The Maldives has announced it will ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amid the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The president’s office of the Indian Ocean island nation, known for its luxurious resorts and endless white sand beaches, made the announcement in a press release on Sunday.
Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu decided to impose the ban on the recommendation of the cabinet, the release said.
The country’s laws will be amended and a cabinet sub-committee will be set up to oversee the effort, the president’s office said.
Following the news of the ban, Israel’s Foreign Ministry advised Israelis to avoid travelling to the island, and “Israeli citizens who are in the country are advised to consider leaving, as it will be difficult for us to help them if they get into trouble for any reason”.
The president said he would appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs and launch a fundraising campaign with UNRWA “to help our brothers and sisters in Palestine”, the release said.
Muizzu will also lead a nationwide rally under the slogan ‘Falastheenaa Eku Dhivehin’, which translates as ‘Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine’.
The news comes just days after the president condemned an Israeli air strike on a displacement camp in Rafah, which killed at least 45 Palestinians and injured more than 200.
“Together with the government and people of the Maldives, I call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to violence and unhindered humanitarian access,” the president wrote on X last week.