Calls grow to evacuate Moroccan citizens stuck in Gaza

As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza, a rights coalition calls for the Moroccan government to evacuate its citizens.

According to the Moroccan government friendly news outlet Hespress on September 28^th, the Moroccan Coalition of Human Rights Bodies sent an open letter to Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, urging the government to take more action in protecting and evacuating stranded Moroccans in the Gaza Strip.

The coalition, made up of 20 associations and national organisations, purportedly received an emergency appeal from the Association of Moroccans in Gaza. The appeal apparently detailed how Moroccan nationals, including women, children and the elderly are experiencing strenuous conditions, facing the constant threat of death, hunger, and disease.

“The Moroccan state must assume its responsibility to protect its citizens from imminent dangers and move quickly to provide relief and assistance,” the coalition said in a statement directed towards the Foreign Ministry.

The letter appealed for the Moroccan government to follow in the footsteps of other nations who are already in the process of evacuating their citizens from Gaza, particularly through the Kerem Shalom crossing, with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross and foreign embassies. Moroccan nationals in Gaza want to be included in the evacuation lists and be transported to Morocco from Amman.

Israel has ramped up its war machine in Gaza, with the death toll reaching an alarming 64,718 according to the region’s health ministry. Tel Aviv’s new offensive on Gaza City is also fuelling the humanitarian crisis, as it leaves thousands displaced without anywhere to go.

The people of Morocco staunchly protest Israel’s conduct in Gaza, showing their solidarity with the Palestinians through large-scale protests. The Moroccan government have also openly stood with the suffering civilians in Gaza and the West bank, however, still maintain defence ties with Israel.

The fate of Moroccan nationals trapped in Gaza now stands as a critical test of Rabat’s ability to match words of solidarity with concrete action.