Jeddah, August 25 (QNA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' raid on and evacuation of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Qalandiya area, north of occupied Jerusalem, as well as the seizure of the facility, calling it a new escalation in efforts to target the agency and its facilities in occupied Jerusalem.

In a statement, Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha warned against the continued targeting of United Nations institutions, particularly UNRWA and its facilities, saying such actions constitute a dangerous escalation that threatens the Palestinian refugee issue and their rights and further deepens their humanitarian suffering.

He emphasized that the agency plays an essential and irreplaceable role in providing education, health care, relief and social services to Palestinian refugees amid the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis.

Taha called on the international community, particularly the Security Council and the United Nations, to fulfill their responsibilities by working to halt Israeli actions against UNRWA and its facilities, ensure the protection of the agency and its staff, and enable UNRWA to continue providing services to Palestinian refugees without interference, in accordance with its legal mandate and relevant UN resolutions. (QNA)