The House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania underscored the key role of joint parliamentary friendship groups in promoting parliamentary cooperation and boosting bilateral relations. In a joint statement issued at the end of the working visit to Nouakchott on February 09-10 by the House of Representatives Speaker, Rachid Talbi Alami, the two legislative institutions called for further strengthening of their cooperation on several levels. These include exchanges of experience in the fields of legislation, training, audiovisual communication, parliamentary diplomacy and parliamentary communication techniques. The two legislative institutions reiterated their determination to launch the Morocco-Mauritania Parliamentary Forum as soon as possible, which will also bring together representatives of the Executive, businessmen and experts from both countries. The distinguished relations between the two institutions stem from the deep religi ous and cultural bonds rooted in the history between the Moroccan and Mauritanian peoples, says the statement. The visit by the Moroccan parliamentary delegation was marked by fruitful discussions with their Mauritanian counterparts, focusing on ways of strengthening cooperation between the two legislative institutions, so as to raise them to the level of strategic cooperation, as desired by the two countries' leaders, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to establish a cooperation commensurate with the deep common ties and relations of mutual friendship and esteem. In addition, the two institutions expressed their commitment to "the building of the Arab Maghreb Union as a strategic choice and an important irreversible achievement,' calling for "intensified efforts to overcome the obstacles and impediments facing the Maghreb union.' At the end of his visit, Talbi Alami invited his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Meguett, to pay a fraternal and frien dly visit to Morocco, the press release concluded. Leading an important parliamentary delegation, Talbi Alami paid a two-day working visit to Nouakchott, at the invitation of the President of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse Gaza: The Netherlands on Sunday expressed its strong opposition to a looming Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Noting that Rafah hosts a vast number of Palestinians who fled from other parts of the besieged enclave of Gaza, Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said on X: 'Hard to see how large-scale military operations in such a densely populated area would not lead to many civilian casualties and a bigger humanitarian catastrophe.' 'This is unjustifiable,' she stressed. 'It is of the utmost importance that negotiations quickly lead to a temporary humanitarian ceasefire, and eventually to a sustained cessation of hostilities,' she said. The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. In late 2023 South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of failing to uphold its commitm ents under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The UN court, in its interim ruling in January, ruled that South Africa's claims are plausible. It ordered provisional measures for Israel's government to desist from genocidal acts, and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA