Maldives Media Raise Nearly $2 Million for Gaza Victims

Colombo: Media outlets in the Maldives have raised nearly $2 million to help Gaza residents affected by massive destruction caused in the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas, a fundraising organiser said on Saturday.

"About 10 media institutions, including on-line and print, came together to raise this money," spokesman Ahmed Zahir said by telephone from Male, the capital of the Sunni Muslim archipelago.

Maldives, a high-end holiday destination in the Indian Ocean, has expressed solidarity with Gaza, whose economy is expected to take years to recover from Israeli shelling and air strikes.

Male has imposed a ban on Israeli-made goods and last month revoked three cooperation agreements on health, tourism and education.

Zahir said 29.4 million rufiyaa ($1.91 million) was given this week to the Qatar Red Crescent to supply food and water and help victims recover from the widespread destruction caused in the latest fighting.

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The money was raised through a 36-hour telethon as well as through other public contributions from state as well as privately-owned companies.

The seven-week conflict claimed the lives of 2,143 Palestinians, more than 70 percent of them civilians, according to the United Nations, and 65 soldiers and six civilians on the Israeli side.

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There has also been hostility among residents of the Maldives, which has a population of around 330,000 people, to Israeli tourists.

Last month, Israeli holidaymakers were evacuated from their Maldivian resort after one tore up an anti-Israeli placard equating the Nazi swastika to the Israeli flag.

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Some 30 Israeli surfers were moved out to safety from Thulusdhoo island, near the capital island Male, as residents of the archipelago protested the pulling down of the anti-Israeli placards.

The Maldives, known for pristine beaches and secluded coral islands popular with honeymooners, attracted over a million tourists last year of which less than one percent came from Israel.