The Maldives has officially banned Israeli passport holders from entering the country, citing ongoing Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip and expressing “resolute solidarity” with the Palestinian people.

The ban follows the ratification of the Third Amendment to the Maldives Immigration Act, passed by the People’s Majlis on Tuesday, April 15.

“The ratification reflects the government’s firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people,” President Mohamed Muizzu’s office said in a statement.

“The Maldives continues to call for accountability for violations of international law and remains vocal across international platforms in its condemnation of Israel’s actions,” the statement added.

President Muizzu has repeatedly expressed the Maldives’ unwavering support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine.

Under the newly amended Immigration Act, travellers holding only Israeli passports will be denied entry into the Maldives. However, Israeli citizens with dual nationality may still enter the country using a passport from another nation.

The decision to implement the ban was first announced by Muizzu’s cabinet in June 2024, though progress on enacting the legislation was delayed.

The amendment was originally proposed in May 2024 by Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, and faced months of parliamentary negotiation before finally passing nearly a year later.

The Maldives has historically had no diplomatic ties with Israel, and hostility has deepened since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.

In the wake of the events, President Muizzu declared the Maldives would intervene in support of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, 1,613 Palestinians have been killed, raising the total death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to 50,983, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.