New Delhi: Even as Israel launched a major military operation in the West Bank, India reiterated its concern about the “escalating” situation in West Asia during its foreign office-level consultations with Israel.
The Indian delegation was led by foreign secretary Vikram Misri, while the Israeli side was headed by Yaakov Blitshtein, director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the talks on Wednesday (August 28) here.
17th India-Israel FOC held in New Delhi today.
Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri reviewed the entire range of 🇮🇳-🇮🇱 bilateral relations and the strategic partnership together with @IsraelMFA DG Yaakov Blitshtein. pic.twitter.com/BXOm1UfJr2
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 28, 2024
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s readout of the 17th round of foreign office talks between the two countries said that besides bilateral issues, both sides discussed various issues of bilateral interest and shared views on the situation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Misri underscored India’s “strong and unequivocal” condemnation of the October 7 terror attack by Hamas and reiterated New Delhi’s call for the “unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, a ceasefire, the continuation of humanitarian assistance and strict adherence to international humanitarian law.”
“At the same time, he also shared India’s concern at the escalating situation in West Asia and emphasised restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy,” the MEA’s statement said.
Several hours before the meeting, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said that hundreds of Israeli troops raided the West Bank “to dismantle Iranian-Islamic terror infrastructures”.
Following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of over 1,200 people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly declared India’s “solidarity” with Israel.
In the immediate aftermath, India abstained from a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a humanitarian pause to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, setting itself apart as one of the few large developing countries to take this stance.
However, India soon found it necessary to clarify and balance its diplomatic stance.
The government reiterated its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, highlighting its historical commitment to this issue. It voted in favour of the second UNGA resolution that called for a ceasefire to allow an increased flow of aid into Gaza.
Yet, in a demonstration of its continued balancing act, India abstained on a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on Israel.
At the same time, it voted in favour of the UNGA’s call for admitting Palestine as a member of the world body.
India has not issued any statement after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran on August 1, which has further increased tensions as the region has remained braced for retributive attacks by Iran and its aligned proxy groups.
