Above photo: X / charly_thuthu.
The archipelagic state will appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs.
And launch a Gaza solidarity fundraiser.
The Maldives announced on 2 June that it will ban Israeli passport holders from entering the archipelagic state in protest over Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu “resolved to impose a ban on Israeli passports,” said a spokesman for his office, without giving details on when the decision would take effect.
The president’s office said the country has decided to alter laws in order to prevent Israelis from entering the country and that a subcommittee will be established to oversee the process.
It added that Muizzu will appoint a special envoy to assess the needs of the Palestinians and to launch a fundraiser under the title “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine.”
Nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives last year, according to official data. The number of Israelis that visited the country in the first four months of this year dropped to 528, down 88 percent.
The country had lifted its ban on Israeli passport holders in the 1990s and was set to restore ties in 2010. Yet, the efforts were stifled upon former president Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation in 2012.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged on Sunday for Israelis to leave the Maldives.
“For Israeli citizens staying in the country, it is recommended to consider leaving, since if they fall into distress for any reason, it will be difficult for us to help,” it said.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 36,379 Palestinians and has injured over 82,407, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The Maldives’ decision comes as Tel Aviv is being accused of genocide in a case brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The court ruled in January that Israel must halt all genocidal acts in the besieged enclave.
The ICJ made a ruling on 24 May ordering Israel to halt its current operation in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, which has severely hindered humanitarian efforts to bring aid into Gaza and has displaced around one million civilians.
Israel has since escalated its attacks on the city in defiance of the international court’s ruling.
In a joint effort to increase international pressure to end Israel’s campaign in Gaza, Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state on 28 May.