ISTANBUL

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss Israel's ongoing assaults against Palestinians.

In a statement Monday, the Jeddah-based grouping said the meeting will be held at the level of permanent representatives “regarding the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and the targeting of holy sites in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil (Hebron).”

The meeting “comes amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing crimes of genocide, starvation, and displacement committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, and the escalation of Israeli attacks on places of worship,” it added.

Separately, Palestine called for an urgent Arab League meeting to be held on Tuesday at the level of permanent delegates to discuss the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

According to the official news agency Wafa, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Arab League, Muhannad Al-Aklouk, asked participants to discuss the ongoing Israeli violations against the Palestinians and their holy sites in the occupied West Bank.

Later, the Arab League announced that it will hold an emergency meeting of its Council at the level of permanent representatives on Tuesday to discuss the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, without providing further details.

At least 18 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza in the last 24 hours alone, the Health Ministry said, highlighting the escalating humanitarian catastrophe as relentless bombardment and deprivation converge to push civilians beyond the brink.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.