D-8 Chairman, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: “UN General Assembly Should have Special Session for a Halt to the Escalating Violence in Gaza”

Istanbul, Turkey | January 07, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

Turkish trucks filled with medicine being loaded to victims of Israeli air strikes in Palestine

Albeit its genuine interests lies in economic domain within the member countries, D-8 Organization deemed the urgency to voice its concern over the rupturing conflict between Israel-Palestine that has led to the Israelian air strikes on the Gaza Strip that has been launched for more than 10 days.

The Israel Air Force begun the air strikes on the Gaza Strip since Dec. 27,2008 and later on Saturday evening, Israeli troops launched the ground incursion, causing some 500 Palestinians dead and 2,400 injury, according to the latest news reports. Israel says it launched the offensive to stop rocket attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza that have killed several Israelis.

Member countries through their respective authorities had voiced their deepest concern over this problem.

Pressuring UN for Special Session on Halting Violence

Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the D-8 Chairman this period, said that Malaysia’s permanent representative to the UN will hold discussions with other officials in the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, or OIC, on how best to push for such a session.

“I hope the United States and its allies will not impede efforts to convene the special general assembly,” Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Malaysian national news agency, Bernama.

Foreign ministers from OIC countries issued a statement following a meeting in Saudi Arabia over the weekend saying all Muslim nations should cooperate with other UN members to call for a special General Assembly session titled “Uniting for Peace.”

In a separate statement, Abdullah said Israel’s ground offensive “is an act of total war which the international community should not tolerate.”

Abdullah added that in its own show of support and solidarity, the Malaysian Government has decided to contribute US$ 1 million to the people of Gaza which is to be channeled through MERCY Malaysia.

On the other hand, the Hon. Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia,  participated in the Emergency Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on 3 January 2009 at the Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the OIC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In his Statement, the Hon. Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim expressed Malaysia’s strong condemnation of Israel’s disproportionate, indiscriminate and excessive attacks on Gaza which is a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. He expressed his dismay over the inability of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to reach a decision calling for a ceasefire. Given this scenario,  Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim urged the OIC together with the Non-Aligned Movement and the Arab League to work towards demanding for the convening of an Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the Situation in Palestine. Malaysia also called for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to de-escalate the conflict.

He urged the OIC to take immediate measures by calling for a Special Session of the Human Rights Council to address the infringements of human rights and humanitarian law by Israel. The OIC Secretary General was also requested to undertake consultations with other international and regional organizations aimed at calling for a ceasefire and addressing the deteriorating humanitarian condition in Gaza. He further stressed that Palestinian Unity is paramount as continuing split between Hamas and Fatah would only benefit Israel at the expense of Palestinians who had suffered the most.

Consequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia has decided to activate the Humanitarian Fund for the Palestinian people to enable the Malaysian public to contribute donations towards lifting the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

Medical Support and Observer Team

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

In the neighboring country, Indonesia, who held the chairmanship of D-8 prior to Malaysia, the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the country is prepared to send its nationals to become part of an observer team in the Gaza Strip if there is a ceasefire.

“If the United Nations (UN) and the international community agree on sending a monitoring team, Indonesia is prepared to send her best people to become part of the team,” he said.

“This is because the Indonesian government must consider the safety of the Indonesian nationals too,” he said as quoted by the Antara news agency.

Susilo said that besides sending humanitarian aid worth US1 million, Indonesia was also preparing a medical team to be sent to districts which were giving temporary protection to the people of Gaza who had become victims of the Israeli aggression.

Indonesia on Sunday also called on United Nations (UN) to work on renewing dialog and negotiations on the Palestine-Israeli conflict among each side and sending an observation team to Gaza, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The Indonesian government has called on the United Nations Security Council, which is now in session, to adopt a resolution requiring the conflicting parties to put an end to their hostilities and establish a truce. It also calls for the monitoring of the truce by a UN observers team,” said the statement, adding that Indonesia was ready to take part in a UN Observation Team.

Indonesian Ambassador, A.M. Fachir visited Palestinians victims in Nasser Hospital, Cairo

It also called on all groups in Palestine to unite, saying “Unity among all factions in Palestine is urgently needed. Reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah factions is a must because disunity will only benefit Israel and victimizes innocent civilians.”

In Cairo, the Indonesian ambassador for Egypt, A.M. Fachir and his wife, Yasmin Fachir, made visits to the Nasser hospital that treat the Palestinian victims of the strikes, as the expression of the country’s deepest concern and sympathy. The visit was solemnly greeted by the hospital Director, Dr Bahaa el-Din Abou Zeid, who led the ambassador to meet directly with the victims.

“Safe Corridor” in the Strip for Medical and Food Deliveries

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

Spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, sent urgent messages to the UN Secretary General, the Security Council President for the current month and the Foreign Ministers of the five permanent members of the Council concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The Spokesman outlined that in his messages, Aboul Gheit asked for the consideration of a proposal to establish “safe corridors” in the Strip to deliver food and medicines to the inhabitants till the end of the military operations, taking into consideration the fragility of the humanitarian situation and the negative impact of the ground offensive.

The Spokesman said that the Egyptian proposal aims to spare the Palestinian civilians as much as possible the horrors and repercussions of military operations, especially in relation to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

On Monday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also held talks with his visiting French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on means of ending the current Israeli attacks against Gaza.

During the meeting at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the two leaders discussed the ongoing Egyptian efforts to help reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, according to the official MENA news agency.

They also tackled means of restoring calmness between the Palestinians and Israel in order to pave the way for the resumption of their stalled peace talks leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Along the same line, Foreign Adviser of Bangladesh’s caretaker government Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on Monday expressed his grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Gaza and urged to stop fighting.

Chowdhury said that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged a cease-fire and “we entirely endorse his urgings.”

“The Israeli ground action is extremely worrying as it places us on the brink of full scale war,” he said in a press statement of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Chowdhury said, “Peace in Palestine is essential for global stability which today is seriously threatened because of the events in Gaza. The fighting must be stopped forthwith. Further killings of innocent civilian are totally unacceptable.”

Pakistan Urges Israel to halt Violence

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday called for immediate halt to the Israeli ground and air assault on Gaza to avoid human losses and destruction. “The government of Pakistan has condemned Israeli ground and Air attacks. We think it is unjustified and must be immediately stopped,” Qureshi told a news conference at the eastern Pakistani city of Multan.

“Israeli aggression must end and it should stop ground and aerial attacks and solve the problem through dialogues” Qureshi said, adding “the cease-fire must be revived to avoid human losses and destruction.”

Qureshi said that foreign ministers from Islamic countries met in Jeddah Saturday and Pakistan fully took part in the proceedings and presented its stance.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said Pakistan expressed grave concern over the attacks in Gaza and called for cessation of the attacks against unarmed and innocent Palestinians.

Talking to a Special Envoy of Iran Gholamhossein Nozari here at the President’s House, Zardari said the attacks were violative of the United Nations Charter.

The News Network International news agency quoted Zardari as saying that the Pakistani government had also urged the international community to bring to end the violence against the Palestinians and promote a peaceful, just and durable settlement of the Palestinian issue in accordance with relevant United Nation Security Council resolutions.

Iranian Hospital Ready to Treat Palestinian Strikes Victims

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki

Support and sympathy also came from Iran, where the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said that Iranian hospitals are ready to admit the wounded Palestinians for medical treatment.

Expressing deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip, he said due to increase in the number of martyrs and wounded Palestinians as a result of the continued invasion, the Iranian hospitals are ready to receive the injured Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a message to his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit, announced readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to set up a makeshift hospital in the Egyptian territory and close to the Gaza Strip.

In his message, the Iranian FM urged Cairo to cooperate with Tehran in that regard.

Turkish health ministry sends 13 tons medicine to Gaza

From Turkey, the Turkish Ministry of Health has sent 13 tons of medicine and medical equipment to Gaza. The aid was sent to the region by a plane of the Turkish Airlines through WHO.

Turkish PM, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President, Hosni Mobarak

The Ministry also sent two experts to the region to provide coordination of the humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, a Turkish health team is waiting for Egypt’s permission to bring in injured Palestinian people for medical treatment in Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been shuttling between Arab capitals to seek a consensus among bitterly divided Arab leaders before approaching Israel with a diplomatic proposal.

Mr. Erdogan has met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the past several days. Prime Minister Erdogan is also due to meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, Saturday.

Al-Arabiya TV reported that Mr. Erdogan also met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, and Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdallah Challah, while in Damascus, to sound them out over conditions for a Gaza cease-fire.

In Nigeria, irked by the on-going destructions of lives and properties in Gaza strip, coalition of Muslim groups under the aegis of Conference of Islamic Organization (CIO) has called on the United Nations and governments to intervene immediately to stop the killings of innocent people in the area.

Condemning the killings of innocent people including women and children by the security operatives from Israel and the retaliations from Hamas group, CIO noted that it was time the international community called to order the Israelis government to restrain from further bombardment of the Gaza strip to save lives and property of the people in the area.

(From various sources.)

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