A delegate from Maldives at an OIC meeting. (Photo/Foreign Ministry)

Oct 19, 2023: Maldives has called to bring the ongoing military attacks by Israel against Palestinians to a stop and to establish a corridor to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

Speaking at the Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Executive Committee to discuss the Ongoing Israeli Military Aggression against the Palestinian People held yesterday at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel, said that Israel has occupied Palestinian land in violation of international law and that they should leave the land that they are occupying to Palestinians.

He further called to cooperate in establishing a humanitarian aid corridor to provide Gaza with food, basic necessities, and medicine.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel at the OIC meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on October 18, 2023. (Photo/Foreign Ministry)

He also said in his statement that the only way for peace in the area is to establish a sovereign and independent state of Palestine based on the borders that were agreed upon before 1967.

In his statement, Khaleel strongly condemned the ongoing military onslaught against civilians in Gaza by Israel.

The Maldivian delegation that took part in this meeting consisted of the First Secretary at the Consulate of the Republic of Maldives in Jeddah, Mohamed Rameez, and the Chief General Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aishath Rifga Mohamed in addition to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

The 57 Member States that make up the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have always supported and advocated for Palestinian rights. Since their admission as members in 1976, the Maldives have been actively involved in the OIC.