Uzbekistan’s First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva Urges Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

The First Lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, participated in the ‘Together for Peace in Palestine’ summit in Istanbul, where she called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Muslims from around the globe are watching with heavy hearts the developments in Gaza, where Israel has launched a massive military campaign in response to the Palestinian militant group’s sudden rampage on Oct. 7. During this event, the group’s fighters infiltrated Israel from Gaza, killing hundreds of people and taking hostages. Israel vowed to carry out a harsh military response, acknowledging that innocent people, including women and children, would unfortunately fall victim to the country’s actions.

“We cannot silently watch the terrible events unfolding on Palestinian land,” said Mirziyoyeva, wife of the president of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at the Nov. 15 summit having been invited by Emine Erdogan, the First Lady of the Turkish Republic.

The people of Uzbekistan, where more than 90% of the population is Muslim, deeply empathize with the sorrow and hardships that have befallen the peaceful population of Palestine, Mirziyoyeva told the summit in Istanbul, which was convened to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.

The summit was a rare event that brought together many influential women from the Muslim world. These included the Queen of Malaysia Tunku Aziza, the First Ladies of Bangladesh Rebecca Sultana, Bosnia and Herzegovina Sabina Komsic, and Palestine Amina Abbas. The mother of the Emir of Qatar Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Misned, the wife of the Prime Minister of Lebanon May Mikati, the wife of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Sadia Rahmatulla and other representatives from other countries all took part in the event.

Mirziyoyeva expressed her condolences to the innocent people of Gaza and urged the parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease fire, creating conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in desperate situations.

Mirziyoyeva said it was extremely important to resolve the conflict through peaceful and diplomatic means, based on the principle of ‘two states for two peoples’. She also warned that the continuation of the conflict could lead to an even larger-scale military standoff in the region.

“Unfortunately, despite deep concern and pressure from the international community, the tragedy and destruction are reaching unprecedented scales, and there seems to be no end to the catastrophe. As a result, there is an increasing likelihood of new forces in the region becoming involved in the armed confrontation,” Mirziyoyeva said.

The Uzbek delegation expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and vowed support for their right to establish their own independent state in accordance with UN resolutions.

The voice of Uzbekistan is gaining importance on the global stage as the country, home to nearly 35 million people, increasingly integrates into the global agenda economically and politically. This change has been under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016 and has since initiated a wide range of reforms to enhance Uzbekistan’s global role.