Ninth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference

Ninth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference
October 18, 2023 (2023-10-18)
Host country	Saudi Arabia
Venue(s)	General Secretariat headquarters, Jeddah
Cities	Jeddah
Participants	Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

The Ninth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference was organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in response to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. The meeting took place on 18 October 2023 at the General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background

The urgent meeting was prompted by the events on October 7 when Hamas initiated a series of attacks on Israel, resulting in significant loss of life.^[1] Israel responded to these attacks with retaliatory strikes on Gaza.^[2]

Iran initiated the call for an emergency meeting of the OIC during the intense fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces.^[3][4] Subsequently, other member states supported this call, leading to the convening of an extraordinary meeting.^[2] As a result, the OIC completed the necessary preparations for convening an open-ended, emergency special meeting at the ministerial level. The purpose of this meeting was to address the aggression against Gaza and its worsening humanitarian situation.^[5]

Objectives

The primary goal of this meeting was to tackle the ongoing crisis in Gaza and its neighboring regions, paying specific attention to the worsening conditions that endanger civilian lives and regional stability.^[2]

Outcomes

Various Muslim countries attended the session, expressing their concerns and taking positions on the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Iran urges Muslim countries to impose sanctions on Israel following an attack on a hospital in Gaza.^[6] This included a demand for an oil embargo, which briefly caused a jump in crude prices.^[7] However, OPEC announced that it had no immediate plans to take action in response to Iran's call.^[8] Iran also called on Muslim states to boycott Israel.^[9]

Pakistan demanded that the international community hold Israel accountable for war crimes.^[10] Pakistan's Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani emphasized the need for bold decisions until a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is established.^[11]

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud called for lifting the blockade and establishing humanitarian corridors in Gaza, and also rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Turkey urged the Muslim world to take action for the establishment of a Palestinian state.^[12]

See also

• 2023 Arab League summit
• Arab Islamic extraordinary summit 2023
• International reactions to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• 2023 Gaza humanitarian crisis

References

1. "Diplomacy in Action: OIC Convenes Amidst Gaza Conflict". October 16, 2023. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
2. "OIC convenes 'extraordinary meeting' on Gaza crisis". The Express Tribune. October 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
3. "MSN". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
4. "MSN". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
5. https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/138364
6. "MSN". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
7. "OIC emergency session: Pakistan demands Israel's accountability for 'crimes against humanity'". 16 May 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
8. "Iran urges Muslim nations to sanction Israel after Gaza hospital 'massacre'". Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
9. "Pakistan at OIC: Israel must be held accountable for Gaza 'crimes against humanity'". gulfnews.com. May 16, 2021. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
10. "MSN". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
11. "OIC meet: Pakistan calls out int'l community to hold Israel accountable". Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
12. "OIC meet: Pakistan calls out int'l community to hold Israel accountable". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.