Risk of wider conflict in Middle East following Haniyeh assassination, warns OIC

The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian movement Hamas, has caused serious concern about a possible escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The president of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) warned on Wednesday that the act could drag the region into a "broader conflict." This statement was made during an extraordinary meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Mamadou Tangara, the Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed the concerns of the OIC by opening this meeting convened at the request of Iran. Tehran accuses Israel of having orchestrated the assassination of Haniyeh, which allegedly took place in Tehran on July 31.

According to Mr. Tangara, Haniyeh's assassination "will not stifle the Palestinian cause, but on the contrary will amplify it, underscoring the urgency of justice and human rights for the Palestinian people." He also reaffirmed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation-states remain essential principles of the international order.

Israel has not commented on the incident, but after Iran's threats of retaliation, the international community is seeking to avoid a military escalation between the two nations and their respective allies. At OIC meeting, acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri said Iran could exercise its right to self-defense in the face of Israeli “aggressions,” highlighting Security Council inaction United Nations.

Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, also promised to respond to the assassination of Haniyeh as well as that of Fouad Chokr, military leader of the Lebanese Islamist movement, killed on July 30 near Beirut in an Israeli strike.

The OIC meeting was also expected to address "the continuing crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people." Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, thousands of people have lost their lives, worsening the already precarious humanitarian situation.

Some OIC countries had proposed taking harsh economic measures against Israel and its allies, but the idea was rejected by some states with diplomatic ties to Israel, such as the United Arab Emirates.

For Mohammed bin Saleh al-Harbi, a Saudi political analyst, this OIC meeting should not result in concrete measures, but rather in a simple condemnation of the assassination and the ongoing violence.