Addressing the ninth day of the Parliament winter session, the union minister reaffirms India's support for the creation of "a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state" alongside Israel.
During the winter session of the Parliament, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar reaffirmed India's support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. India's support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state comes as the situation in West Asia continues to escalate.
Addressing the ninth day of the Parliament winter session, the union minister reaffirms India's support for the creation of "a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state" alongside Israel.
"Since the beginning of the Israel- Hamas conflict, 13 resolutions concerning Palestine were brought in UNGA out of which India voted in favour of 10 resolutions and abstained from three resolutions," said the EAM.
The external affairs minister further added that India's policy towards Palestine has been one of "support for the two-state solution".
Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, India has provided humanitarian assistance to Palestine and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"India's policy towards Palestine has been long-standing and we have always supported a negotiated two-State solution, towards the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, living side by side in peace with Israel," EAM Jaishankar told the Parliament.
Since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict, India has expressed support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs, India became the first Non-Arab nation in 1974, to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, in 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian State. New Delhi also proceeded to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992 after consulting with PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
With the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, India was one of the first countries to condemn the terrorist attack but also call for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
"India has strongly condemned the terror attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and also the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. We remain concerned at the security situation and have called for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and peaceful resolution of conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," EAM Jaishankar added further.
Despite widespread calls for a two-state solution and a halt to the decades long conflict, Israel has stated it will not accept the creation of an independent Palestinian state due to various security concerns.
Following a strong stance of neutrality and maintaining a balancing act, India has established itself as a key partner for both Israel and Palestine and is also seen as a key player in the implementation of the two-state solution due to its close ties with Tel Aviv.