GCC Condemns Mosque Arson in Tulkarm, Holds Occupation Fully Responsible

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, strongly condemned the crime committed by Israeli settlers who set fire to a mosque in the village of Kafr in Tulkarm Governorate and wrote racist slogans on its walls. He emphasized that this attack targets places of worship and Islamic sanctities, representing a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian law, and a provocation to Muslims worldwide.

Al-Budaiwi explained that the crime is part of a continuous series of violations and attacks targeting the Palestinian people and their sanctities. He held the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for these and the accompanying repeated assaults, noting that policies of protection and leniency towards settlers' practices encourage impunity and lead to dangerous escalation threatening regional security and stability.

He stressed that targeting and attacking places of worship represents a flagrant violation of the sanctity of holy sites and a serious breach of human values and international charters that guarantee the protection of religious sites and the freedom of worship.

Al-Budaiwi called on the international community, the UN Security Council, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, take urgent action to stop these violations, hold the perpetrators accountable, and provide international protection for the Palestinian people and their sanctities. He warned that continued international silence encourages the repetition of crimes and undermines the chances of achieving security and peace.

The Secretary-General reiterated the GCC's firm and supportive stance for the Palestinian people and their right to establish an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.