ISTANBUL: The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, an alliance of developing nations including Turkiye, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, and Indonesia, demanded full Palestinian membership in the United Nations and increased international pressure on Israel to enforce a ceasefire amid the Gaza conflict.
During an extraordinary meeting in Istanbul, the group’s foreign ministers called for an immediate ceasefire. They urged the United States to lift its veto on full Palestinian UN membership and asked all countries to “exert diplomatic, political, economic, and legal pressure” on Israel.
They condemned what they described as “ongoing genocide and grave violations of international law” and called for an end to arms and ammunition deliveries to Israel, emphasizing the protection of Palestinian civilians and rejecting any forced displacement. The group advocated for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital and a mechanism to ensure the protection of any future settlement.
Addressing the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, strongly condemned the use of hunger and starvation as a weapon of war by Israeli forces. He urged the international community to take action to stop the collective punishment inflicted on the Palestinians and to ensure an immediate ceasefire and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Dar highlighted the recent attacks by Israeli settlers on aid convoys and the seizure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, stating these actions were deliberate attempts to block humanitarian supplies with the intent to starve the civilian population. He noted that Israeli forces were systematically bombing hospitals and vital infrastructure to undermine the existence of Palestinians, with only 12 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals barely functional according to the World Health Organization.
Dar described the situation as one of the worst massacres of present times, perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces in total disregard of international law, world opinion, and International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders. He demanded that the international community ensure the implementation of ICJ orders.
“We call for the total withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories, the restitution of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right of return to Palestine, and the establishment of an independent homeland for the Palestinians with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Dar stated.
He urged the D-8 to use its political and economic leverage at relevant international forums to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. “Through the D-8 platform, we may coordinate humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza and play a role in the rebuilding efforts once the aggression ends,” he added.
Dar emphasized that the timely gathering of foreign ministers from eight significant Muslim countries should send a strong message of support to the Palestinian people. He called for concerted and immediate international action to halt Israeli aggression and open all channels of humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza.
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