India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday re-affirmed the country’s longstanding policy position towards the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying that it backed a two-state solution.
“India has always advocated resumption of direct negotaitions towards establishing a sovereign, independent and a viable state of Palestine, living within secured and recognized borders, side-by-side, at peace with Israel,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a regular news briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. “That position remains the same,” Bagchi added.
India Calls for Respecting Humanitarian Laws
The MEA spokesperson said that New Delhi views the attack by Hamas militants against Israel over weekend as a “terrorist attack”, though he didn’t characterize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Bagchi also urged the both Israel and Palestine to respect the humanitarian law, amid reports that Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carry out retaliatory strikes against Hamas in Gaza.
“There is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law. There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. I think that accurately sums up how we look at this,” the MEA spokesperson stated.
Israel has also reportedly cut off water and electricity to Gaza residents and has threatened to withhold the supplies till Israeli hostages under the custody of Hamas militants are freed from captivity.