OIC lashes out at Israeli violence

The Organization of the Islamic Conference voices its condemnation of Israel’s bloody takeover of a humanitarian aid convoy heading for the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Islamic body on Monday condemned the use of violence by Israeli forces against hundreds of international activists onboard the six-ship flotilla heading to the Palestinian coastal sliver.

It further called for the immediate release of detained campaigners and the captured ships.

“Israel should be held fully responsible for the wellbeing and safety of all people on the ship,” the website of the Dubai-based Gulf News daily quoted OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as saying in a statement.

Ihsanoglu condemned the move as a “deliberate violation of international laws and human values.”

He called for an end to the long-standing Israeli siege on Gaza — stepped up to a breaking point over the past years — and condemned the blockade for debilitating the economy and deteriorating the living conditions for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents.

Ihsanoglu asked Islamic organizations in New York and Geneva to take action on the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council levels to discuss the repercussions of the deadly attack on the Gaza aid convoy.

The OIC chief urged investigations must be carried out into the attack which occurred on international waters and to bring all those responsible to justice.

The Israeli navy attacked Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, 150km (90 miles) from Gaza.

The operation killed at least 20 people on board the aid convoy and left about 50 others injured, according to Palestinian sources.