India stands with Israel “firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Israeli Parliament on Wednesday.
Modi made the comment while expressing New Delhi’s condolences for the deaths of 1,200 persons, mostly Israelis, during the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“We feel your pain” and “share your grief”, the prime minister told the Knesset.
He added that like Israel, India has a “consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, with no double standards”.
The remarks came during Modi’s first visit to Israel since Hamas’ October 2023 incursion into southern Israel and the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on besieged Gaza since October 2023, leaving more than 70,000 persons dead.
In September, a commission of inquiry set up by the United Nations said that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s foreign ministry had rejected the report, describing it as “distorted and false”.
On Wednesday, Modi said that “there is great admiration” in India for Israel’s “resolve, courage and achievements”, adding that “long before we related to each other as modern states, we were linked by ties that go back more than 2,000 years”.
Modi said that India and Israel had committed to expanding trade, strengthening investment flows and promoting joint development of infrastructure.
The Gaza Peace Initiative, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, offers a pathway for regional stability, the prime minister said.
Modi reiterated New Delhi’s “firm support” for the peace plan led by United States President Donald Trump.
“We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue,” Modi added.
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.
On January 31, Modi had 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 US has invited India, among about 60 countries, to join Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza. Washington has described the board as a global initiative to resolve conflicts, initially focusing on Gaza.
While New Delhi has not joined the initiative, it attended the inaugural meeting of the board on February 19 as an observer country.
The Board of Peace for Gaza will be part of the second phase of a US-backed ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas. A UN Security Council resolution in November authorised the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027.
Also read:
- For India’s Hindutva base, Israel is less an ally and more a model
- Why India waited two years before recognising Israel
- India’s discernible shift away from Palestine
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