TEHRAN- Israeli officials should face legal action for the crimes committed by the regime against the besieged Gaza Strip, according to a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The gathering also issued a warning that the current state of affairs might lead to a “unprecedented explosion” in the region.  

The request was made via the final communiqué of the 5th emergency meeting of the permanent Palestine committee of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday. 

The meeting was merged with the first meeting of the Palestine Committee of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

The communiqué declared Israel must be placed on trial for its war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against people in Gaza.

“We want the international community to fully take up its responsibility to condemn these measures and try to put an immediate end to the aggression,” it said.

In addition to praising South Africa for bringing an International Court of Justice complaint against Israel, the statement asked PUIC members to assist South Africa in prosecuting Israeli offenders.

According to the statement, the world must act to put an immediate halt to Israel’s onslaught, warning that Muslim nations cannot stay passive while Israel continues to massacre Palestinians, and that the situation risks producing an eruption of wrath and a regional confrontation.  

It also said that PUIC members support the Palestinian people’s struggle against Israel in all forms, as all occupied countries have the right to self-defense in the face of aggression.

The statement denounced Israel’s intention to forcefully relocate Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and demanded the return of all Palestinians to their country.

Additionally, the communiqué also denounced U.S. backing for Israel’s offensive, noting that Washington has given the regime access to a variety of cutting-edge weaponry and munitions.

It further stated that the U.S. sought to whitewash Israel’s misdeeds in the international arena by using its veto power to prevent the UN from acting against the apartheid regime.

The statement also urged member nations to provide financial and political assistance to Palestinians, as well as seek to provide additional supplies to the beleaguered strip and assist Palestinians in rebuilding their homes devastated by Israel’s war machine.

Representatives from 26 Islamic and Asian nations, including Bahrain, Turkey, Algeria, Oman, and China, attended the PUIC summit in Tehran. The PUIC was set up in Iran in 1999, with its headquarters in Tehran.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated at the meeting on Wednesday that the Israeli regime was built on aggression and genocide, and that it must continue to do such horrible crimes in order to survive.

“What is coming to pass in the Gaza Strip today is a cause of deep concern and shame for humanity. It is double injustice to a nation that has been deprived of all human rights and has been under aggression and occupation for more than seven decades,” Qalibaf said.

He continued by saying that “no awakened conscience can be dismissive of the heinous and widespread bloody crimes being committed by the Israeli Zionist regime’s war machine in Gaza and its horrendous effects on the peace and security of the region and the world.”

A representative from the Palestinian parliament underscored the imperative for Islamic nations to stand in support of Palestine, vehemently denouncing bilateral ties with the Zionist regime as a tacit approval of ongoing atrocities.

President of the Algerian Parliament Ebrahim Boughali also urged advocates for the freedom of Palestine and global leaders to take necessary actions for the trial of the Zionist regime in international courts.

“All tools should be used to prosecute Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people in international courts,” said Qassem Hashem, the representative from the Lebanese Parliament.