Israel-Hamas war: India reiterates demand to ‘de-escalate, eschew violence’
Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas fighters from Palestine's Gaza. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on two separate instances also sought an early resolution to the war. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday informed that India reiterated their call urging the "parties to de-escalate, eschew violence and work towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations towards a two-state solution".
After Israel began incessantly bombarding Palestine's Gaza, followed by the 7 October Hamas attack, India had condemned the terror attacks, and asked for adherence to international humanitarian law. Notably, India has never explicitly demanded a ceasefire, and even abstained from voting for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a ceasefire. Hindustan Times analyses that India, which has strong strategic ties with both Israel and key Arab states, has sought to fashion a nuanced approach to the conflict triggered by the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
“We have made our position clear on multiple occasions, including during the United Nations General Assembly debate on October 27. We have strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack on Israel, urged the need for zero tolerance for terrorism, and called for immediate and unconditional release of hostages," Arindam Bagchi said, reported by HT. “We have also conveyed our deep concern at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the increasing civilian toll and welcomed efforts to de-escalate the situation and provide humanitarian assistance," he said.
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