Speaking at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the ongoing developments in the Gaza Strip and the city of Rafah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and of Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, underlined that “the bloody and appalling events in the Palestinian territories, with their share of human and social tragedies, and incredible violence against disarmed Palestinian civilians deprived of all means of survival because of the Israeli military attacks targeting them on a daily basis as well as their families, their property and their homes, show that we are witnessing an unprecedented catastrophic humanitarian situation”.
This situation challenges the global human conscience and the international community on the nature of the international standards of human values with which they handle the tragedy of the brotherly Palestinian people, he stressed.
He noted that the fierce military escalation and the policy of collective sanctions and forced deportation to which Palestinian civilians have been subjected, since October 7, 2023, have generated blatant and massive violations of human rights, international law and of international humanitarian law provisions, which undermines international efforts aimed at putting an end to the tension and escalation and the deadly cycle of violence, which will certainly impact all the peoples of the region.
In this regard, Bourita reaffirmed the Kingdom’s position according to which the goal of reaching comprehensive appeasement and stopping the shedding of innocent blood requires five urgent priorities that HM King Mohammed VI, President of the Al Quds Committee, underlined in the message sent by the Sovereign to the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, held on November 11, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
These priorities include bringing about urgent and tangible de-escalation to pave the way for a permanent ceasefire; ensuring the protection of civilians; allowing for the steady delivery of humanitarian aid, in sufficient quantities, to the inhabitants of Gaza; maintaining or even strengthening the role of UNRWA; rejecting any move or any approach supposed to serve as solutions for the peace and stability of neighboring countries, and finally launching serious negotiations that can relaunch the political process to achieve the two-state solution, as agreed by the international community.
Bourita also warned that the threat of expanding military operations to encompass all territories of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, is unacceptable in view of the risks they pose for the already degraded humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, adding that this will only lead to more deportations and massacres of civilians.
« On the eve of the month of Ramadan, it is imperative to ask Israeli authorities to guarantee freedom of access and prayer in the Al Aqsa mosque, without any restrictions or conditions, to cease provocations against the Palestinian faithful and to respect freedom of worship in Al Quds Acharif,” he noted.
In this regard, he reaffirmed Morocco’s support for the efforts of the OIC Secretariat General to implement the recommendations of the Extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic Summit, in connection with the creation of specialized legal and media monitoring units to document Israeli violations committed in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
He recalled that the Kingdom took part in the hearings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in the case requesting an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. In its plea on this occasion, Morocco reiterated its active commitment to respect international law and promote peace in the Middle East, as well as its commitment to implement legality as an effective tool to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, and to act for a just and comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bourita pointed out.
The Kingdom of Morocco hopes that the ICJ’s advisory opinion will consolidate a constructive peace momentum in favor of a lasting solution, while respecting the right of the Palestinian people for the establishment of an independent State with Al Quds-East as capital.
Bourita also affirmed that the Kingdom will continue its tireless efforts to defend the Holy Sites, notably Al Quds Acharif, to which HM King Mohammed VI, President of the Al Quds Committee, pays particular attention, by combining political and diplomatic action and field work, through the Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency, executive arm of the Al Quds Committee, which focuses on the implementation of concrete plans and projects aimed notably at preserving its legal status, safeguarding its civilizational identity and supporting the resistance of Al Quds population.
