Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called on Islamic countries to push for the suspension of Israel’s participation in the sessions and activities of the United Nations General Assembly.
Fidan made the remarks during an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He said Palestinians urgently need collective action to stop what he described as Israel’s “genocide in Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.” He noted that Hamas had previously accepted the ceasefire proposal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, while “Israel continues to pursue the erasure of Palestine.”
Fidan also urged Islamic nations to launch an initiative at the United Nations for Palestine’s full membership.
He emphasized that the purpose of the emergency OIC meeting was to deliberate on halting the war in Gaza, forge a unified response from the “Islamic Ummah,” and mobilize the international community.
This is not the first time Turkey’s foreign minister has called for a coordinated Islamic response to developments in Gaza.
According to the UN Charter, any member that persistently violates the principles of the Charter may be suspended or expelled—but only through a resolution passed by the Security Council, where the United States holds veto power.
Israel’s actions in Gaza have been declared “genocidal” by numerous international bodies.
The 22-month-long war between Israel and Hamas has so far killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them children and civilians.
