Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Reiterating India’s time-tested policy of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its formats, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas was an “act of terrorism,” as he emphasized a two-state solution on the Palestinian issue for ushering in peace in the Middle East.
Referring to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, Dr. Jaishankar said that while terrorism is “unacceptable,” the world should also find a solution for resolving the Palestinian issue.
Addressing an event under the auspices of the Republic of Italy’s Senate in Rome, on Thursday, he said, “What happened on October 7 was a big act of terrorism, the subsequent acts happening after that. This has taken the entire region in 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.”
Dr. Jaishankar noted that a balance should 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 the 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,” he asserted.
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.
After the October 7 attack of Hamas on Israel, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi reiterated India’s position. “India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders side by side at peace with Israel. That position remains the same.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among 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 to enter Israel from the Gaza Strip and carried out a horrific terror attack killing more than 1,400 people and taking over 250 people as hostages, including many foreigners.
In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting the terror hideouts and units of Hamas. According to the health ministry in Gaza, more than 8,000 people have so far been killed in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. The region is also reeling under a humanitarian crisis and rights groups have called for much more aid than what is coming in currently.