The Maldives denounced calls for the displacement of Palestinians and urged the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel spoke at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting on Israel’s ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people.
Khaleel, speaking at an extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, criticised Israel’s continued aggression and violations of a ceasefire agreed in January this year. He condemned calls for the displacement of Palestinians and called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, as well as unrestricted humanitarian assistance for those affected by the war.
The OIC meeting endorsed the Egypt-led Arab League plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, which aims to prevent the displacement of Palestinians from the enclave. The resolution adopted at the meeting condemned Israel’s actions, called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and urged humanitarian access to Gaza. It also demanded Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Minister Khaleel said the Maldives fully supported the Gaza reconstruction plan adopted at the Arab League Summit and highlighted the country’s efforts, including its intervention in a case concerning the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of UN agencies in the occupied Palestinian territories. He also emphasised that “a just and lasting resolution can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have expressed support for the reconstruction plan, drawn up by Egypt and backed by Arab leaders earlier this month. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four countries said, “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza.”
The OIC resolution also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Syria and called for sanctions against Israel, holding it “legally accountable for the significant harm arising from the war crimes and acts of genocide it perpetrated against the Palestinian people.” The organisation further called for the creation of an international fund, in cooperation with the UN, to support approximately 40,000 orphans in Gaza.
The OIC, comprising 57 member states, has been advocating for Palestinian statehood. The Maldives has been a member since 1976.
The Israeli onslaught on Gaza began on 7 October 2023 after attacks on southern Israel led by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
By the time Israel agreed to a ceasefire in January, it had killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, including about 20,000 children, and destroyed nearly 95 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, severely disrupting critical services. Nearly 112,000 Palestinians were injured in Israel’s 15-month long war, during which Palestinians endured daily bombardments, displacement, and starvation. International rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Médecins Sans Frontières, and others have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli troops have continued to attack and kill Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories.