Israel-Hamas war: India speaks out

Israel has continued its military offensive in Gaza as part of its retaliation for an unprecedented attack on Israeli cities by Hamas on October 7 last year.

War between Israel and Gaza: India said on Friday it is “deeply shocked” by the loss of lives in northern Gaza during the delivery of humanitarian aid, a day after more than 100 people were killed and more than 700 injured in an incident.

In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such loss of civilian lives and the wider humanitarian situation in Gaza continue to be a cause for “extreme concern”.

“We are deeply shocked by the loss of lives in northern Gaza yesterday during the delivery of humanitarian aid,” the MEA said in a statement.

“Such loss of civilian lives and the wider humanitarian situation in Gaza remain a cause for extreme concern,” it added.

India also called for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of Gaza.

“We reiterate our call for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance,” the MEA said.

There was no reference to Israel in the statement.

According to reports, more than 100 people were killed and more than 700 injured on Thursday when Israeli forces fired into a large crowd of Palestinians trying to get food from an aid convoy in Gaza.

India has called for de-escalation of the situation and creation of conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations on a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

There has been sharp international reaction to the incident, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemning it.

“I condemn Thursday’s incident in Gaza, in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving assistance,” he wrote on X.

“The desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the north where the UN has been unable to provide aid for more than a week,” Guterres said.

Israel has continued its military offensive in Gaza as part of its retaliation for an unprecedented attack on Israeli cities by Hamas on October 7 last year.

Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped more than 220, some of whom were released during a brief ceasefire.

More than 29,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli offensive, according to Hamas-led authorities in Gaza.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday that the conflict in Gaza is “of grave concern” and the humanitarian crises arising from it require a lasting solution that provides immediate relief to those most affected.

At the same time, referring to the Hamas attack on Israel, he claimed that “terrorism and hostage-taking” are unacceptable.

“The conflict in Gaza is of great concern to all of us. The humanitarian crises arising from conflict require a lasting solution that provides immediate relief to those most affected,” Jaishankar said in a virtual statement at the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

“At the same time, we must be clear that terrorism and hostage taking are unacceptable. It also goes without saying that international humanitarian law must always be respected,” he added.

Jaishankar said it is crucial that the conflict does not spread within or outside the region.

“And efforts must also focus on seeking a two-state solution in which the Palestinian people can live within secure borders,” he said.

India has been pushing for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue for decades.

(Only the headline was reworked by India.com staff. The copy is from an agency feed)