The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to act swiftly to uphold international law, ensure accountability and move forward with Palestine’s bid for full United Nations membership, citing continued Israeli violations despite a cease-fire deal.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the OIC at the council, Türkiye's U.N. envoy, Ahmet Yıldız, said the cease-fire agreement concluded in October 2025 between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas marked "a critical turning point towards ending the devastating hostilities" but warned that its implementation remains at risk.
"While the cease-fire has reduced large-scale violence and facilitated increased humanitarian access, it remains fragile, with recurrent Israeli attacks and ongoing constraints on humanitarian access, impeding life-saving assistance from reaching the Palestinian population, including further deplorable measures against UNRWA and against international humanitarian organizations and other violations of the ceasefire agreement by the occupying power," Yıldız said.
Hailing the international efforts to maintain the cease-fire, he said: "We welcome the sustained efforts of President (Donald) Trump of the United States to sustain the cease-fire in Gaza," but stressed that Israel's actions continue to undermine progress on the ground.
"We wish to draw attention to Israel's continuing aggression as the occupying power against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including violations of the historic and legal status quo at the holy sites of Jerusalem," Yıldız said, adding that "these illegal actions obstruct the smooth implementation of the cease-fire agreement."
The OIC also welcomed political developments tied to the agreement, as Yildiz said the group supports "the commencement of the second phase of the cease-fire agreement" and the recent announcement of "the formation of the Palestinian committee to administer the Gaza Strip as a temporary transitional body supporting Palestinians to oversee their own affairs in their territory."
Calling for decisive international action, he said: "We reiterate our call for an expeditious action by the Security Council on Palestine's admission as a full member of the United Nations," noting that the move is "essential for a just and lasting peace and the credibility of the multilateral system."
He underscored the importance of humanitarian coordination, emphasizing "the roles of the various U.N. agencies, particularly UNRWA, to ensure a coordinated humanitarian response."
The OIC reiterated that, "Lasting peace in the Middle East requires Israel's complete withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan, and full compliance with Security Council resolutions."
Condemning Israel's actions beyond Palestine, the group recalled "Israel's incursions into Syrian territory since Dec. 8, 2024" and "Israel's repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon since Nov. 27, 2024."
"In conclusion, the OIC group urges the Security Council to act with urgency and unity to uphold international law, ensure accountability and end the illegal Israeli occupation and the injustices faced by the Palestinian people," Yıldız said.
