The Ministry of External Affairs has said that India supported the establishment of a "sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine".
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said that India believes in its long-standing support for the establishment of a "sovereign, independent and viable" state of Palestine.
"Our policy has been longstanding and consistent. India always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel. I think that position remains the same," he said.
This is the first statement made by India on the Palestine issue after the Palestinian group Hamas launched rocket attacks on Israel on October 7.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken about the Israel-Hamas war twice, both times condemning the "terrorist attack" on Israel by Hamas. On Monday, the Prime Minister said that Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, briefed him about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He had expressed support for Israel during "this difficult hour".
When asked about the humanitarian situation in Israel and Gaza, Bagchi said that there was a universal obligation to observe humanitarian law. He added, "There is also the responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."
The MEA spokesperson said that the first flight from Israel to bring back Indian citizens, under 'Operation Ajay', will land in India today. Bagchi said that India has appealed to all its citizens in Israel to contact its embassy to get their names added to the list for the chartered flights being arranged.
At the press conference, Arindam Bagchi was asked if India would be providing help to Israel in the form of weaponry. He said, "Right now, our main focus is to get Indians from Israel back safely."
Bagchi said that there were about 18,000 Indians in Israel and that India had received information about one of its citizens being injured there. "We are in touch with them. They are in the hospital, getting better. There have been no causalities so far."
He added that there were four Indians in Gaza and 12 in the West Bank.
The flight from Israel to India will see the return of 230 Indians living in Israel. The Indian government is making efforts to rescue Indians stranded in Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas terrorists there. Indians are being brought back as part of 'Operation Ajay', announced by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday.
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