ADDIS ABABA, June 24 — The African Union Commission, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday condemned the “illegal practices” of the Israeli occupation in the occupied Palestinian territory, warning that such actions threaten the prospects for lasting peace and undermine international law.
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the heads of the three organizations “strongly condemned the continuation of Israeli annexation and settlement schemes in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
They expressed rejection of what they described as “invalid measures,” noting that Israel’s settlement policy “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”
They condemned Israel’s “violation of the basic rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people, including through operating an apartheid system that discriminates based on race and religion.”
The three organizations jointly called on the international community to assume its legal and political responsibilities, take effective steps to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, and “halt all Israeli occupation policies based on annexation, displacement, siege and colonial settlement.”
Reaffirming their joint backing for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem serving as the capital of an independent Palestinian state, the three organizations called for diplomatic efforts to secure peace, protect religious freedoms, and advance a lasting political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
They further called on Israeli authorities to “immediately, fully and unconditionally lift all restrictions” imposed on the work of specialized United Nations agencies and other international non-governmental organizations, emphasizing the vital and integral role of these institutions in the required humanitarian response. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
