New Delhi, Jun 3: A day after the Maldivian government decided to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amidst the deadly war in Gaza, the Embassy of Israel here on Monday recommended its citizens to explore some of the most scenic beaches in India.

"Since the Maldives is no longer welcoming Israelis, here are some beautiful and amazing Indian beaches where Israeli tourists are warmly welcomed and treated with utmost hospitality. Check out these recommendations from @IsraelinIndia, based on the places visited by our diplomats," the embassy posted on X.

In the bilingual post -- English and Hindi -- it also shared four images of pristine beaches at Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa and Kerala.

Maldives receives more than one million tourists each year. About 10,966 Israeli tourists visited the Maldives in 2023, while 15,748 Israelis travelled to the country in 2023.

Israel issued a travel warning in December urging its citizens against visiting the Maldives, citing increased anti-Israel sentiment during the war with Hamas.

Israel does not have diplomatic ties with the Muslim-majority nation after they were suspended in 1974.

Israel also has advised its citizens, including those holding an additional foreign passport, to avoid travelling to the Maldives and asked those staying there to leave the Indian Ocean archipelago, a day after the Maldivian government decided to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country amidst the deadly war in Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry made the recommendations on Sunday in view of the Maldivian government's decision to make the legal amendments necessary to ban entry into the Maldives on Israeli passports as soon as possible.

The Gaza conflict began on October 7 after Hamas initiated an attack on Israel, killing over 800 and capturing 240 hostages, according to the Israeli authorities.

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Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Saturday said a SIT will be constituted at the district level to identify forest and revenue land and submit a report in compliance with directions of the Supreme Court.

Speaking after inaugurating the Mulki taluk Administrative Centre 'Praja Soudha' near here, the minister said the long-pending issue of classification of forest and revenue land has caused hardship to farmers and the government is taking steps to resolve it on priority.

Joint surveys are being conducted to demarcate forest and revenue land in areas earlier granted to farmers, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to all deputy commissioners in the state to expedite the process.

Gowda said many farmers had faced problems as land granted to them earlier had not been formally regularised. The government has now taken up the task of completing the process. A special investigation team (SIT) will be constituted at the district level to identify forest and revenue land and submit a report in compliance with directions of the Supreme Court, he added.

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Between 2018 and 2023, plotting was completed for 1,948 beneficiaries in the district, while in the last two years, plotting under the 1-5 scheme was carried out for 60,943 beneficiaries, he said. Of these, 23,620 farmers have been issued pahani documents.

He said title deeds have been distributed to 2.20 lakh beneficiaries under the regularisation provisions of certain sections relating to house sites.

Under the e-Pouthi campaign, about 60,000 legal heirs have been granted mutation of land records that were earlier in the names of deceased persons, the minister said.

He also said a special drive has reduced cases pending for over two years in Tahsildar courts from 10,774 to 130, while similar cases in Assistant Commissioner courts have been brought down from 73,624 to 2,299.

Land records are now accessible online round-the-clock, eliminating the need for people to visit offices for certified copies, he said, adding that nearly 73 crore pages of revenue records across the state have been scanned at taluk offices in the past two years.

Gowda said taluk administrative offices have been named 'Praja Soudha' to bring governance closer to people. An additional Rs 1.60 crore has been sanctioned for compound construction and other facilities at the Mulki centre.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said efforts are being made to boost investment and tourism in the district.

He said the recent state budget has announced a Global Capability Centre for the district and steps will soon be taken to implement it.

A sum of Rs 70 crore has been sanctioned for a new OPD block at Wenlock District Hospital, while discussions are underway with three private medical colleges to strengthen clinical services at taluk hospitals in Moodbidri, Bantwal, Vitla and Belthangady.

Lok Sabha member Brijesh Chowta urged the revenue minister to resolve forest and revenue land issues in Puttur, Sullia, Kadaba and Belthangady taluks and said approval has been given for development of the national highway from Talapady to Kundapur with service roads on both sides.