Banjul, May 4, 2024.
In his speech read out on his behalf by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic, Mr. Ahmed Toufiq, His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated at the Islamic Summit held in The Gambia:
“Following the brutal aggression on Gaza, my heart bleeds for the proud Palestinian people, who now live in extremely dangerous conditions that are a stain on the world’s conscience. Further compounding the situation is the increasing frequency of systematic attacks by extremist settlers on the West Bank, at the behest of Israeli government officials.”
His Majesty the King added that, “In keeping with my responsibilities as Monarch of the Kingdom of Morocco — a country whose citizens yearn for truth, justice, solidarity, and coexistence with other peoples — and in my capacity as Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, I reiterate my urgent call for an immediate, sustainable, and comprehensive end to these unprecedented acts of aggression, and for allowing unfettered access of humanitarian aid to the entire Gaza Strip.”
His Majesty continued: “In this regard, and considering the current humanitarian catastrophe – the likes of which our contemporary world has never witnessed before – I took the initiative, in my capacity as Chairman of the al-Quds Committee, and in keeping with the obligation of solidarity underpinning our Organization’s action, and also as a contribution to the humanitarian aid provided by other sister and friendly countries, to ensure the delivery of significant quantities of aid to our Palestinian brothers. That aid was delivered directly to Gaza and to al-Quds, as well as through the Rafah crossing, in coordination with the Egyptian authorities concerned.”
His Majesty recalled that, “Notwithstanding the difficulties faced, the work carried out by the Bayt Mal al-Quds Agency, under my guidance and supervision, has been enhanced to implement socio-economic projects for the benefit of the inhabitants of al-Quds, and also to provide assistance to some hospitals.”
His Majesty the King stressed that, “On a different note, I should like to stress that the current talk about the future of the Gaza Strip will make sense only when attacks stop, and when all forms of suffering experienced by the Palestinian people are lifted. The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian matter; it is also part of the unified Palestinian territories, which must enjoy peace and independence, in keeping with a two-state solution and in accordance with international resolutions.”
His Majesty highlighted that, “I therefore call for an end to any provocative action that further inflames the conflict, and for stopping the illegitimate, unilateral Israeli measures affecting the occupied Palestinian territories, including al-Quds al-Sharif and the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, and which are designed to change the legal and cultural status of the city of al-Quds al-Sharif.”
