External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held a dialog with Palestinian prime minister Mohmmad Shtayyeh, and reiterated India’s ‘long-standing position’ on the Palestine-Israel situation.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar(ANI)
“Spoke to Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh this evening. He expressed deep concern on the situation in both Gaza and the West Bank. (I) Reiterated India’s long-standing position on Palestine. (We) Agreed to remain in touch,” Jaishankar posted on X (previously Twitter).
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On October 19, twelve days after the graduation of the continuing warfare between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, prime minister Narendra Modi, in a dialog with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, too, had reiterated New Delhi’s long-standing place on the Palestine-Israel situation.
Earlier, on October 7, the day Hamas carried out assaults contained in the Israeli territory, resulting in retaliatory strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), prime minister Modi had expressed his ‘deep shock at the news of terrorist attacks in Israel.’
What is India’s ‘long-standing position’ on Palestine?
“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,” as per an earlier assertion by the Ministry of exterior affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
India recognised the State of Palestine in 1988, and was among the many first international locations to take action. While it enjoys glorious ties with Israel – notably underneath PM Modi – there have additionally been common high-level visits between New Delhi and Palestine. In October 2015, then President Pranab Mukherjee grew to become the primary Indian President to go to Palestine, and in February 2018, PM Modi grew to become the primary Indian prime minister to go there.
In January 2016, then exterior affairs minister Sushmas Swaraj additionally went to Palestine. In May 2017, however, Palestinian President Abbas made his fifth State go to to India; the primary 4 got here in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
