Moroccan Islamist party condemns normalisation as Israel's Gaza assault rages on

Morocco's Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) on Friday evening lambasted their country's normalisation of ties with Israel, saying it has emboldened Tel Aviv to carry out its assault on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israel on Friday began a bombing campaign on the besieged enclave, in which health authorities in Gaza said 10 people have been killed - including a five-year-old girl - with 75 others injured.

The Justice and Development Party in Morocco condemned Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to stop the "horrors of the occupation, killing, displacement and apartheid that Palestinians are subjected to in front of the eyes and ears of the world."

In their statement, the PJD said that the "dangers of Zionist crimes" work against achieving global peace and stability.

The party also condemned the Moroccan government for normalisation, saying it is one of the reasons Israel feels encouraged to continue its "criminal, racist and expansionist policy", which puts Palestinians in an even more vulnerable position and demolishes any hope that they might secure an independent Palestinian state.

The statement also condemned frequent visits by Israeli officials to Morocco, the most recent of which was of Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai, who arrived in the North African nation on Monday to discuss security issues.

Last month, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Aviv Kochavi, visited Morocco, followed by the visit of the Israeli Minister of Justice, Gideon Sa'ar.

Morocco and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic ties in December 2020 through the US-brokered Abraham Accords but shared informal ties long before.

Ever since the normalisation deal, the two countries have been quick to bolster ties in various fields, including military.

The PJD was Morocco's ruling party for a decade, until 2021. The decision by the party's leadership to support normalisation with Israel caused deep internal turmoil, with many members staunchly against the deal.