Banjul – In His capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, His Majesty King Mohammed VI reiterated the urgent call for an immediate, sustainable and comprehensive end to the unprecedented acts of aggression against the Gaza Strip, and for allowing unfettered access of humanitarian aid throughout this Palestinian territory.
‘In keeping with my responsibilities as Monarch of the Kingdom of Morocco – a country whose citizens yearn for truth, justice, solidarity and coexistence with other peoples – and in my capacity as Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, I reiterate my urgent call for an immediate, sustainable and comprehensive end to these unprecedented acts of aggression, and for allowing unfettered access of humanitarian aid to the entire Gaza Strip,” emphasized HM the King in a speech to the 15th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit Conference being held on May 4-5 in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia.
“Following the brutal aggression on Gaza, my heart bleeds,” says the Sovereign in this speech
, read out by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, at the solemn opening ceremony of the Islamic Summit, noting that the proud Palestinian people now live in extremely dangerous conditions that are a stain on the world’s conscience.
“Further compounding the situation is the increasing frequency of systematic attacks by extremist settlers on the West Bank, at the behest of Israeli government officials,” says His Majesty the King, calling for an end to any provocative action that further inflames the conflict, and for stopping the illegitimate, unilateral Israeli measures affecting the occupied Palestinian territories, including al-Quds al-Sharif and the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
These measures ‘are designed to change the legal and cultural status of the city of al-Quds al-Sharif,’ pointed out the Sovereign, voicing His categorical rejection of ‘all forms of forced displacement, collective punishment, and reprisals suffered by our Palestinian brothers and sisters.’
HM the King took the op
portunity to call on the countries that can influence the settlement process of this conflict to live up to their historic responsibility, uphold reason and logic, and work hard to put an end to this catastrophic situation, urging them to help the region emerge from the cycle of violence, and from exclusion and the fait accompli policy.
“I also encourage them to bring about the right conditions for relaunching a genuine peace process that can lead to an internationally agreed upon two-state solution,” says the Sovereign in His speech.
HM the King recalls: “In this regard, and considering the current humanitarian catastrophe – the likes of which our contemporary world has never witnessed before – I took the initiative, in my capacity as Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, and in keeping with the obligation of solidarity underpinning our Organization’s action, and also as a contribution to the humanitarian aid provided by other sister and friendly countries, to ensure the delivery of significant quantities of
aid to our Palestinian brothers. That aid was delivered directly to Gaza and to al-Quds, as well as also through the Rafah crossing, in coordination with the Egyptian authorities concerned.”
The Sovereign also commends the work carried out by the Bayt Mal al-Quds Agency, notwithstanding the difficulties faced, to implement socio-economic projects for the benefit of the inhabitants of Al-Quds, and also to provide assistance to some hospitals.
HM the King stresses that the current talk about the future of the Gaza Strip will make sense only when attacks stop, and when all forms of suffering experienced by the Palestinian people are lifted, noting that the Strip, which is a Palestinian matter and part of the unified Palestinian territories, must enjoy peace and independence, in keeping with a two-state solution and in accordance with international resolutions.
The Sovereign says that continuing to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the absence of a realistic, sustainable solution has generated frustra
tion and loss of hope. “It has also led to a series of appalling catastrophes and humanitarian tragedies, in addition to increasing the possibility of dangerous ripple effects, not only on stability and peace in the Middle East, but also on global security,” adds the HM the King.
?The Sovereign took the opportunity to express His deep concern at the upsurge in hate speech and the growing number of victims of this scourge, which fuels the cycle of violence and instability and poses a serious threat to peace and security in many regions.
HM the King expressed the hope that the resolution on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech, which was submitted by the Kingdom of Morocco and adopted unanimously on 25 July 2023 by the United Nations General Assembly, will help achieve a qualitative leap in the efforts aimed at curbing extremism and tackling hate speech.
The Sovereign reiterated His call for “vigilance, resolve and coordinated action to stand up to these
abusive violations, with the same commitment that is ours towards the principles of tolerance, inter-faith, intercultural dialogue and respect for the other.”
HM the King also referred to the situation in some Islamic countries, such as Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, among others, which are facing conflicts, calling for dialogue and reconciliation between the parties in order to put an end to these conflicts and preserve the sovereignty of these sister nations as well as their national and territorial integrity.
Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse