India has always supported formation of Palestine: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), on Thursday, said that it supports the formation of an independent state of Palestine. "India always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations toward establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. This is India's first remark on Palestine since Hamas' rocket strikes on Israel.
There is obligation to observe humanitarian laws: Bagchi
Shashi Tharoor says Hamas is not Palestine
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that India's stand on the Israel-Palestine issue was not "comprehensive" and that Hamas does not represent Palestine. "India has taken a stand unambiguously on the side of Israelis who have been subjected to this unjust...inhumane attack by the Hamas. But there is a broader picture that seems to be missing from the traditional Indian position."
Death toll crosses 3,000
Since Hamas' initial attack on Israel last Saturday, at least 3,000 people have been killed. Out of those killed, 22 are United States (US) citizens, while 21 have been reported to be Thai citizens. Per the BBC, over 1,100 Gaza residents have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. On Thursday, Israel launched an airstrike on two Syrian airports following shelling on its northern border.
India's changing stance on Israel-Palestine conflict
India, under PM Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the last countries to officially recognize the state of Israel. While the Jewish state was formed on May 14, 1948, it only got India's approval on September 17, 1950. India has adopted a friendlier approach toward Israel in recent times, specifically under PM Narendra Modi, who became the first Indian PM to visit Israel in 2017.
