OIC and Arab group at U.N. demand immediate ceasefire, unfettered aid for Gaza

Representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab group at the United Nations called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, unrestricted humanitarian access and accountability for alleged violations of international law, during a New York press briefing.

The statement, read in part by the charge of Türkiye for the OIC group and delivered by ambassadors and ministers representing Arab and OIC members, described Israel’s announced plan to impose full military control over Gaza as “a dangerous and unacceptable escalation” and a violation of international humanitarian law. "We demand the immediate and comprehensive cessation of the Israeli aggression," one speaker said.

The group urged that food, medicine and fuel be allowed into Gaza at scale and that relief agencies be permitted to operate freely. The statement said the actions it described — including killings, forced displacement and attacks on civilian infrastructure — "may amount to crimes against humanity," and it called on the international…