Morocco calls for ceasefire in Gaza

As a result of the escalating military action in the Palestine-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip on Saturday,  Morocco has declared “deep concern over the deterioration of the situation and the outbreak of military operations.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement condemning the targeting of civilians “from any side.”

Morocco therefore calls for “an immediate stop to all violent action and to return to de-escalation,” adding that any further escalation could lead to impeding peace efforts in the region.

Morocco “has always warned of the consequences of the political blocking of peace efforts in the region, and the dangers of the subsequent frustrations and tensions,” the Ministry of Foreign  Affairs statement added.

The communique concluded by reiterating Morocco’s position that dialogue and negotiation based on agreed-on international agreements is “the only path” to reach a comprehensive and lasting solution for the Palestinian cause.

The Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign, King Mohammed VI,  chairs the Al Quds Committee, stresses that dialogue and negotiations remain the only way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question, based on the resolutions of international legality and the two-state principle, as agreed internationally.

In the early hours of Saturday, Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, launching rockets from the Gaza strip and deploying fighters in the most extreme confrontation in years.

The situation has quickly evolved, with tens of Israelis being declared dead and hundreds more injured, as Prime Minister Netanyahu declared a state of war  and launched air strikes on the Gaza strip, where Hamas is located.

“We are at war and we will win it,” he said on a video posted on social media platform X, pledging “unprecedented consequences” for Hamas.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that they launched thousands of rockets and calling on the people in Palestinian territories, as well as the Arab and Islamic world, to take up arms and join the battle.

So far, Palestinian health authorities have reported  over 160 deaths in Gaza, with more than 1,000 wounded after Israel’s attacks.