Afghanistan–Palestine relations
Bilateral relations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Afghanistan–Palestine relations refer to diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and the State of Palestine.
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History
Afghanistan recognized the Palestinian National Council's declaration of independence in October 1948, making it the first non-Arab country to do so.[1] Afghanistan officially recognized Palestinian statehood on 16 November 1988.[2]
In 2019, Afghanistan donated US$ one million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).[3][4] This was preceded by the United States stopping aid to UNRWA.[5]
Amidst the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan expressed its condemnation of Israeli attacks against Palestinians.[6]
In August 2021, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar of the Taliban met with Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Doha, Qatar.[7] In October 2022, Taliban official Zabihullah Mujahid met with Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey.[8] Sirajuddin Haqqani, Interior Minister of Afghanistan, met with religious scholars from Palestine in January 2023.[9]
Since the onset of the Gaza war in October, the Taliban has increasingly expressed its opposition to Israel.[10] The group has urged both the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Muslim countries to take a firm stance in support of Palestine. On April 10, 2024, Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi conveyed his condolences to then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a conversation regarding the killing of children and other family members of Haniyeh by the IDF.[11] Several rallies have also been held in Kabul in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.[12][13]
The Taliban have condemned various actions which they consider violations of international law, including the expansion of settlements in the West Bank,[14] the attack on Rafah,[15] and the bombing of Al-Mamdani Hospital in Gaza.[16] The group has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, describing the invasion of Gaza as a genocide and characterizing Israeli policies as apartheid.[17][18]
The Taliban have also denounced Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.[19]
On October 17, 2024, following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the official newspaper of the Taliban issued a statement in which the Taliban offered their condolences.[20] The following day, Prime Minister Muhammad Hasan Akhund also released a message of condolence on the killing of Yahya Sinwar.[21] In January 2025, Gaza Mosque was inaugurated in Kabul in order to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.[22]
