Al-Yahya calls for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza at extraordinary OIC meeting
JEDDAH: Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya on Monday reiterated Kuwait’s absolute commitment to humanitarian and political efforts to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights. Addressing the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Jeddah, Al-Yahya also underlined his country’s commitment to working with OIC member states to promote complete coordination and deliver the voice of the Palestinian right to the international community in order to ensure just and comprehensive peace.
He added that the meeting came at a critical time when the humanitarian anguish of Palestinians in Gaza is still continuing as a result of the ongoing aggression, including mass devastation and loss of lives, mainly children, women and old people. He stressed the significance of reaching an immediate and all-out cessation of the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip and all occupied Palestinian territories, and ending the targeting of civilians and infrastructure.
The Kuwaiti foreign minister called for re-opening all crossings unconditionally and delivering humanitarian and medical aid to the enclave. He noted that the State of Kuwait has recently launched a humanitarian campaign worth nearly $32 million to provide urgent relief aid to Gazans.
He also voiced opposition to the settlement policy, including undermining Palestinian territorial integrity and wiping out the chance of establishing an independent Palestinian statehood. Al-Yahya also rejected all forms of forced displacement aiming at changing the demography of Palestinian territories, emphasizing that Palestinian refugees have the right to return home.
Furthermore, he condemned in the strongest terms recent remarks by Zionist occupation authorities regarding the so-called “Greater Israel”, as a blatant breach of international law and jeopardizes international peace and security. He also voiced Kuwait’s extreme concern over the aggressive policies of the Zionist occupying forces, including starvation as method of warfare, billing it a serious and disgraceful violation of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Therefore, he underlined, all member states should take a decisive and clear-cut stance decrying such unfair practices, and seek to protect Palestinian civilians. Al-Yahya praised the output of the recent OIC ministerial meeting in Istanbul, which called for international commitment to the two state solution as a single strategic option to achieve just and comprehensive peace.
The minister restated his country’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s rights, including an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He commended those countries which have recognized the State of Palestine, while calling for implementing International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings as a necessary step to ensure respect to international law, protect civilians and stop all violations against the Palestinian people.
However, Al-Yahya urged all Muslim countries to take tangible steps to support Muslim peoples and communities around the world, safeguard holy sites and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. — KUNA
