Syrian FM Denounces Israel’s Occupation and Violence at OIC Meeting
Key Statements by H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr. Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, at the OIC Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting in Jeddah:
Damascus has never bowed and has remained steadfast on the issues of the Arab and Islamic nation—from Palestine to every struggle in defense of justice.
Despite a brutal war that lasted fourteen years, Syria rises from the ashes with greater awareness and determination to safeguard its sovereignty and independence.
Today, Gaza is besieged with the silence of the humanity, while Israel continues its crimes in violation of international law and the UN Charter.
The bombing of homes, hospitals, and schools constitutes documented war crimes, which Syria condemns morally, humanely, and historically. The Syrian people have lived through this and endured its bitterness.
Syria condemns this criminal war on ethical, humanitarian, religious, and historical grounds. We reject labeling the aggressor as merely a “party to a conflict”; it is an occupation and aggression that must end.
Israeli occupation violates the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, UN Security Council resolutions, and the principles of respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity by establishing intelligence centers and military points in a buffer zone, serving its expansionist and divisive agenda.
These violations aim to tear apart Syria’s national diversity, revive sectarian strife, and turn the occupied Syrian Golan into a base to seize more land. Yet, Syria remains impervious to division.
We call on the United Nations and the UNDOF mission to fully assume their responsibilities in documenting and halting Israeli incursions and violations.
We call for a united, sincere, and courageous Arab and Islamic stance to confront the destructive war and lift the siege. We also urge our brothers in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to support Syria’s position in international forums and reject any attempts to legitimize the occupation or entrench a reality imposed by force at the expense of Syria’s sovereignty.