The Maldives has called on the international community to take decisive actions to prevent the acts of genocide in Gaza. The remarks were made by Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed at the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
During the meeting, Minister Shaheem said that the Maldives strongly condemned the violence in Gaza and the threats by the Israeli Government to attack Rafah. Reiterating the demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, he said that the Maldives called on the international community to take decisive actions to prevent the acts of genocide in Gaza, which now amount to apartheid. He also said that the Maldives urged for a stronger push to ensure an adequate volume of aid enters Gaza.
Reflecting on the oral submission delivered in support of Palestine on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem at the International Court of Justice, the Maldives also noted its intent to file a declaration of intervention in the case filed by South Africa. Reassuring its support for the Palestinian cause, the Maldives then stressed that the only means for lasting peace is the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The OIC, comprising 57 Member States, has constantly advocated for the rights of the Palestinian citizens and a two-state solution to the decades long crisis. The Maldives has been an active member of the OIC since becoming a member in 1976.