Maldives seeks war crimes probe against Israel over attacks on Gaza

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Maldives Wednesday called on the International Criminal Court to probe accusations of war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians.

“The deliberate actions by the Israeli Defence Force are tantamount to war crimes and in complete violation of international humanitarian law," Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said in a statement to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People.

Condemning Israel’s war on Gaza, Muizzu described it as “the brutal occupation and collective punishment being committed by Israel against the innocent civilians of Palestine.”

He called "for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the provision of essential commodities including food, fuel, and medicine, and an end to mass forced displacement in the Occupied Palestine."

Maldives believes that an independent Palestinian state is the key to lasting peace, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Indonesia also called for an independent state of Palestine.

The UN should hold a vote to confer full membership on Palestine, which currently holds the non-member observer status, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a UN General Assembly session on Tuesday.

Addressing the UN meeting, Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abd Kadir strongly called for a sustained and immediate cease-fire in Gaza, rejecting the forced displacement of the Palestinians.

He called for an unhindered supply of humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.