New Delhi: India on Thursday (July 24) called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the “ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue” and stressing that civilians are facing “acute shortages” of food, as well as a lack of access to health care and education.

The remarks were delivered by India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, P. Harish, during the UN Security Council’s quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East. The meeting was held amid growing international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger and restricted aid access have triggered alarm among governments and humanitarian agencies.

As in previous statements, India did not name Israel directly. However, Wednesday’s intervention probably marked New Delhi’s most forceful public expression of concern about the humanitarian toll since the conflict began.

India's votes

Last month, India abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access. 

Although India said it supported the resolution’s key points, it cited the need for “dialogue and diplomacy” as its reason for abstaining. India was among only 19 countries that abstained, while 149 supported the resolution. 

India’s vote has stirred sharp criticism from opposition parties, who accused the government, known for its close diplomatic relations with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s administration, of abandoning India’s traditional foreign policy stance.

'Pauses not enough'

More than a month later, India reiterated its position but raised the tone of concern on the worsening humanitarian situation.

“Today’s meeting takes place against the backdrop of a persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,” said Harish.

He underlined that the collapse of services was especially stark in the health and education sectors. “WHO estimates that around 95% of all hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that more than 650,000 children have had no schooling for over 20 months,” he said.

Militarising aid

According to UN records, more than 875 people have been killed over six weeks in shootings by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians trying to reach food distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The private foundation, backed by the US and Israel, has been criticised for lacking neutrality and for militarising the delivery of aid.

There is growing concern over rising deaths due to starvation. According to Gaza health ministry, at least 113 starvation-related deaths have been recorded so far.

On July 21, 28 countries, including UK, Japan and Australia, issued a joint statement describing Israel’s aid delivery model as “dangerous”. The statement condemned “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food”.

Two days later, over 100 aid agencies released a joint letter calling for unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance. “The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime,” the statement said.

Four major news organisations, AFP, BBC News, Reuters and Associated Press, also issued a rare joint expression of concern, stating that they were “desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families”.

'No other fixes'

At the UNSC meeting, India’s ambassador reiterated New Delhi’s position that “ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue” and stressed that “humanitarian assistance needs to be facilitated in a safe, sustained and timely manner”.

“There is no substitute to peace. A ceasefire must be put in place. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives. There are no other fixes or solutions,” Harish stated.

He also noted that India shared “historic and strong ties with our Palestinian brothers and sisters”.

“We have always stood by them and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering. We were the first non-Arab country to recognize the State of Palestine. We support the Palestinian people in various ways, directly and through our support to other organizations such as UNRWA,” he said, adding that India is implementing projects valued at more than $40 million in Palestine.

Reaffirming India’s support for a two-state solution, Harish expressed hope that next week’s High-Level International Conference on its implementation would lead to concrete steps towards realising that goal.

“In conclusion, India underscores its readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at shaping a political horizon that restores hope for the Palestinians and brings lasting peace to the Middle East,” he said.

'Only a trickle'

Meanwhile, the Israeli permanent representative Danny Danon accused the UN was misrepresenting the situation and claimed that hundreds of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) employees were undergoing security vetting, with some personnel facing denial of permit renewals due to “strong affiliation with Hamas”.

He said the head of OCHA’s Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory would not have his visa renewed and must leave by July 29.

At a media briefing in New York, UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Israeli authorities alone decide what aid enters Gaza and under what conditions. “All too often, civilians approaching our trucks are shot at,” he said. “To collect supplies safely, we must get reliable assurances that troops would not engage or be present along the routes of our convoys.”

He added that the aid entering Gaza is “only a trickle compared to the immense needs” and reiterated that “above all, we need a ceasefire to put an end to this devastating situation”.

Responding to Israeli threats against OCHA, Dujarric affirmed the UN’s full confidence in the agency’s professionalism and impartial work. “Any punitive measures will only add to the obstacles preventing us from reaching people facing hunger, displacement and deprivation,” he said.

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