India has called for an immediate deescalation in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, as it expressed grave concerns over the large scale loss of lives leading to a humanitarian crisis.
In a United Nations (UN) General Assembly debate on Gaza on Monday, India’s Ambassador to UN Ruchira Kamboj described the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, including the killing of women and children, as unacceptable.
“We have been deeply troubled by the conflict in Gaza that has been raging for nearly five months now,” Kamboj stated.
"We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. It is critical to prevent further escalation of violence and hostilities. It is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected under all circumstances," the Indian diplomat said.
Kamboj called for the respect of humanitarian law and scaling up humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"We urge all parties to come together in this endeavour. We welcome the efforts of the UN and international community in this regard. India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so," Kamboj said.
She noted that the "immediate trigger of the conflict was the terror attacks in Israel on 7 October," according to the statement.
"India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justifications for terrorism and hostage taking. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages," remarked Kamboj.
Further, the Indian Ambassador reiterated New Delhi's stance on the resumption of “direct negotiations” between Israel and Palestine towards a two-state solution and to achieve an “enduring peace”.
“In order to arrive at a lasting solution, we urge for immediate de-escalation, eschewing violence, release of all hostages, avoiding provocative and escalatory actions, and to work towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiation," Kamboj concluded.