Somalia has strongly condemned what it described as the “massacre and siege” being carried out by Israel in Gaza, as its foreign minister issued an urgent call for action at an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
It comes after the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that at least 47 more people, including six journalists, were killed and several others wounded on Monday in new Israeli attacks across various parts of the territory.
Reports said that 20 of the 47 deceased were targeted inside the Nasser Medical Center in Khan Younis.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali demanded an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the delivery of unconditional humanitarian aid to Gaza, in remarks at the OIC meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He also expressed his government’s support for a two-state solution that would grant Palestinians an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Reject occupation plans
In its final statement after the meeting, the OIC rejected Israeli plans to fully occupy Gaza, calling for pressure on Tel Aviv to stop its actions against Palestinians in the enclave.
The grouping held Israel “completely responsible for the ongoing war and the deliberate disregard of appeasement initiatives” over its refusal to respond to the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas.
Israel has killed more than 62,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military offensive has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
