REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GENEVA -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Friday (20/10/2023). The region was shaken by Israel's massive retaliatory offensive, against Hamas operations on October 7.
The statement came after a meeting of the OIC Group of Ambassadors with UN human rights chief Volker Turk. During the meeting, they discussed the deteriorating situation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza.
Group Coordinator Ambassador Khalil Hashmi and Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi of Palestine, along with other envoys, condemned the flagrant human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel.
“We underline the importance of an immediate ceasefire, stopping the forced displacement of residents from North Gaza, and providing urgent and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies,” Anadolu Agency quoted them as saying on Saturday (21/10/2023).
The group has also called for an independent, international investigation, into this week's attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in northern Gaza and provides access to the U.N. Commission of Inquiry. The action is known to have killed hundreds of people, including children, as well as injuring many other residents.
Welcoming Turkey's statement, the group stressed the need to redouble public advocacy. It aims to immediately end hostilities and severe human rights violations against the Palestinian occupation, while stressing the importance of preventive measures.
Meanwhile, on that occasion Turk reiterated the need for full respect for humanitarian law and international human rights. At least 471 people were reported to have died and 342 others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the medical facility, according to health officials in Gaza. However, Israel denied responsibility for the impact.
The deadly conflict unfolding in Gaza began on October 7, when Hamas began Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. It was a surprise attack that included a series of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air. Hamas said the attack was an act of retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It is known that in recent times settler violence against Palestinians has also increased.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Iron Sword against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, along with increased raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank.
In addition to launching a massive bombing campaign ahead of the ground invasion, Israel also ordered a “full siege” on Gaza. This caused the electricity supply to be cut off as water, food, fuel and medical supplies ran out.
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