The meeting of the Expanded Executive Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) at the level of Foreign Ministers wrapped up on Saturday afternoon, 3rd January 2009, at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. The meeting's discussions focused on the Israeli aggression against Gaza. The meeting issued a communiqué that strongly condemned the brutal and sustained aggression which Israel perpetrates against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of civilians, leaving thousands injured, and wreaking massive havoc on houses, civic facilities and infrastructure. The final communiqué called upon the international community to move promptly to put an end to the aggression. It expressed disappointment at the failure of the UN Security Council to take the necessary measure to end the Israeli aggression, calling upon the Council to live up to its responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security. The communiqué called on all OIC Member States to unite, in the event of the failure of the Security Council, in support of convening a meeting of the General Assembly. Furthermore, the communiqué called for the deployment of an international observer mission in the Gaza Strip to stem the escalation of the conflict and to ensure the stabilization of the situation. It called upon the Group of OIC ambassadors in Geneva to carry through its move to convene an urgent meeting of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the human rights violations. The communiqué also called on Palestinian factions to move beyond their differences, end their disputes, and resume the national dialogue on foundations that would ensure Palestinian national unity and serve the best interests of the Palestinian people. The meeting expressed appreciation for the Member States for the humanitarian assistance they have provided since the beginning of the aggression, requesting the OIC Secretary General to continue working with the OIC Member States, the Islamic Development Bank, and private financial institutions to provide urgent aid to the Gaza Strip. The communiqué underpinned the need to extend support for the Palestinian National Authority and its legitimate institutions in the face of the impact of the aggression and assist it in rebuilding what was destroyed by the occupation and aggression. The communiqué also adopted the idea of convening a donors' conference to achieve this purpose.
