Jerusalem, June 3: Israel has advised its nationals, including those holding additional foreign passports, to avoid travelling to the Maldives and urged those in the country to leave the Indian Ocean island, a day after the Maldives government decided to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amid the deadly war in Gaza.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry made the recommendation on Sunday following the Maldivian government’s decision to fast-track the necessary legal changes to ban entry to the country on Israeli passports.
“The recommendation is valid for Israeli nationals holding foreign passports as well as Israeli passports,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We encourage Israeli citizens in the country to consider leaving the country as it will be difficult for us to assist them if they find themselves in distress for any reason,” he added.
The Maldives Cabinet has decided to ban Israeli passports, but legal changes are required to actually implement the decision.
The Maldives receives more than one million tourists annually. In 2023, approximately 10,966 Israeli tourists will visit the Maldives, while 15,748 Israelis will visit the Maldives in 2023.
Israel issued a travel warning in December urging its citizens to avoid traveling to the Maldives, citing rising anti-Israeli sentiment during the war with Hamas.
Israel has no diplomatic ties with the Muslim-majority country since diplomatic relations were suspended in 1974.
But ever since diplomatic talks aimed at normalizing relations between the two countries began more than a decade ago, Israelis have been allowed to visit the country known for its islands, but they have not been successful, despite looking “promising” at times.
The Maldives Cabinet also decided on Sunday to appoint a presidential envoy to identify areas in which Palestine needs assistance from the Maldives and to organize fundraising events to support Palestinians through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
According to Israeli officials, the Gaza conflict began on October 7 when Hamas launched attacks on Israel that left more than 800 people dead and 240 taken hostage.
Israel has launched a major counter-offensive against Palestinian militant groups that have controlled Gaza since 2007. Israeli actions have killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza, including women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. (PTI)
