Morocco is urging the international community to comply with the ceasefire in Gaza and to launch an actual peace process in the Middle East, Morocco’s UN Ambassador Omar Hilale said on Monday during the United Nations Security Council session chaired yesterday in New York by Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf.
“The ceasefire agreement should pave the way for rebuilding what war has destroyed and for initiating a true peace process,” Hilale stated. He maintained that such a process must lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, “living side by side in peace” with Israel.
Hilale reiterated Morocco’s support for the recently brokered ceasefire and commended efforts to halt hostilities and attacks on civilians. He said that there must be strict adherence to the agreement, the release of hostages and detainees, the return of displaced persons, and unhindered humanitarian aid access to affected areas.
Drawing on King Mohammed VI’s remarks at a recent Arab summit, Hilale said, “It is vital to ensure that resolving one crisis does not give rise to another.”
The ambassador also criticized Israel for taking unilateral measures in Jerusalem, noting that such actions exacerbate tensions. He reiterated King Mohammed VI’s call to preserve the city’s legal, historical, and demographic status as a sacred hub for the three monotheistic religions.
Hilale applauded the political and humanitarian work of the Al-Quds Committee, chaired by King Mohammed VI, particularly through its affiliated Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency, which has been providing crucial support to the Palestinian people, he said, especially those in Jerusalem.
Hilale also asserted that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is playing a pivotal role. The agency has been “the backbone of humanitarian efforts” in the region since its inception, he said.
Turning to Lebanon and Syria, Hilale reaffirmed Morocco’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of those countries. He asserted that the Syrian people have a “right to determine their future” while pursuing development and peace.