The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussein Ibrahim Taha, emphasized today, Sunday, the necessity of exerting more pressure for an immediate cessation of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The organization held today, Sunday, at its headquarters in Jeddah, west of Saudi Arabia, a preparatory meeting of senior officials for the fiftieth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member states of the organization, which will be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from August 29 to 30, 2024.

The Secretary-General said in his speech today, Sunday, that the meeting is taking place at a time when the issue of Palestine and the holy city of Jerusalem is facing serious challenges and is witnessing dangerous deviations due to the unprecedented Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip and throughout the Palestinian territories, including the occupied city of Jerusalem, in blatant violation of international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.

He stressed the "necessity of unifying the efforts of the member states of the organization at the international level to exert more pressure to implement the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for an immediate cessation of the Israeli military aggression, in order to ensure adequate and sustainable access to humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, lift the inhumane Israeli blockade, and support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The Secretary-General reviewed in his speech the organization's efforts and initiatives concerning the situation in Afghanistan, Jammu and Kashmir, the establishment of peace, security, stability, and development in all regions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, defending the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-member states, and the humanitarian work of the organization, especially the efforts made to host an international donors conference in October at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Jeddah; aimed at mobilizing resources to contribute to facing the challenges faced by refugees and internally displaced persons in northeastern Nigeria, Lake Chad, and the Sahel region.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Secretary-General noted in his speech the "generous support provided by Saudi Arabia to the organization, its ongoing commitment to enhancing joint Islamic action, and the special attention it gives to the activities of the organization, which comes as a confirmation of the concern and interest of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince.