Israel must answer for its crimes: President Muizzu

 President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday has said that Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and its repeated destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, humanitarian infrastructure and repeated killings of men, women, children, and babies numbering in thousands is a travesty of justice and the international system.

He made the remarks while delivering his address at the 79^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which is his first time delivering a speech at the general assembly.

While delivering his speech, President Muizzu highlighted that the humanity is in deep trouble facing “an ever-growing list of crises”.

“Conflict, poverty, hunger, climate change, the wealth gap, the cost-of-living crisis, migration, occupation, opioid addiction, the list goes on and on and on…” President Muizzu said.

He also called out for the need of an international system to anticipate and address threats such as armed conflict, terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crimes and other issues including crimes that transcend national borders.

“Part of addressing these threats is to safeguard and protect people’s fundamental rights,” he added.

While highlighting Israel’s continued genocide on Palestine, and its targeting of journalists and innocent civilians, Muizzu said Israel must be held accountable for these acts of terrorism and violations of international law and UN resolutions.

“The world is struggling to process the deaths of so many civilians in Gaza and now Israeli raids in Lebanon are claiming hundreds more civilians there,” the president said.

“Their cries haunt anyone with humanity. Their tears, bitter on our conscience.”

Speaking in this regard, he once again stressed on accepting a sovereign and independent Palestinian State on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“We welcome the decision to seat our brothers and sisters from Palestine with us here in the General Assembly, for the first time, instead of behind us,” Muizzu said.

Since the launch of multiple resistant efforts by Palestine on October 7 last year, Israel heavily retaliated with a series of bombings and killings that have claimed more than 41,000 innocent Palestinian lives so far.

President Muizzu has expanded Maldives’ efforts of assistance towards Palestine, including an increment of its foreign aid to Palestine from USD 5,000 to USD 50,000. Muizzu also announced a ban on Israeli passport holders from gaining entry in the Maldives, as a show of solidarity the Palestinian people, though the efforts related to this has been stalled at the parliament for some time.

The government however, has ensured its efforts on exercising a passport ban on Israeli arrivals will proceed without deterrence.