Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a "productive exchange of views" with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, including on shared concerns about maritime security. He also highlighted India's consistent stand on early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
"Had a productive exchange of views with PM @netanyahu on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, including shared concerns on the safety of maritime traffic. Highlighted India’s consistent stand in favour of early restoration of peace & stability in the region with continued humanitarian assistance for the affected," said PM Modi on X.
“The two leaders spoke about the importance of safeguarding the free shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that is threatened by the Houthis at the behest of Iran, and the global interest in preventing harm to international trade, including the economies of Israel and India,” The Times of Israel quoted a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
Netanyahu further thanked PM Modi for “India’s support in Israel’s just war to destroy Hamas,” according to the statement. The leaders also discussed bringing Indian workers to Israel.
Notably, Israel and its close ally, the United States, are under increasing international pressure for an immediate ceasefire as more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli air and ground operations in the Gaza Strip that have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
Israeli forces raided one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza’s north and bombarded the south with airstrikes that killed at least 28 Palestinians, pressing ahead with their offensive on Tuesday with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm. Israel has rebuffed calls for a ceasefire and has set its targets to end Hamas' 16-year-old rule in Gaza.
Concerns on maritime security
Meanwhile, assaults on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have led major shipping companies to suspend trade through the strategic waterway and prompted the US and allies to launch a new international mission.
A drone and a missile attack struck a tanker near Yemen as recently as Monday, around the same time a cargo ship reported an explosive detonating near them in the water, according to the US military's Central Command. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin outlined the ways Houthi attacks are destabilising maritime security and impacting the global economy in a virtual ministerial meeting with representatives from 43 countries.
"This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative," said the US Defence Secretary in a statement in Bahrain.
Under the new mission, the military ships will not necessarily escort a specific vessel, but will be positioned to provide umbrella protection to as many as possible at a given time, the official said on the condition of anonymity. This comes as shipping company Maersk announced that it will re-route ships that have been paused for days outside the Red Sea through the Cape of Good Hope.
However, Austin said that he was "not here to dictate timelines or terms" before meeting Israeli officials on Monday, indicating that the US would continue to shield Israel from growing international calls for a ceasefire as the United Nations was set to hold another vote on Tuesday.
India's stance on the Israel-Hamas war
India has long called for early restoration of peace and expressed its opposition to all forms of terrorism and voted in favour of a ceasefire resolution introduced in the UN General Assembly earlier this month. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj noted an enormous humanitarian crisis and large-scale loss of human lives in Gaza.
"India has voted in favour of the resolution just adopted by the General Assembly. The situation that this August body has been deliberating upon has many dimensions. There is the terrorist attack in Israel on 7 October and the concern for the hostages taken at that time. There is an enormous humanitarian crisis and a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially of women and children. There is the issue of observing international humanitarian law in all circumstances. And there is the endeavour to find a peaceful and lasting two-state solution to the longstanding Palestine question," Kamboj said.
She said that India welcomes the unity of the international community in finding a common ground the address the multiple challenges faced by the region at the present time. Notably, PM Modi was among the first leaders to condemn the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people.
(with agency inputs)
