RAFAH: Palestinians inspect their house, after it was destroyed by a Zionist airstrike, in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. – AFP

KUWAIT: Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah yesterday chaired the State of Kuwait's delegation partaking in the virtual emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss current developments in Palestine, namely attacks and violations perpetrated by the Zionist occupation forces in the holy City of Jerusalem.

Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser addressed a statement at the meeting, citing a verse from the Holy Quran that urges the faithful to be patient and remain pious and obedient to His Almighty Allah. "Our brethren in Palestine," he started, "are facing today one of the largest, fiercest flagrant offensives, carried out by the Zionist occupation forces, targeting children, women, unarmed civilians with no mercy whatsoever and no regard to international laws and covenants.

The State of Kuwait, while it greets with awe our patient and steadfast brothers in Palestine in the face of these brutal crimes by the Zionist occupation forces, renews its strong condemnation of these systematic crimes against the Palestinian people in the city of Jerusalem and all occupied Palestinian territories that have resulted in destabilization in the Middle East, posing a threat to international peace and security."

Repeated history

"History is recurring itself," the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister stated. "Our organization was established due to the fire at Al-Aqsa Mosque and now after 52 years, the brutal Zionist measures intended to scratch off features of Holy Jerusalem are happening again as part of a continuous criminal scheme for altering its identity. Kuwait denounces with strongest terms the Zionist occupation forces relentless breaches of international and humanitarian laws. These forces carry on with forced immigration and construction of settlements on the Palestinian territories namely in the Holy Jerusalem and at Sheikh Jarrah district.

"International resolutions affirm that special sanctity of holy Jerusalem must not be desecrated and East Jerusalem must remain part of the occupied Palestinian territories according to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, also as stipulated by the decisions of Islamic summits; latest of which was Resolution Number one issued at the 2019 Makkah Summit. These continuing Zionist practices aim to alter facts in the occupied territories and constitute blatant violation of all relevant resolutions of the international legitimacy that consider these measures as invalid and imply no commitment or right."

The Kuwaiti foreign minister praised efforts exerted by Tunisia and the Niger, two non-permanent members of the OIC, for their reactions to the bloody and tragic events involving the Palestinian brothers. He urged the OIC to take decisive measures to stop the flagrant aggression and hold the occupation Zionist forces fully responsible for their crimes and crimes against humanity.

The State of Kuwait, he has continued, renews its adherence to the Arab and Islamic stances that affirm that peace is a strategic option, that a lasting, comprehensive and just solution is based on the two states principle, the road map, the Arab peace initiative where the Palestinian people can attain in full their legitimate rights and establish their independent state on their territories -- with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Arab-level coordination

Sheikh Dr Ahmad had discussed during a phone call Saturday with his Tunisian counterpart Othman Jerandi the serious effects resulting from the Zionist attacks on Gaza, as well as consultations and ways of coordination regarding the Security Council session that was scheduled for yesterday, to look into such critical situation. Tunisia is currently the Non-Permanent Representative in the Security Council and Arab representative in the Council.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister had on Friday discussed ceasefire and de-escalation efforts in the occupied Palestinian lands with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. A statement by the Foreign Ministry pointed out that the phone conversation came in line with the State of Kuwait's support and coordination of international efforts for a ceasefire in occupied Palestine. Sheikh Dr Ahmad lauded immense efforts wielded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in this regard.

Kuwait TV office destroyed

Meanwhile, a Zionist air strike had on Saturday destroyed a high-rise building in the Gaza Strip where a production company that does reporting for the State-run Kuwait television in addition to other media outlets are located, a media source said. "The 12-storey Al-Jalaa tower block in Gaza collapsed after repeated missile strikes from the Zionist air force," reporter Suad Al-Imam told KUNA. The compound, which houses offices of news media including Qatar's Al-Jazeera television network, collapsed in plumes of smoke that caused damage to nearby buildings and private flats. The incident has been widely condemned by journalists as an attack on press freedom.