The Maldives has condemned in the strongest terms the recent statement by an Israeli minister calling for the construction of a synagogue inside the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Al-Aqsa Mosque holds immense spiritual and historical significance for over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. It is a revered place of worship and a symbol of Islamic heritage.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the Government of the Maldives called on Israel to respect the historical and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque per international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The Foreign Ministry stressed that “such provocative statements made by senior officials of the Israeli Government undermine the efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and have the potential of fuelling religious conflict and causing further instability in the Middle East region.”

The Maldives also urged the international community to urgently intervene to prevent any action that could change the legal status in Jerusalem and its holy sites and to take all necessary measures to protect the rights of the Palestinian people. The Foreign Ministry reiterated that the Maldives stands in firm solidarity with the Palestinian people in the pursuit of their inherent right to self-determination and remains committed to its calls for the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine, as per the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This statement comes at a time when the Israeli occupational forces are conducting a military offensive in Gaza, which has killed 40,534 people and wounded 93,778 since 7 October 2023. The largest Israeli military raid on the occupied West Bank in decades is also continuing, with at least 12 Palestinians killed and dozens wounded after the first day of the incursion on Wednesday.