Israel 'fully responsible' for Haniyeh's murder: OIC

FM Dar denounces Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza

JEDDAH:

Foreign Ministers at the Extraordinary Open-Ended Meeting of OIC Executive Committee on Wednesday said Israel was "fully responsible" for the "heinous" killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and warned it could destabilise the region.

The declaration came at the end of the extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called in part by Iran, which has vowed to retaliate for the attack on Haniyeh, setting the Middle East on edge.

Israel has not commented on the death of Haniyeh, who lived in Qatar and was a major player in talks to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

After foreign ministers gathered at Jeddah, the bloc issued a statement saying it "holds Israel, the illegal occupying power, fully responsible for this heinous attack", which it described as "a serious infringement" of Iran's sovereignty.

The deputy foreign minister for Saudi Arabia, which until Wednesday had not commented on the attack, described it in similar terms, according to a Saudi government statement.

During the opening ceremony, Mamadou Tangara, foreign minister for current OIC chair The Gambia, said Haniyeh's death risked deepening and widening the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East.

"This heinous act serves only to escalate the existing tensions potentially leading to a wider conflict that could involve the entire region," Tangara said.

Haniyeh's killing "will not quell the Palestinian cause but rather it amplifies it, underscoring the urgency for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people," he said.

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation states are fundamental principles underpinning the international order.

"Respecting these principles has profound implications and their violation equally carries significant consequences."

Iran's acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri, reiterated Tehran's view that it needs to respond.

"Currently, in the absence of any appropriate action by the (United Nations) Security Council against the aggressions and violations of the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to use its inherent right to legitimate defence against the aggressions of this regime," he said.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller voiced hope on Wednesday that "all parties that have a relationship with Iran impress upon Iran, the same way we've been impressing upon the government of Israel, that they shouldn't take any steps to escalate the conflict".

Miller said the United States had been in touch with a number of nations attending the OIC meeting and believed there was a "broad consensus" that "escalation would only exacerbate the problems facing the region".

OIC chair Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara said, "This heinous act serves only to escalate the existing tensions potentially leading to a wider conflict that could involve the entire region."

Haniyeh's killing "will not quell the Palestinian cause but rather it amplifies it, underscoring the urgency for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people," he said.

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation states are fundamental principles underpinning the international order.

"Respecting these principles has profound implications and their violation equally carries significant consequences."

Speaking in the summit, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar said that while the International Court of Justice might have termed the Israeli bombardment in Gaza as "plausible genocide", it was clear that it was "genocide".

"What Israel is doing with unprecedented impunity […] is more than just adventurism. It is pure madness," Dar said while addressing an executive committee meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

"The oppressor is acting as if it has total freedom to break and bend the international law and norms and liberty," he said.

"Can any sane mind, any conscienable nation, any responsible government or state condone or turn a blind eye to what Israel has done and continues to do," Dar added.

He urged action against Israel's violations, recommending OIC sanctions, more humanitarian aid, and an international protection force and judicial mechanism.

Dar highlighted recent positive developments and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to advancing peace as it joins the UNSC in January 2025.

"While such grave action must be avenged, we must not fulfill Netanyahu's design for a wider war," he said. "Clearly, condemnation alone is not enough to stop and hold Israel accountable. It has not worked in the past and there is no reason to expect a different outcome this time."

"What we need is unwavering political will, complete unity, and concrete steps to effectively address the situation at hand. We must initiate further actions to build on these developments including actions by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council in accordance with the ICJ's opinion."

He described Israel's actions as beyond mere adventurism, characterizing them as sheer madness and akin to deliberately igniting a powder keg with unprecedented impunity and brutality. He acknowledged the Islamic Republic of Iran's and the Palestinian people's resolve to respond to and seek justice for Israel's provocative and criminal acts, as well as its blatant breaches of international law.

Dar emphasized that while such serious actions must be avenged, it is crucial not to play into Netanyahu's strategy for a broader conflict. He then shared that the Government of Pakistan had observed a day of mourning on August 2, 2024, and that the National Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution condemning the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and the ongoing Israeli atrocities against Palestinians over the past nine months.

He said this action showed solidarity with the people of Iran and Palestine and delivered a firm condemnation of Israeli brutality and warmongering. The harrowing situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially Gaza, over the past nine months is widely recognized. The death of 40,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children, at the hands of Israel's military continues to weigh heavily on the collective conscience.

While the streets of the Occupied Territory are already stained with Palestinian blood, Israel continues its ruthless agenda and unyielding campaign. By employing starvation as a weapon in Gaza, Israel flagrantly disregards humanity, international norms, and the law, deliberately targeting and destroying civilian infrastructure, homes, schools, hospitals, aid convoys, and humanitarian shelters. The naked cruelty of the oppressor is such that even humanitarian supplies and life-saving assistance have been impeded.

Dar noted that the International Court of Justice has referred to the situation as "plausible genocide," yet it is clearly genocide. The repeated calls for a ceasefire from the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and the ICJ have been consistently ignored by Israeli leadership.

Extremist Israeli leaders appear determined to prolong and expand the war to secure their political survival, maintain the occupation, and block a two-state solution. Israel acts with impunity, flouting international laws and norms. No rational mind, ethical nation, or responsible government can condone or ignore these actions, he said.

Dar stated that Israel has inflicted severe damage on the already fragile and volatile Middle East. The region has been devastated before under various pretexts, including geopolitics and the war on terrorism. Another prolonged crisis is untenable.

It cannot be allowed for the OIC region to turn into a chessboard for external power plays, determining the fate of its people, Dar said adding as the situation in the Middle East worsens, the region's youth, in particular, are questioning and placing high expectations on the OIC. They are demanding peace instead of war, stability rather than turmoil, and prosperity over deprivation.

The Muslim Ummah stands at a crossroads once more, and how it responds to the oppressor will be the measure of its resolve. Condemnation alone has proven insufficient in holding Israel accountable in the past, and there is no reason to expect a different result now.

What is needed is steadfast political will, complete unity, and decisive actions to address the crisis. The OIC must send a strong message of solidarity with Palestine and Iran and take all necessary measures to act effectively.

Dar emphasized the need to prevent further escalation of tensions and violence in the region and to achieve a complete, durable, and unconditional ceasefire in the Occupied Territory. He asserted that if Israeli leadership continues to defy the legally binding demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the entire OIC membership will impose collective measures, including trade and oil sanctions.

Dar called for an enhancement in humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza, emphasizing the need to address their critical needs for food, medicine, energy, and other essential supplies. He proposed that control of the Rafah crossing be returned to Egypt, all other supply access points to Gaza be opened, and that UN and international agencies, including UNRWA, be allowed to operate fully within Gaza.

Dar proposed accelerating the OIC's call for establishing a UN or international protection force to oversee humanitarian assistance and safeguard the people of Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem from Israeli atrocities. He also urged for the prompt withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the initiation of its reconstruction, as outlined in the plan approved by the Security Council.

DPM proposed initiating the creation of an international judicial mechanism aimed at seeking restitution, damages, and accountability from Israel for its crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide in Gaza. This mechanism would hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable. Dar expressed encouragement over several recent developments: the declaration of unity among all Palestinian groups in Beijing, the solidarity shown by Islamic countries during this crisis, the increasing global support for the Palestinian cause, and the clear, actionable conclusions of the ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Palestine.

"We must initiate further actions to build on these developments including actions by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council in accordance with the ICJ's opinion."

"We must rapidly secure Palestine's admission as a full member of the United Nations. We must urgently commence the political and diplomatic process to establish the two State solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State within the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital."

Dar affirmed a steadfast commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their rightful struggle for self-determination. As Pakistan prepares to assume its UNSC seat on January 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 term, he highlighted that advancing global peace, particularly by mobilizing political and diplomatic support for long-standing disputes such as the Palestinian issue and the Jammu & Kashmir conflict, will be among the country's top priorities.

Dar expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, and his son, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, for their crucial role in arranging a significant meeting in Jeddah. He also extended his thanks to Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for responding swiftly to the urgent request from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Palestine.

He also expressed his appreciation to the OIC Secretariat, especially the Secretary-General, for their swift and effective preparations for the Executive Committee meeting on such short notice.

He stated that the meeting was occurring as the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East and beyond was intensifying, marking the moment as crucial for the history of the region and the Muslim world.

Dar noted that Israel's ongoing conflict with the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory was increasingly affecting the entire region. The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he was visiting, had significantly heightened tensions. He condemned the act as utterly horrific and warned of its severe and potentially catastrophic consequences. He warned that if such acts of international terrorism and violations of sovereignty are allowed to continue unchecked, today it may be Iran, but tomorrow another OIC country could face similar threats, including extra-territorial killings and blatant breaches of its territorial integrity.