Maldives calls for Israeli leaders indicted by ICC to be brought to justice

The Maldivian government has said that Israeli leaders indicted by the International Criminal Court must be brought to justice, as it welcomed an agreement to begin implementing the first phase of a proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

In a statement, the government said the agreement represented “a glimmer of hope” for calm and for Palestinians to begin “the long process of healing, restoration of peace, and an end to the untold suffering they have endured over many years”.

The Maldives commended the countries involved in brokering the deal but warned that Israel had “repeatedly violated all previous agreements” and must now honour its commitments under the new terms.

Reaffirming its position on Palestine, the government said the Maldives “remains steadfast in its support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”