Jeddah: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened today in Jeddah an extraordinary open-ended meeting of the Executive Committee at the level of foreign ministers of member states to address the illegal measures taken by the Israeli occupying power aimed at expanding settlements, advancing annexation policies, and attempting to impose alleged Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.

According to Saudi Press Agency, at the opening session, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha in a statement delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs Ambassador Samir Bakr Diyab affirmed that the meeting was convened following Israel's recent announcement of measures designed to entrench the unlawful occupation through the expansion of colonial settlement activities and the deepening of annexation policies.

He stressed that such actions seek to alter the legal, political, and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory and undermine the prospects for the two-state solution. He reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

He further underscored that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and must come to an end, and that all related decisions and measures must cease, as they are null and void under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334.