OIC Condemns Israeli Confiscation of Palestinian Land, Historical Sites

Illustration of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf Roletschek)

JAKARTA - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the continued Israeli policy of confiscating thousands of hectares of Palestinian land, as well as the latest confiscation of historical sites in Sabastiya, Nablus Province.

"This is part of the racist policy carried out by the Israeli occupation targeting hundreds of heritage, historical and educational sites and religious sites in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the occupied city of Al-Quds, in an attempt to destroy, usurp, falsify and destroy the cultural heritage and civilization of the Palestinian people," the organization said in a statement, reported by WAFA on July 30.

The organization added that what the Israeli authorities did was a clear violation of applicable international laws and regulations.

"This is a flagrant violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions, relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict and its Protocols," the organization explained.

The OIC also called on the international community, especially the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to act swiftly to protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the occupied Palestinian Territory.