In making the call, Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) secretary-general Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said any peace initiative devoid of this was bound to be a failure. "It is absolutely imperative to secure an immediate ceasefire followed by an exchange of prisoners and a process of disengagement through an international force supervised by the United Nations," he said at the opening of a Special Meeting of the OIC by Prime Minister and OIC chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Resolution 242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on Nov 22, 1967 in the aftermath of the six-day war, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the conflict and termination of all claims and states of belligerency. It also calls for recognition of all established states (Israel, Egypt, Syria and Jordan) of each other and calls for establishment of secure and recognised boundaries for all parties.

In Resolution 338 adopted after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Security Council called on all parties involved in the fighting to cease all firing and terminate all military activities immediately. In Resolution 1559 adopted on Sept 2004 called on Lebanon to establish its sovereignty over its land besides urging Syria to end its military presence in Lebanon by withdrawing its forces and to stop meddling in internal Lebanese politics.

The resolution also called for all Lebanese militants to disband. Dr Ihsanoglu, however, said any initiative towards a solution to the conflict and achieving a durable peace in the Middle East must take into consideration how this conflict started and how it evolved to the present state. He also suggested an international conference be held to give a new meaning and strength to the efforts aimed at reaching a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Source: Bernama.com