The government of Maldives has urged the United Nations (UN) to take resolute action against the mass atrocities being committed in Gaza.
Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Thilmeeza Hussain delivered a statement at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly being held to address the issue of the Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Permanent Representative Thilmeeza in her statement, stressed that the violence in Gaza being witnessed currently is not a conflict that started earlier this month, but rather a continuation of decades of oppression of Palestinian people that have devastated multiple lives and stifled hope for innocent people over several generations.
Shedding light on the unbelievable human suffering in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Permanent Representative Thilmeeza stressed that half of the two million residents in Gaza are children and a third of them have not yet reached the age of ten.
Stressing that accepting the loss of these young lives as mere "collateral damage" is a severe breach of universally accepted ethical principles and international law, Permanent Representative Thilmeeza added that it diminishes the moral integrity of any society that chooses to tolerate it.
She went on to highlight that the Maldivian government unequivocally condemns the attacks on medical facilities, residential areas such as the Jabalia refugee camp, as well as attacks on places of worship and humanitarian workers.
Further, Permanent Representative Thilmeeza urged the UNGA to act with courage amid transcending politics, for a world rooted in peace and justice.
She urged the UN Security Council to take firm action to end the mass forced displacement in Gaza and halt the violence against innocent civilians.
Maldives is among the co-sponsors of the recently adopted resolution calling for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, adopted by the UNGA.
UNGA adopted a resolution calling for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities in Gaza at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations held on October 27. Alongside 46 countries, Maldives, being among the 120 countries who voted in favor, co-sponsored this crucial resolution. 45 countries abstained from the vote, while 14 countries voted against the resolution.
Amid the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, this was the first time the international community united and took a courageous stance against the recent indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure launched by the Israeli military,
Calling for ensuring the “unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip”, the resolution also “firmly” rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population.
Further, the resolution urges the establishment of humanitarian corridors aimed at facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
Maldives believes that now is the time for the UNSC to take a united stance against acts of terrorism, violence, and hostilities directed at civilians, demanding the immediate release of hostages and the protection of medical and humanitarian personnel as stipulated by international humanitarian law.
Maldives and its people remain solid in their unwavering commitment and unconditional solidarity with the people of Palestine in their impartial quest to achieve their inherent rights, including the right to self-determination.
Maldives has also continuously reaffirmed its long-standing position that a lasting solution to the conflict can only be achieved through the internationally accepted two-state solution, with the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
