Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday informed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of continued humanitarian assistance to Palestine, currently being bombed by Israel to flush out Hamas militants and free the Israelis held hostage by the group since October 7.
Earlier in the day, the external affairs ministry had said there were no plans to send any fresh humanitarian assistance to Palestine apart from what had already been budgeted and was being routed through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister said he had spoken to the President of the Palestinian Authority.
“Conveyed my condolences at the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. We will continue to send humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. Shared our deep concern at the terrorism, violence and deteriorating security situation in the region. Reiterated India’s long-standing principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue,” Modi said.
A little over an hour earlier, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had indicated that no additional humanitarian assistance was being considered at the moment for Palestine.
“If there are any further developments, we will share with you,” he had replied at the weekly briefing when asked whether India was considering humanitarian assistance for Palestine.
India, Bagchi had underlined, had been supporting Palestine and Palestinian refugees through significant contributions to the UNRWA.
“A total of $29.53 million has been contributed to UNRWA between 2002 and 2023. The Indian annual contribution to UNRWA was increased from $1.25 million to $5 million in 2018. India has pledged annual contribution of $5 million for the next two years,” he said.
This includes the ongoing financial year.
On the bombing of the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday night, Bagchi said: “We have strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack on Israel, and we believe the international community must stand together in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
Bagchi reaffirmed India’s longstanding support for the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side and at peace with Israel (the two-state solution).
He underlined that New Delhi was also concerned about the humanitarian situation and civilian casualties. “We would urge the full respect and strict observance of international humanitarian law,” Bagchi said.
Some 1,200 Indians have returned since the launch of Operation Ajay last week to facilitate the return of those Indians who wanted to leave Israel following the escalation of hostilities. Five such flights have been operated over the past week. India has also ferried back 18 Nepalese.
Asked whether more flights would be operated to bring back Indians, Bagchi said further arrangements would be made if the need arose.
There were about 18,000 Indians in Israel before this crisis began.
As for Indians in Gaza, Bagchi said the situation was not conducive at the moment. There are four Indians in Gaza and two of them are said to have managed to leave.
