Shringla for peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine

New Delhi, August 30

On a day when Israeli fighter jets attacked suspected Hamas sites over the release of “fire balloons” in Gaza Strip, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India was fully supportive of efforts to restart peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

Speaking during a discussion at the UN Security Council on the Middle East on Monday, which he also presided over, the Foreign Secretary said a high-level interaction between Israel and Palestine would create a better environment for direct peace negotiations.

“We hope for early negotiations to resolve all final status issues and achieve a two-state solution,” he said, given India’s “longstanding and firm commitment for a sovereign independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security”.

Hinting at Israel setting up settlements in Palestinian area in violation of international law, he urged both sides from engaging in unilateral actions that undermined the viability of the two-state solution. — TNS