Amidst the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in a phone conversation on Friday. During the call, Modi emphasized the need for de-escalation and the immediate release of hostages. He reiterated India’s call for continued humanitarian assistance for those affected by the conflict and urged a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
The two leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Israel Strategic Partnership. Notably, Netanyahu initiated the call to extend warm wishes to Modi on the occasion of India’s 78th Independence Day. They agreed to remain in touch moving forward.
The conflict in the region has been ongoing for 10 months, with devastating consequences for Gaza. Air strikes, artillery shelling, and severe shortages of essential supplies like medicine, food, and clean water have brought one of the world’s most densely populated areas to its knees.
On Tuesday, Hamas fired two rockets at Israel’s commercial hub, Tel Aviv, after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 19 Palestinians. This marked the first time since May that Hamas claimed to have launched rockets at Tel Aviv. While one of the rockets fell into the sea and the other did not reach Israeli territory, the incident served as a reminder of the ongoing volatility.
Israel maintains its commitment to avoiding civilian casualties, but accuses Hamas of using human shields. Meanwhile, the US has confirmed that ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday will proceed as planned, with an agreement still deemed possible. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Qatar, Egypt, and Israel for discussions on the matter. Israel has also pledged to send a delegation to finalize the details of a proposed agreement.
However, Hamas has insisted on a concrete plan for implementing the proposal presented by US President Joe Biden in May, rather than further negotiations.
