Turkish OIC head calls for practical steps to end GAZA blockade

International law must be used to stop the "humanitarian tragedy" caused by the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, as condemnations of the situation are no longer enough, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkish scholar and secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), yesterday. Speaking at a meeting of the OIC and private institutions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ihsanoglu called for practical proposals for how OIC member states and private institutions can go about ending the siege, and also solicited ideas on how international law can best assist the Gazans and hold the Israelis to account, according to an OIC statement. Ihsanoglu stressed that the Muslim world cannot continue to allow this "disgraceful" siege. A multi-pronged attack, including political, humanitarian and judicial approaches, is necessary, he added.