External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, describing it as a “very complex” situation. During a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s commitment to counter terrorism, uphold international humanitarian law, and support a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue. Cohen thanked India for its support in Israel’s fight against the Hamas terrorist organization, stating that their war is a global battle against a despicable terrorist group worse than ISIS.
India had previously condemned Hamas’ attack on Israeli cities on October 7 as acts of terrorism, while also emphasizing the need for adherence to international humanitarian law to minimize civilian casualties during Israel’s counter-offensive in Gaza.
Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Jaishankar acknowledged the complexity of the Hamas-Israel conflict and defended India’s decision to abstain from a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian truce between the two sides. He labeled the October 7 attacks by Hamas as terrorism and reiterated India’s support for a negotiated two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.
When asked about the impact of the current crisis on initiatives under the I2U2 grouping and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, Jaishankar highlighted the need to continue pursuing long-term plans while simultaneously addressing unforeseen challenges.
Jaishankar also justified India’s decision to abstain from the UN General Assembly resolution on the Hamas-Israel conflict, stating that terrorism is a significant issue for India, and the country firmly believes that the events on October 7 were acts of terrorism. He stressed the importance of observing international humanitarian law in all actions taken during the conflict.
The UN General Assembly recently adopted a resolution calling for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza.
In terms of the Palestine issue, Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance on a two-state solution, emphasizing that an independent and viable Palestinian state can only be achieved through direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israel.
Jaishankar emphasized the need to address all three interconnected issues – terrorism, adherence to international humanitarian law, and the two-state solution – rather than prioritizing one over the others.
(Note: This article is an unedited syndicated feed from a source other than NDTV.)
