In his address to the UN General Assembly, Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said that Israel’s genocide and war crimes against Palestinians continue and called for an end to the occupation and illegal settlements.
He said humanitarian assistance must reach Palestinians safely, rapidly and at scale, while international courts and UN resolutions should be respected and implemented. He also reiterated the Maldives’ support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and called for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
He added: Israel’s genocide and war crimes against Palestinians continue, and their actions are not confined to Gaza. Its military attacks across the region have violated the sovereignty of other states. No state should be shielded from accountability by its power or political alliances. But condemnation alone is not enough. Every member state must ask: what have we done to end this violence?
He said:The United Nations must ask itself the same question. The problem is not a lack of law. The rules are clear. What is absent is equal application. Humanitarian international law cannot bind the weak and bend for the powerful. The same rules, the same standards, no exceptions. Israel’s genocide in Gaza must end. Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and other Arab lands must end. Illegal settlements must end. Humanitarian assistance must reach Palestinians safely, rapidly, and at scale. International courts and the resolution of this organization must be respected and implemented. For the Palestinian people, a sovereign future means freedom, dignity, self-determination, and the right to live securely in their own state.
He reiterated: the Maldives will always stand with the Palestinian people and their undeniable right for their future. This is why I reiterate our call for the recognition of the independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. And if this organization is to restore trust and delivery for all, Palestine must become a full member of the United Nations.”
The remarks came as the UN Secretary-General and the Maldivian Vice President discussed recent developments in the region, including the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The UN Secretary-General also reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to working with the Maldives on the impacts of climate change and to advocating for stronger global climate action.