Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated to a delegation of Arab foreign ministers India’s support for the people of Palestine, adding that New Delhi welcomed the ongoing peace efforts, including the Gaza peace plan.
The prime minister’s office said in a statement that Modi conveyed to the delegation his “appreciation for the important role played by the Arab League in supporting efforts towards regional peace and stability”.
The comments were made as Modi hosted the delegation, which included the secretary general of the League of Arab States. The group is in the country for the second India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting.
The League of Arab States, an intergovernmental body founded in 1945, focuses on regional stability, economic cooperation and security among its 22 member states.
India’s longstanding position has been to support a two-state solution for establishing a sovereign, viable and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living alongside Israel in peace.
In October 2023, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began after Palestinian militant group Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on besieged Gaza since then, leaving more than 70,000 persons dead.
Modi has praised United States President Donald Trump’s peace efforts in Gaza and welcomed the US-brokered peace plan between Israel and Hamas in October.
The US has invited India, among about 60 countries, to join the Board of Peace proposed by Trump. Washington has described the board as a global initiative to resolve conflicts, initially focusing on Gaza.
It is not clear whether New Delhi has agreed to join the initiative.
The Board of Peace will be part of the second phase of a US-backed ceasefire proposal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. A United Nations Security Council resolution in November authorised the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027.
The 60 countries invited by Trump include Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia.
Trump’s peace plan was approved by the UN Security Council in November, with Russia and China abstaining over concerns about the lack of clarity on how the Board of Peace would function and whether it would pave the way for Palestinian statehood.
Also read: India’s discernible shift away from Palestine
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