The Government of Maldives welcomes the application of arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel,and Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defence of Israel, filed by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), before the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the Court regarding the situation in the State of Palestine.

The continuous aggression and genocidal acts perpetuated by Israel against the Palestinian people are a blatant disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, and the results of these aggressive actions have translated into a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.

The Government of Maldives, therefore, echoes the belief of the Prosecutor that both Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant must bear criminal responsibility for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the people of Palestine.

As a State Party to the Rome Statute, the Maldives emphasises the importance of abiding by the norms of international law and upholding the values of justice and accountability.

The Government remains firm in its belief in the impartiality and integrity of the Court and is confident that the Prosecutor has submitted ample evidence to support the claims of war crimes committed by Israel.

The Government of Maldives remains steadfast in supporting the people of Palestine in their relentless struggle to attain their right to self-determination and statehood. The Government of Maldives reiterates its call on the international community for a lasting and just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital in line with the pre-1967 borders.