Urgent Action Needed: Morocco Reaffirms Commitment to Durable Ceasefire in Gaza
In a compelling address at the High-Level International Conference on Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza, held in the Dead Sea region, Aziz Akhannouch, representing King Mohammed VI, reiterated Morocco's steadfast support for any initiative aimed at establishing a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. With eloquence and a formal tone appropriate for publication in an electronic journal, Akhannouch's remarks shed light on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and underscored the Kingdom's unwavering stance on the matter.
Akhannouch's words vividly depicted the unprecedented humanitarian tragedy engulfing the densely populated Gaza Strip, where over 2.3 million people endure intolerable living conditions. "The situation in Gaza cannot be reduced to staggering civilian casualty figures, massive destruction operations, or harrowing on-the-ground reports," he articulated. "It is a genuine, unparalleled humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 2.3 million people living in unbearable conditions."
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Akhannouch poignantly described the grim reality of life in Gaza, "the most densely populated place on Earth," where insecurity, lack of access to water, food, and medicine prevail amidst the ongoing blockade and restricted aid access.
Echoing King Mohammed VI's commitment as Chair of the Al-Quds Committee, Akhannouch highlighted the monarch's directives to dispatch urgent humanitarian aid to Palestinian brethren in Gaza and Al-Quds, as well as to grant additional scholarships to Palestinian students studying in Moroccan institutes and universities.
In a resounding call for action, Akhannouch reaffirmed Morocco's steadfast support for the Palestinian people's inalienable right to establish an independent state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution. He emphasized that dialogue and negotiation remain the sole means to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, averting a recurrence of such a humanitarian catastrophe.
Representing King Mohammed VI at the High-Level International Conference on Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza, jointly organized by Jordan, Egypt, and the United Nations, Akhannouch's poignant remarks resonated with the conference's objective: "Call to Action: Urgent Humanitarian Aid for Gaza." The gathering, attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, heads of state and government representing over 75 countries, as well as representatives from humanitarian organizations and international financial institutions, aimed to identify ways to bolster the international community's response to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.