During a recent summit in Banjul, Gambia, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on Muslim countries to sever diplomatic and economic ties with Israel in order to put pressure on Tel Aviv to end its military campaign in Gaza. He emphasized the importance of cutting relations and imposing embargoes as crucial steps towards achieving this goal.
The conflict in Gaza has escalated after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, which led to a retaliation campaign by Israel that resulted in significant casualties. As of May 3rd, the fighting had claimed the lives of 34,600 people and left more than 77,800 injured, with the majority of them being women and children. Iran and other countries, including South Africa and Türkiye, accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, while Israel defended its actions as self-defense.
In response to the conflict, several countries have cut or suspended relations with Israel. Türkiye announced a halt in trade with Israel until a permanent ceasefire is reached in Gaza. The US supports Israel’s military campaign but urges its allies to do more to protect civilians and looks forward to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the future.
As tensions continue to rise in the region, calls for diplomatic isolation through economic measures have gained traction among Muslim countries seeking to end the violence in Gaza. The international community remains divided on how best to approach this issue as some condemn Israel for its actions while others see it as necessary for national security reasons.