The Government of Maldives strongly condemns the decision of the Israeli authorities to seize the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem for settlement purposes.
The Maldives reject the continuous breach of international law and international humanitarian law by Israel, including the illegal act of settlements expansion, destruction of UN agencies and its relief organisations, and obstruction and attacks on aid workers, without any repercussions. These actions not only hinder the provision of basic services and the realisation of the basic rights of Palestinians but also undermine the only path to lasting peace, which is the establishment of the State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Maldives also commends UNRWA for continuing its life-saving work even in this most testing and difficult time.
The Government and the Maldivian people express its solidarity with the Palestinian people, and reiterates its call on the international community to urgently and effectively ensure that Israel is held accountable for its illegal actions against the Palestinian people.
ENDS