JEDDAH, July 6, 2009 (WAFA)- The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has expressed his strong condemnation of Israel for its decision to seize large areas of the Jordan Valley lands in the occupied West Bank.

The Secretary General considered this decision an attempt aiming at seizing the Israeli occupation's control over the West bank, continuing to dismember and fragment it into disconnected cantons, preventing the establishment of the independent Palestinian State. “This matter forms a new and serious violation of international legitimacy resolutions and a disregard to the international calls on Israel to stop settlement activity in all the occupied Palestinian Territories, including the natural expansion of colonies.”

The OIC Secretary General has also asserted that Israel's decision, which is concurrent with an increase in the frequency of attacks against the Blessed Mosque of Al-Aqsa - latest of which was the barging into the Holy Mosque Compound by an extremist Israeli Minister- proves the need to intensify international pressure on Israel and to make it commit to stopping its violations and illegal practices, abide by the provisions of the International Law and implement the signed agreement.