Referring to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that while terrorism is “unacceptable”, there also needs to be a solution for the issue of Palestine.
He made the remarks at the Joint Secretary Session of the Senate’s External Affairs and Defence Commission, Rome.
Addressing the session, Jaishankar said, “What happened on October 7 was a big act of terrorism, the subsequent acts happening after that. This has taken the entire region into a different direction. But surely, it must be everybody’s hope that eventually…the conflict can’t be the normal of the region and that it comes back to some stability, some cooperation”.
The EAM noted that a balance needs to be struck on different issues and reiterated New Delhi’s position of a ‘two-state’ solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“Within this we have to find a balance between different issues. Because there is no question. If there is issue of terrorism, and we all find terrorism unacceptable, we have to stand up. But there is also an issue of Palestine. There has to be solution for the problems faced by the Palestinian people,” Jaishankar said.
Firmly supporting the two-state solution to the ongoing Middle East crisis, he emphasized that dialogue and negotiations are imperative to resolve the current crisis.
“Our view is that it has to be a two-state solution. If you have to find a solution, you have to find a solution through dialogue and negotiation. You cannot find a solution through conflict and terrorism. So we would support that as well. Given the current situation…we do believe that humanitarian law must be respected. In any complex situation, it is not wise to not get the balance right,” he added.
Notably, India has always advocated for a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine that lives side by side at peace with Israel.
“India has 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. That position remains the same,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said after the October 7 attacks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to condemn the terror attack by Hamas and express full solidarity with Israel.
On October 7, over 2000 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip and carried out a horrific terror attack killing more than 1400 people and taking over 200 people as hostages.
In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting the terror units of Hamas. According to the ministry in Gaza, more than 8000 people have been killed in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. The region is also reeling under a humanitarian crisis and rights groups have called on for much more aid than what is coming in currently.