Why in news :
Maldives will now prohibit Israeli passport holders from entering the country in response to Israel’s retaliatory bombardments and ground offensive in Gaza.
What are the reasons behind :
Minister of homeland security and technology Ali Ihusan said that President Mohamed Muizzu, during a cabinet meeting, decided to initiate the necessary legal changes to enforce this ban.
A special cabinet committee of ministers has been formed to implement this decision.
Maldives will also appoint a special envoy to address Palestine’s requests from the Maldives amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The island nation also plans to organize fundraising events to aid those in the besieged Palestinian territory. These efforts will be coordinated with the UNRWA. Furthermore, a national march titled “Maldivians with Palestine” will be held, along with meetings with other Islamic countries to seek a swift resolution to the Palestinian issue.
This comes after South Africa initiated legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which has issued a temporary order to prevent violent actions against Palestinians in Gaza.
The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians. Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory bombardments and ground offensive have killed at least 36,379 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.