There Is A Ban On Entry, The Israeli Government Asks Its Citizens Not To Travel To The Maldives

Maldives. (Wikimedia Commons/Gzzz)

JAKARTA - The Israeli government asked its citizens not to travel to the Maldives, while those already there were asked to consider leaving, following a ban on people with Israeli passports from entering the country.

Israel's Foreign Ministry on Sunday recommended citizens of its country not to travel to the Maldives. The recommendation, the Israeli ministry said, includes Israeli citizens with dual citizenship.

"For Israeli citizens already in the country, it is advisable to consider leaving, because if they experience difficulties, for any reason, it will be difficult for us to help," the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, the President of the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made the decision after receiving a recommendation from the Cabinet, a statement from his office said.

"The Cabinet's decision includes amendments to the laws needed to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives and establish a Cabinet subcommittee to oversee this endeavor," the statement said.

The President of the Maldives announced he was appointing a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs, as well as preparing a fundraiser to "help our brothers and sisters in Palestine" with UNRWA, quoted by CNN.

President Muizzu will also hold a national demonstration with the slogan "Falastheena Eku Dhivehin" which means "The People of the Maldives Bersolidarity with Palestine."

The news comes just days after the president condemned Israeli airstrikes against refugee camps in Rafah, which killed at least 45 Palestinians and injured more than 200 people.

It is known, as many as 528 Israeli citizens visited the Maldives in the first four months of this year, down from 4,644 during the same period in 2023, according to government data from the Maldives.