Morocco shows its full support for the Palestinians
Morocco has shown its full solidarity and support for the Palestinian people in the face of the attacks they are suffering at the hands of Israel.
The Israeli offensive came in response to the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October, which left around 1,200 people dead on Israeli territory.
According to recent figures, Israel's operations in Gaza have already claimed tens of thousands of victims, and Morocco wanted to reaffirm its full support for the Palestinian people in the difficult situation they are going through, and for its continued intention to establish a Palestinian state in the area, respecting the two-state formula advocated by the international community.
M. Nasser Bourita a prononcé, aujourd’hui à Djeddah, une allocution lors de la réunion extraordinaire du Conseil des ministres des Affaires étrangères des Etats membres de l’OCI, consacrée aux développements dans la bande de Gaza et la ville de Rafah.
— Maroc Diplomatie 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplomatie) March 5, 2024
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Speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser
The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, delivered a speech during the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and devoted to the events in the Gaza Strip and the city of Rafah, in which he stressed Morocco's full support for Palestine.
As officially reported by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Nasser Bourita said that the North African country, under the instructions of King Mohammed VI, "reiterates its total solidarity and full support for the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people to freedom and the establishment of their independent state within the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Al-Quds as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution agreed by the international community, so that the peoples of the region can enjoy a secure future in peace, security and stability".
The Moroccan Foreign Minister stressed that "the bloody and atrocious events that the Palestinian territories are experiencing, with their share of humanitarian and social tragedies and unprecedented violence against unarmed Palestinian civilians deprived of all means of subsistence, in view of the Israeli bombardment against them on a daily basis, as well as against their families, their property and their homes, clearly reveal that we are in the presence of an unprecedented catastrophic humanitarian situation".
"This situation challenges the human conscience of the world and the international community about the nature of the international norms of human values in the light of which the tragedy of the brotherly Palestinian people is dealt with," he added.
Nasser Bourita noted that the relentless military escalation, the policy of collective punishment and the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians since 7 October 2023 have generated grave and massive violations of human rights, international law and international humanitarian law, a situation that undermines international efforts to end the tension, the escalation and the deadly cycle of violence that will undoubtedly affect all peoples in the region.
Priorities
Nasser Bourita alluded to the priorities needed for a cessation of hostilities, which were already defined by King Mohammed VI in his speech to the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 11 November.
These priorities concern an urgent and concrete de-escalation to achieve a lasting ceasefire, the guarantee of the protection of civilians, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities to the population of Gaza, the maintenance and even the strengthening of the role of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the rejection of any displacement and, finally, the start of serious negotiations that can revive the political process for the achievement of the two-state solution, as agreed by the international community.
The minister also said that the threat to expand military operations to cover all the territories of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, is unacceptable in view of the turn the already deteriorating humanitarian situation may take, adding that this will only lead to further displacement and killing of civilians.
All this at a special time as the holy fasting month of Ramadan, a very important celebration in the Muslim world, is approaching, a situation in view of which the Israeli authorities have been asked for freedom of access to the area by ending the established blockade.
Nasser Bourita also stressed that Morocco will continue its tireless efforts to defend the Holy Places, headed by Al-Quds Asharif, to which King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as president of the Al-Quds Committee, "pays special attention, combining political and diplomatic action and work on the ground".
