India terms Hamas assault on Israel a 'terror attack', but pushes for talks and two-state solution

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, October 12

India has termed the Hamas assault on Israel as a terrorist attack but called for direct negotiations to move towards a lasting solution of establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side with Israel.

The Indian position of a two-state solution is in line with its long standing and consistent position, added MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing on Thursday.

Asked if PM Modi in his conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that “today is not the era of war”, Bagchi said, “The PM raised some issues. The conversation stands on its own and doesn’t require any clarification.”

“I would add only one element. It is the international obligation to follow humanitarian law and global responsibility to fight international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he underlined.

Meanwhile, the first chartered flight to evacuate about 200 Indians under “Operation Ajay” has landed in Israel and will leave for India on Friday morning, informed Bagchi while requesting all Indians in Israel to register themselves with the embassy in Tel Aviv.

Describing the situation as “still evolving”, Bagchi said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a preparatory meeting with senior MEA officials earlier in the day and assured that a close watch was being kept on the development in order to help the Government take steps to assist Indian citizens in Israel. There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel of whom a small percentage are students.

Evacuation though is difficult for the four Indians in Gaza and about a dozen in the West Bank. “For the moment we have not received requests. There are constraints in evacuating them. We will try to help as far as possible,” said the MEA spokesperson.

Asked if the Indian Air Force will be deployed to evacuate citizens from Israel, Bagchi said, “all options on table” while recalling that IAF assistance was taken on earlier occasions. But as for now, the Government is depending on chartered flights. At least 20 nations have sent military or civilian flights to Israel. Some of them are taking Israeli reservists back to fight for the country but Bagchi did not think India was undertaking this type of “barter” arrangement.

South Block did not think that the conflict has cast a shadow on the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe corridor because the project is of a long term nature.