ISTANBUL

Welcoming the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the president of Maldives said it is “a crucial step towards ensuring accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“The Maldives respects the decisions of the ICC and underscores the importance of honoring and implementing the Court’s rulings. Upholding international law and ensuring justice for the Palestinian people is essential to restoring peace in the region,” said Mohamed Muizzu on X, announcing his support of the ICC procedure and the rights of the Palestinian people.

In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

The Maldives parliament is also debating a bill to ban entry of all those holding Israeli passports.

The bill to amend the Immigration Act to ban entry for Israeli passports was submitted to the parliament on May 29.