Having been among the first world leaders to label the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel as a terrorist act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denounced Tuesday’s attack on a hospital in Gaza, which left 500 people dead.
The PM expressed his sympathies to the relatives of the victims in a social media post on Wednesday, saying he was “deeply shocked” by the deaths in the incident.
PM Modi expressed worry about civilian losses in the war and called for those responsible for the incident to be held accountable while Israel and Palestine continue to trade accusations about who was to blame for the horrifying hospital attack.
We are saddened to our core by the tragic deaths at Gaza’s Al Ahli Hospital. Our sincere condolences go out to the relatives of the deceased, and we send our prayers for the injured to receive quick healing. It is a major and continuous concern that civilians are being killed in the current conflict. The Prime Minister wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, “Those responsible should be held accountable.”
Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured.
Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2023
The Post was published almost simultaneously with US Vice President Joe Biden’s arrival in Israel for a solidarity visit.
India’s Stand
On October 7, shortly after Hamas launched 5,000 rockets at Israel in 20 minutes and began a three-pronged attack by land, air, and sea, PM Modi wrote in a post that he was “deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel” and that India was standing by the nation at this trying time.
Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon made reference to this comment in an interview with News Agency on Tuesday. He said that India’s swift condemnation of the Hamas terror acts had won it a seat at the negotiating table for a solution to the current issue.
Mr. Gilon claimed that Israel has faith in India and added, “We saw the enormous emotional support to Israel. I believe that those, like Prime Minister Modi and India, who were quick to denounce the terrorist assault as such—something that not everyone initially did—bought themselves the right to speak at the table. In the sense that they were aware of the circumstances, according to Mr. Gilon.
Several additional Israeli officials expressed their appreciation for India’s criticism of the Hamas attacks and stated that it had helped Israel and India become closer. Additionally, they emphasised how well-liked PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu are.
On October 10, when he stated that Prime Minister Netanyahu had called him and updated him on the bloody conflict, PM Modi reiterated his support for Israel.
“I appreciate Prime Minister @netanyahu’s call and his update on the current situation. India’s populace heartily supports Israel in this trying time. India vehemently and categorically rejects terrorism in all of its manifestations, said PM Modi in a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Regarding Palestine
India has long supported the Palestinian cause, therefore the signals of solidarity were considered significant. In addition, the conflict started at a time when India was preparing to take on a larger role in the Middle East, experts said, and it will now need to walk a diplomatic tightrope.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated at a news conference two days later that the Prime Minister had made statements regarding the war that stand alone. When asked about India’s attitude on Palestine, spokesman Arindam Bagchi responded that the nation had long supported talks for a Palestinian state that would coexist with Israel.
“Our stance on Palestine has been established over time and has remained constant. India has consistently pushed for the restart of direct talks to create a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine that coexists in peace with Israel along secure and recognised borders. That stance is unchanged,” he continued.
