threaten broader international efforts to foster justice, stability, and peace in the region.