Maldives moves to make ban on Israeli passport holders permanent

The Maldives is moving to impose a permanent ban on entry for Israeli passport holders. The information was given in a statement from the office of the country's president, Mohamed Muizzu.

According to the statement from the president's office, under the new bill no person holding an Israeli passport will be able to enter the Maldives, whatever change there may be in circumstances.

Earlier, a law had banned Israelis from entering the Maldives for as long as the war in Gaza continued. The newly proposed law takes the initiative to make that ban permanent.

According to the statement, attempts to enter the Maldives using another country's passport may also be blocked under the ban. That means Israelis holding dual passports could also lose the chance to enter the country.

Made up of 1,192 coral islands, the Maldives is a small Muslim republic. Lying in a strategically important location, the country is popular with tourists for its secluded white-sand beaches and shallow lagoons of clear blue water.

After anti-Israel sentiment rose following the start of the war in Gaza, Israel warned its own citizens about travelling to the Maldives in December 2023.