The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League have granted Indonesia a special mandate, along with other countries, to work towards ending the conflict in Gaza. This mandate was issued following an extraordinary meeting of OIC leaders to discuss efforts to halt the war in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, stated that Paragraph 11 of the resolution produced is an acknowledgment by OIC of Indonesia’s active contribution to resolving the Palestinian issue.
The resolution consists of 31 messages from OIC member states, expressing strong and firm appeals to cease the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza.
“OIC also urges the UN Security Council to issue a resolution condemning the destruction of hospitals in Gaza by Israel,” she said.
In addition to Indonesia, OIC leaders in the resolution have mandated Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Nigeria to assist through political processes in achieving peace between Israel and Palestine.
During the summit, President Joko Widodo conveyed four recommendations or messages regarding the importance of OIC countries uniting to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Firstly, he urged Israel to immediately implement a ceasefire. “Without a ceasefire, the situation will not improve. Israel has used the ‘self-defense’ narrative and continues to target civilian populations. This is nothing but collective punishment,” he stated.
Secondly, Jokowi called for the expedited delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza and requested Israel to respect international law.
“The humanitarian situation is very concerning. For example, the Indonesian hospital in Northern Gaza continues to be the target of Israeli attacks. Indonesia calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law,” he emphasized.
Thirdly, he urged OIC countries to use all efforts to demand accountability from Israel for the humanitarian atrocities committed. He called for granting access to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the UN Human Rights Council, to fulfill its mandate. Lastly, Jokowi called on OIC to promptly act to facilitate peaceful negotiations.
“If the quartet mechanism is no longer reliable, then OIC must promote a new format for peaceful negotiations, and Indonesia is ready to contribute to such peace negotiations,” he affirmed.
