Pakistan demanded that Israel must be held accountable for crimes against humanity during an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday.
“Israel’s crimes against humanity should not escape accountability,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during the OIC session. “There should be no impunity for Israel’s violation of international law, including the Fourth Geneva and the other various human rights Conventions.”
He called upon the international community to immediately intervene and launch “concerted actions to stop Israeli atrocities against the civilian population in Gaza. The bombardment in Gaza must be stopped immediately.”
The virtual emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of OIC member states was chaired by Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Pakistan urged the international community to protect the Palestinians against the blatant and illegal use of force and flagrant violations of human rights.
Pakistan also demanded to implement resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council on Palestine issue.
Pakistani foreign minister also said that the attempts to create a false equivalence between Israel, the aggressor, and Palestinians, the victims, are inexcusable and as the collective voice of the Muslim Ummah the OIC should work in unity to dispel this deliberately deceptive perception.
“The OIC owes its genesis to the Palestinian issue. In this hour of need, the Muslim Ummah must exhibit strong solidarity and support for their Palestinian brothers and sisters.”
Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 181 people in the self-governing Palestinian territory, including 52 children, and injured over 1,225 since last week, according to Gazan health authorities.