JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday expressed its “reverence and appreciation for the steadfastness and sacrifices of the Palestinian people over decades.” In a statement issued on the 106th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the OIC reaffirmed its permanent commitment to supporting their cause. “Today marks the 106th anniversary of the issuance of the fateful promise by former British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour on Nov. 02, 1917,” the statement said. “This declaration marked the beginning of the tragic and catastrophic events that occurred in 1948 that ultimately led to the displacement of the Palestinian people, the rightful owners of the land and rights. “It resulted in the denial of their legitimate rights and establishment of the Israeli colonial occupation state based on colonial settlement policies, military aggression, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, land confiscation, property destruction, and the Judaization of the Holy City of Al-Quds (Jerusalem),” it added. “This painful anniversary coincides with the ongoing crises in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in the Gaza Strip, which is witnessing the escalation of killings, organized terrorism, displacement, and the deliberate destruction of residential buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and infrastructure,” it said. Health authorities in the besieged enclave said on Thursday that Israeli bombardments have killed 9,060 people including 3,760 children, and put several hospitals out of service — even as a mounting ground offensive increases casualty numbers after a Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7 killed 1,400 Israelis and took 240 people hostage. There are 21,000 people injured on both sides and 1.4 million displaced in Gaza, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. “These actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Israeli occupation. Unfortunately, it highlights the failure of the international community to carry out its duties and assume its responsibilities in putting an end to this Israeli military aggression, providing protection for the Palestinian people, and obliging Israel, the occupying power, to comply with the principles of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the OIC said. The Jeddah-based organization said the 106th anniversary still represents a dark mark in history, memory, and human conscience and a setback to the values of freedom, justice, and international legitimacy. “On this fateful anniversary,” the OIC called on the international community to “correct this historical injustice, shoulder its responsibilities in ending the Israeli occupation, and enable the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate rights, including their right to return and realize the establishment of their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967,” with East Jerusalem as its capital. “This should be achieved within the framework of the vision of a two-state solution based on the relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative,” it said. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement contained in a letter issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War, which announced its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine that was then under Ottoman rule. (With agencies)