Morocco calls international community to protect palestinians

Morocco has called the international community to ensure the protection of the Palestinians and urged the UN Security Council to dispatch without delay a protection force to the occupied territories.

Morocco also urged the Security Council to force Israeli authorities "at any cost" to resume peace negotiations on the basis of the Madrid and Oslo agreements.

The calls were launched Monday by Morocco's assistant-permanent delegate to the UNO, Hassan Zahid, before the Security Council debate on the Middle East.

The Moroccan diplomat said restoring peace in the region depends on the recovery by the Palestinian people of their territories occupied since 1967 and the establishment of their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital. "The path to peace, security and prosperity of the whole region, including Israel, goes necessarily through the resumption of negotiations, the end of Israeli aggression, the withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including Al-Quds Acharif, and the exercise by the Palestinian people of all their inalienable rights," he said.

Pointing out to serious deterioration of the situation, the Moroccan diplomat voiced Morocco's concern over "the explosive situation" in the region and recalled that Palestinians suffer from Israeli violence and are deeply affected by the sealing off of their territories. The resumption of peace exacts the end of repression and of economic sanctions, he said calling Israel to abide by the Geneva conventions on the protection of civilian populations.

Morocco, which is deeply worried by the gloomy perspectives of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, joins all peace and justice-loving states to ask the Security council to impose the adequate measures to enable the Palestinian people live in peace on their territories, the diplomat stated, adding "this is the only way likely to ensure the security of Israel and peace and security to the whole region."

The United Nations Security Council concluded on Monday its discussion of the situation in the Middle East, which it had begun last Thursday.

Dozens of speakers took the floor to deplore the precarious situation of the people living in the Palestinian territories as a result of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Last week, in separate meetings, the Council members met with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, as well as Palestinian Ambassador Nasser al-Kidwa.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, on March 21 at UN Headquarters.