The Maldives has condemned Israel’s attack on Iran, calling it a violation of international law that threatens regional peace and stability.
“Israel’s continued disregard for international law and its grave violations thereof significantly undermine regional security and pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the region,” the Maldivian government said in a statement on Friday.
The statement called on the international community to take “decisive and coordinated action” to de-escalate the situation and uphold international law.
The attack comes as Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, nearly 62,000 people have been confirmed killed since 7 October 2023, including at least 17,400 children. The number of injured stands at more than 127,394. Thousands remain missing and are feared dead under the rubble.
Israeli bombardments have caused extensive damage to Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. United Nations data show that 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, alongside 80% of commercial facilities and nearly 90% of schools. Since launching its offensive, the Israeli military has forced nearly 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes.
Human rights groups and UN officials have accused Israel of weaponising starvation by disrupting coordinated aid distribution and blocking relief efforts—leaving over two million Palestinians at risk of famine.
Aid is now distributed by a private US group contracted by Israel in restricted ‘buffer zones’ in southern and central Gaza, where Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on civilians gathered for food, killing more than 200 Palestinians—including several children.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for nearly two decades, controlling its airspace, maritime borders, and the movement of goods and people. Conditions have sharply worsened since Israel began bombing and ground operations in response to attacks by Palestinian armed groups on Israeli military positions and settlements near Gaza on 7 October, which killed over 1,100 Israelis—most of them soldiers and security personnel.
Major international human rights organisations have accused Israel of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, and of enforcing an apartheid system in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the assault on Gaza, saying the enclave will be turned into a “deserted island,” and warning Palestinians to “leave now” or face death.
In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian communities continue to endure violent attacks by radical Israeli settlers, often under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. Homes have been torched, farmland razed, and families driven from their land — part of a deepening campaign that the United Nations says is fuelling forced displacement and instability.