NEW DELHI: The charge d’affaires of the Palestinian embassy in India, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer on Thursday pointed out India’s potential to play a major role in providing humanitarian assistance to war-torn Gaza, and also called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s role for a long-term solution. This came after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas after more than a year of intense conflict.
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Speaking on Thursday, the Palestinian envoy expressed his appreciation for India’s involvement and highlighted the historical ties between India and Palestine. He mentioned Palestinians’ interest in seeing the “Indian flag in Gaza” as part of aid efforts.
“We are looking to India to play an important role in sending humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We are keen, we are interested, and we are looking to see the Indian flag in Gaza,” he said.
The Palestinian envoy Abu Jazer also attested to the mutual respect between the two countries, recalling their relationship, said, “We really appreciate and respect the involvement of India in the region and always encourage India to play an important role in achieving peace and prosperity. India and us, we are sharing a long and historic relationship, even before the independence.”
“And the second thing is it’s coming through our belief as Palestinians of all the world and all the partners in the area in the West Asia and the Middle East about the importance of this of the Indian country and about the respect of the Prime Minister Modi from all the leaders in the area,” he said.
He also praised PM Modi, describing him as a wise leader with strong regional connections, and expressed hope for India’s continued engagement in ensuring stability in West Asia.
“PM Modi is a wise man and he has a lot of experience and good connections and relationships with all the presidents and the prime ministers, and he’s always considering being in dialogue and in connection with these leaders. We hope also to use his personal effect with all partners to reach stabilities and prosperities in the area and to make the ceasefire long-term and to go for a new area,” the envoy added.
The comments came after a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas was announced. On Wednesday, Qatar, Egypt, and the US confirmed the agreement, set to take effect on January 19.
The deal involves a phased approach, including a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The US, represented by President Joe Biden, played a pivotal role in facilitating the agreement, which ends more than 15 months of conflict. The deal has been welcomed internationally, including by India, which hopes it will enable sustained humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The ministry of external affairs released a statement supporting the ceasefire and hostage release agreement. “We welcome the announcement of the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. We hope this will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza,” the statement read. The MEA reiterated India’s call for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.
The conflict that scaled to a full-fledged war after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 civilians and taking more than 250 hostages, with around 100 still in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a large-scale counteroffensive in Gaza, resulting in significant civilian casualties. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 45,000 people have been killed, more than half of them women and children. The situation has drawn international criticism over the high civilian toll.