Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemns 'heinous' killing of Ismail Haniyeh

The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh threatens to plunge the Middle East into a broader conflict, warned Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara, chair of a Saudi-based Islamic bloc, at a summit.

During the same meeting, a senior Iranian official asserted that the Islamic Republic would need to defend itself against Israel, which it holds responsible for Haniyeh’s death last week in Tehran.

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the request of Iranian and Palestinian officials, who urged the group to respond to the killing.

“This heinous act only serves to escalate existing tensions, potentially leading to a wider regional conflict,” said Tangara, whose country currently leads the OIC.

Haniyeh’s assassination “will not silence the Palestinian cause but rather amplify it, highlighting the urgent need for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people,” he added.

Tangara also emphasised that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation-states are fundamental principles of the international order. Disrespecting these principles has serious consequences”.