Maldives issues travel advisory, bans entry of Israeli passport holders

The Maldives government has issued a travel advisory and officially banned the entry of individuals holding Israeli passports, effective April 15. The announcement was made by the Maldives Immigration Department through their official handle on X (formerly Twitter).

According to the advisory, Israeli passports are now deemed inadmissible from Tuesday. The move follows rising tensions in the region amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives has also expressed strong condemnation of the violence and has voiced support for Palestinian civilians. The advisory comes alongside public protests in the Maldives opposing the war in Gaza.

Israel-Gaza conflict 

Amid the escalating conflict, an Israeli airstrike reportedly targeted the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on April 13, causing severe damage and forcing the medical facility to shut down, according to Palestinian medical sources and eyewitness accounts.

The Israeli military stated that the strike was aimed at what it described as “a Hamas command and control center” allegedly operating within the hospital compound, according to reports from Chinese news agencies.

In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) claimed that Hamas operatives were using the hospital to coordinate attacks.

A medical staff member, speaking anonymously to Chinese media, confirmed that an evacuation warning was issued shortly before the strike. The attack reportedly hit the hospital’s surgical operations department and an oxygen generation unit, causing extensive damage across multiple sections of the facility.