Developments of situation in Palestine discussed in Manama by Moroccan and Palestinian Foreign Ministers

Developments on the Palestinian scene were at the focus of a meeting in Manama Tuesday between Moroccan and Palestinian Foreign Ministers, Nasser Bourita and Mohamad Mustafa, who is also Palestine’s Prime Minister.

During the meeting that reviewed means of promoting relations between the two brotherly countries, Bourita reiterated Morocco’s constant position, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, on the justness of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to the establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the borders of June 4, 1967.

In this connection, he reaffirmed Morocco’s rejection and condemnation of the flagrant aggressions and all Israeli violations and provocations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

These acts of provocation and grave violations constitute a flagrant breach of international law and Security Council resolutions, as well as a factor capable of exacerbating the escalation that only undermines appeasement efforts, Bourita told his interlocutor.

The Israeli military operation in the city of Rafah, which enabled Israel to take control of the Palestinian part of the Rafah crossing, represents a serious threat to the lives of over a million Palestinians, Bourita said, stressing the importance Morocco attaches to reaching an immediate, urgent, and lasting ceasefire, and to refraining from any action likely to undermine ongoing efforts to reach an agreement enabling progress towards arrangements on the exchange of hostages and detainees.

Bourita also reiterated Morocco’s total rejection of all forms of forced displacement, collective punishment and reprisals against the Palestinian people, stressing the need to deliver sufficient and unimpeded humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the sustainability of UNRWA’s services for the benefit of the Palestinian people.

The two ministers agreed that the increase in systematic attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank, instigated by Israeli government officials, was fueling the conflict and undermining efforts to bring about peace.

Similarly, Israeli provocations and illegal measures aimed at changing the legal and cultural status of the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, exacerbate the escalation and spiral of violence.

In this respect, Bourita recalled that Morocco, whose Sovereign chairs the Al-Quds Committee, strongly condemns today’s closure of Morocco Gate, following the incursion onto the esplanade of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by a group of Israeli extremists who unfurled the Israeli flag.

Mohamad Mustafa praised Morocco’s steadfast stance of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee. He also highly commended the initiatives and actions carried out by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, the operational arm of the Al-Quds Committee, to support the Holy City and strengthen the resistance of its inhabitants.

The two ministers also asserted the two countries’ determination to pursue their cooperation, coordination and consultation at all levels, in line with the shared vision of King Mohammed VI and President Mahmoud Abbas.