Cairo: The ministerial committee, supported by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza along with 23 countries, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, has expressed strong opposition to Israel’s plans to impose full military control over Gaza.

According to Nam News Network, the joint statement was released by the foreign ministries of countries including Egypt, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Mauritania, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Somalia, Türkiye, and Gambia. The statement described Israel’s intentions as an escalation and a violation of international law, aiming to entrench occupation by force.

The declaration highlighted concerns over Israel’s actions, including alleged violations such as killing, starvation, forced displacement, and annexation of Palestinian land. These are seen as crimes that could amount to crimes against humanity.

In a related development, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during a meeting in Cairo, reiterated their opposition to a military re-occupation of Gaza. They called for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid access, and the release of hostages, while opposing the displacement of Palestinians.

Since the resumption of the international airdrop operation in late July, 11 countries have participated, delivering over 1,100 aid packages to Gaza. Notably, Greece and Italy joined the operation alongside the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Despite Israel’s rejection of allegations of intentionally causing starvation, United Nations officials and experts argue that the airdrops have minimal impact on the humanitarian crisis. They emphasize the need for Israel to open land crossings for more substantial aid and medical care access.