Israel is using humanitarian assistance as a 'weapon of war' — Fidan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has urged Muslim countries to take concrete action to stop Israel's brutal aggression in Palestine's Gaza.

Speaking at the Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, he said, "Even if it's unilateral, there is a great expectation for us to take immediate action on Gaza."

Fidan also called for the development of a plan to "counter the atrocities in Gaza" as Israel continues its attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave for nearly five months.

"As the Muslim world, we must devise a plan on three grounds to counter the atrocities in Gaza," he said, emphasising that the implementation of a decision to stop weapons shipments to Israel "must be monitored."

He continued: "On the actual ground, we should prevent people from starving to death by breaking the Israeli siege."

"On the political and diplomatic front, we should increase the pressure on Israel through every available means by acting collectively and with one voice," he added.

Fidan stressed that on the legal ground, efforts to uphold international law at all costs are "indispensable."

He also welcomed a resolution at the session calling for OIC members to get involved in "cases before the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court."

'More than 400,000 Palestinians are facing starvation'

Fidan also underlined that the blockade around Gaza "must be broken."

"This must be done now," he said, adding that Israel is using humanitarian aid as a "weapon in war."

Stressing that more than 400,000 Palestinians are facing starvation, he said, "We cannot leave the people of Gaza at the mercy of Israel or wait for the blessing of hegemonic powers."

"It is our solemn duty to turn the grievances of Palestinians into peace, security and dignity in their own state and in their own lands," he added.

'Palestinians cannot be left at Israel's mercy'

The minister also emphasised that Israel's "extremist and racist government" has been attempting "yet again to deceive the world."

Fidan also stressed that human rights groups and non-governmental organisations should be allowed in Gaza, "accepting whatever risks."

"We cannot leave the people of Gaza at the mercy of Israel or wait for the blessing of hegemonic powers," he said.

Israel's ongoing atrocities in Gaza

On Thursday, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid at the Al Nabulsi roundabout area on Al Rashid Street, a major coastal road to the west of Gaza City in northern Gaza.

The attack left at least 112 Palestinians dead and 760 injured.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the besieged Palestinian enclave since an October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Israel's war on Gaza enters into its 151st day, killing at least 30,534 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and wounding 71,980 others.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.