The Maldives government announced on Tuesday a ban on the entry of Israelis to express its “steadfast solidarity” with the residents of Gaza, who are suffering from the war between Israel and Hamas.

Lawmakers in the Indian Ocean archipelago approved a bill to this effect, which was quickly ratified by President Mohamed Muiz.

The presidency stated that this ratification reflects the government’s firm stance against the recurring atrocities and acts of genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people, reiterating the Maldives’ solidarity with the Palestinian cause.