Maldives condemns Israel blocking aid into Gaza
Maldives called on the international community to take action against what it described as violations by Israel.
Maldives on Monday condemned Israel’s decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza, describing it as a violation of international agreements and laws.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said, "The government of the Republic of Maldives strongly condemns the Israeli government’s decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, international human rights law and international humanitarian law."
The Maldives called on the international community to take action against what it described as violations by Israel and to ensure the delivery of aid to affected areas.
"The Maldives reiterates its call on the international community to put an end to these grave violations by Israel, activate international accountability mechanisms, and ensure the safe, continuous, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip," the statement said.
Reaffirming its stance on the Palestinian cause, the Maldives expressed support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
"The Maldives reaffirms steadfast support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and stresses that a just and lasting resolution to the conflict can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," the statement read.
The Maldives has consistently expressed support for Palestine in international forums and has called for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday as a standoff over the truce that has halted fighting for the past six weeks escalated, with Hamas calling on Egyptian and Qatari mediators to intervene.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier that it had adopted a proposal by US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover periods, hours after the first phase of the previously agreed ceasefire expired.
If agreed, the truce would halt fighting until the end of the Ramadan fasting period around March 31 and the Jewish Passover holiday around April 20.
The truce would be conditional on Hamas releasing half of the living and dead hostages on the first day, with the remainder released at the conclusion, if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas says it is committed to the originally agreed ceasefire that had been scheduled to move into a second phase, with negotiations aimed at a permanent end to the war, and it has rejected the idea of a temporary extension to the 42-day truce.
