ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is chairing an extra-ordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah today that will discuss the ongoing Israeli hostilities in Palestine, the Pakistani foreign office said on Monday.
The statement comes days after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, the third holiest site in Islam, triggering clashes with Palestinian youths.
On Monday, Pakistan expressed “grave concern” over the situation in occupied Palestinian territories and condemned the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the assault on worshippers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
“The Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee is being held in Jeddah today to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression,” Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, a spokesman for the Pakistani foreign office, said during his weekly press briefing on Monday.
“Pakistan is participating in the meeting as current chair of OIC-CFM (Council of Foreign Ministers).”
The photograph shows the launch of the extra-ordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Israeli hostilities against Palestinians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 25, 2022. (@oicarabic/Twitter)
Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and injured countless others in the occupied East Jerusalem and other areas in recent weeks.
“This is an egregious violation of all humanitarian norms and human rights laws,” Ahmad said.
He called upon the international community to take urgent steps to protect innocent Palestinian lives, and uphold international law and principles of the United Nations (UN) charter.
