Muscat – The sultanate has strongly condemned the ongoing massacre and war crimes being committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people.

It called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to establish a tribunal for the war crimes committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza and to pursue the war criminals responsible.

Oman condemned the ‘shocking massacre’ on Friday that targeted the Osama bin Zaid School affiliated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the north of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinian families had sought refuge from the bombings by Israeli forces, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.

On Saturday, the Israeli occupation forces also bombed the UNRWA-affiliated Al Fakhura School in Jabalia, the entrance to the Al Nasr children’s hospital in west Gaza and a public water tank that supplies neighbourhoods in east Rafah in the southern part of the strip.

“School attacked at UNRWA in southern Gaza – yet more innocent civilian victims. The whole world should condemn this senseless war and violence and bring it to an end. @UN, @SecBlinken, @antonioguterres – immediate ceasefire is imperative to save lives,” H E Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, posted on ‘X’.

‘The international community needs to wake up to its moral, legal and humanitarian responsibilities to put an end to Israel’s blatant disregard for and violation of international laws, conventions and treaties,’ the Foreign Ministry stated.

‘An immediate halt to this brutal war is needed urgently… the international community should not take Israeli actions lightly’.

It said the international community should adopt a firm stance with regard to the ongoing Israeli violations against unarmed innocent civilians. ‘The international community should also ensure the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.’

Further, the sultanate condemned attacks by Israel on hospitals and ambulance services in Gaza on Friday. Attacks on the Al Shifa, Al Quds and Indonesian hospitals resulted in many civilians being killed or injured.

Recalling international resolutions on Palestine and the steadfast Omani position on the Palestinian issue, the ministry called for Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian territories to the 1967 borders. It also called for the Palestinian people to be allowed to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and in line with international resolutions.

H E Sayyid Badr speaks with Japanese FM

H E Sayyid Badr and Yoko Kamikawa, Foreign Minister of Japan, spoke over phone on Saturday and agreed that achieving a truce in the war in Gaza is utmost priority.

They agreed that this is needed to enable faster access to greater quantities of humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza and to stop further loss of civilian life. They also emphasised the importance of prioritising dialogue to find a lasting solution of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and international law to break the cycle of violence and extremism.

The two ministers expressed eagerness to further trade, economic and tourism ties between Oman and Japan and encourage ways to expand exchange and cooperation in various fields.