ANKARA

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

In a statement late Thursday, the OIC described the move as “a crucial step toward ending decades of impunity enjoyed by Israeli officials” and “restoring confidence in international justice and accountability.”

The organization emphasized that the decision “represents a victory for international legitimacy and the rule of law.”

The OIC called on the global community, particularly member states of the Rome Statute, to “respect and implement this important ruling.”

It also urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to “expedite its judgment on Israel’s perpetration of genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the OIC appealed to the UN Security Council to “take immediate and effective measures to enforce its resolutions.”

The organization demanded “a comprehensive, permanent cease-fire to end the military aggression and genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians” and called for “unhindered humanitarian aid to reach all areas of the Gaza Strip.”

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

The ICC announced in a landmark move Thursday that it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi