Morocco first country to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by land

Morocco is the first country to have delivered humanitarian aid directly by land for Gaza and Al-Quds populations, thanks to the far-sighted vision and leadership of King Mohammed VI, underlined the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Hilale.

 

Speaking at a meeting of the UN General Assembly held Monday on the use of the veto, Hilale recalled that within the framework of the effective commitment and constant interest that King Mohammed VI, President of Al-Quds Committee, grants to the Palestinian cause and in line with the Sovereign’s instructions, a large-scale humanitarian operation was launched, during the last month, in favor of the Palestinian populations in Gaza and Al-Quds.

 

This aid for the Palestinian people consisted of more than 40 tons of food, including basic necessities, said the ambassador, adding that this operation coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.

 

The diplomat stressed that since the start of military operations more than five months ago, the Kingdom was the first country to deliver humanitarian aid by land to the beneficiary populations, and that Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency provided food aid to some 3,000 Maqdissis households, and distributed 1,000 meals daily. As part of this aid, the Jerusalem hospital was provided with an emergency coordination room.

 

The ambassador also called for the delivery of humanitarian aid in a safe, sustainable and unhindered manner, and in sufficient quantities to the populations of Gaza, for the release of detainees, and for opening a political horizon for the Palestinian cause.

 

Hilale further reiterated Morocco’s call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while emphasizing the need to protect civilians and the humanitarian workers so that they can carry out their noble missions in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.

 

He also reiterated the Kingdom’s rejection and denunciation of all excesses, the policy of collective punishment and forced displacement, as well as attempts to impose a new reality on the ground. The Gaza Strip is an integral part of Palestinian lands and the unified State of Palestine, he insisted.

 

The diplomat noted that Morocco deems unacceptable the threat of extending military operations to reach the entire Gaza Strip, including Rafah, noting that this situation risks exacerbating humanitarian conditions.

 

Hilale also called for intensified efforts to relaunch the peace process in the Middle East with the aim of achieving a just and comprehensive settlement that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, namely the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Al-Quds East as its capital.

 

The ambassador finally renewed Morocco’s support for Palestine’s application for membership as a member state of the United Nations. “Like the Arab and Islamic countries and those of non-aligned movement, Morocco renews its support for the request for full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations,” he said.