'Everyone Must Honour Their Commitments': India on Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal at NAM Meet
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: At the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial committee on Wednesday (October 15), India reiterated its position on Palestine, that of “a negotiated two-State solution”, and stressed the need to honour respective commitments in the ceasefire agreement.
“India’s position on the developments since 7 October 2023 and the ensuing conflict has remained consistent,” Union minister of state for external affairs and environment, forest and climate change Kirti Vardhan Singh said at the meeting held on the sidelines of the 19th mid-term ministerial meeting of the NAM.
“We condemned terrorism and have held that the destruction, despair and suffering of civilians must end. Gaza must have access to food, fuel and other necessities without hindrance. Hostages must be released; and ceasefire must be in place immediately,” he said.
He said that India, as “one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine”, has historically had the same position on Palestinian people’s rights.
Also read: What Happened to India’s Moral Compass on Palestine?
“We reaffirm the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence, and sovereignty. Our ultimate objective remains a negotiated two-State solution, which is the only path to achieve lasting peace and overall prosperity,” he said.
Reflecting on the broader situation in the Middle East since October 7, 2023, he said, “People in the region and beyond have been yearning for peace. Innocent civilians have the right to lead normal lives. They cannot continue to remain deprived; they must not die due to conflict.”
Singh welcomed the agreement on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in Gaza, while also acknowledging NAM members Egypt and Qatar, for their instrumental role in realising the agreement.
He expressed hope that the first phase serves as the initial step towards achieving peace in the Middle East.
“At this juncture, it is important for peace and calm to hold. Everyone must honour their respective commitments. This could set the stage for subsequent follow up steps,” he noted.
On October 9, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of his 20-point ceasefire plan in Gaza – complete with hostage releases, partial Israeli troop withdrawals and a surge in humanitarian aid.
Subsequently, Hamas released all the 20 living Israeli hostages in its custody in exchange for close to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners on Monday, October 13.
As part of the ceasefire plan, an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) – as dubbed by Trump – would enter the occupied territory in Gaza to provide security and train a Palestinian police force as the Israeli military gradually withdraws.
Furthermore, Hamas has also rejected the idea of disarmament or ceding control to an international body so far.
As many as 20,179 Gaza children have been killed, over 12 lakh are deprived of food, while 58,554 have been orphaned, according to data released by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, on October 7, 2025.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to welcome the plan as he hailed Trump’s “unwavering peace efforts” as well as Netanyahu’s “strong resolve”.
However, there have been reports of ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza even after the ceasefire agreement was signed.
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