ISTANBUL 

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said Thursday it will convene an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Monday to coordinate a joint response to Israel’s plan to fully reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Jeddah-based bloc said preparations are underway for the special session, which will address both the ongoing Israeli offensive and attempts to “entrench occupation” in the enclave.

The OIC said the meeting will also focus on coordinating positions regarding “genocide, starvation, forced displacement, siege, and the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”

The announcement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed aside mediation efforts for a ceasefire and instead instructed his military to accelerate implementation of a plan to occupy Gaza City.

That plan, approved on Aug. 8, calls for displacing nearly a million residents to the south, surrounding Gaza City, and carrying out ground incursions into residential districts.

On Aug. 11, Israeli forces launched a major assault on the Zeitoun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza City, using booby-trapped robots to demolish homes, backed by artillery fire and forced displacement, according to witnesses.

Israel has killed nearly 62,200 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.