Afghanistan |
Palestine |
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Afghanistan–Palestine relations refer to diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and the State of Palestine.
Afghanistan recognized Palestinian statehood on 16 November 1988. [1]
In 2019, Afghanistan donated US$ one million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). [2] [3] This was preceded by the United States stopping aid to UNRWA. [4]
In August 2021, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar of the Taliban met with Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Doha, Qatar. [5] In October 2022, Taliban official Zabihullah Mujahid met with Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey. [6] Sirajuddin Haqqani, Interior Minister of Afghanistan, met with religious scholars from Palestine in January 2023. [7]
The Taliban government has maintained a neutral stance based on non-interference on internal affairs of other countries on the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. [8] Taliban denied wanting to join Hamas in the war against Israel. [9] [10] Afghanistan blamed the attacks on Israel violating the rights of Palestinians. [11] [12] Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi described Palestinian resistance to Israel as a legitimate attempt to gain freedom. [13] [14]