Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed delivered the national statement at the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held today in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

During this meeting, 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, the Maldives called on the international community to take decisive actions to prevent the acts of genocide in Gaza, which now amount to apartheid. The Maldives also 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 Organization of Islamic Cooperation, comprising 57 Member States, has constantly advocated for the rights of the Palestinian people 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.