Morocco stresses the importance of the proposals put forward by US President Joseph R. Biden to promote a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian access, the protection of civilians, the return of displaced persons and the reconstruction of destroyed areas, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. The Kingdom «hopes that the various parties concerned will adhere to this initiative and commit themselves to the implementation of its various stages», the ministry stressed in a press release. «Morocco continues to believe that a lasting peace in the Middle East inevitably depends on a two-state solution: a Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with an Israeli state», the press release concluded. Morocco's position comes after Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita had a telephone conversation with Secretary Antony Blinken. According to U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, «Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita about the proposal on the table to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages». The Secretary «emphasized that the proposal would greatly benefit both Palestinians and Israelis, allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, allow displaced persons to return to areas throughout Gaza, and allow international reconstruction efforts to begin», Miller said. «The secretary conveyed his gratitude to King Mohammed VI for Morocco's humanitarian contributions to Gaza and underscored the importance of supporting this proposal as a means of building a more integrated, peaceful and stable Middle East region», Miller added. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Bourita agreed on the importance of continuing to coordinate closely to advance peace and security in the region, the same source concluded.
