India on May 30 reaffirmed its long standing position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the recent recognition of Palestine by Ireland, Norway, and Spain. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted India’s historical support for Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution.
When asked about the coordinated decision by Spain, Ireland, and Norway to formally recognise Palestine, Jaiswal, at a weekly press briefing, said, “As you are aware, India was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine in the late 1980s, and we have long supported a two-state solution which entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable, and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace.”
The European nations hope their recognition of Palestine will galvanise international efforts towards peace.
“We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process. However, we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive,” Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement, urging Israel to “stop the humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.
Norway’s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the move as “a special day for Norway-Palestine relations” while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said recognition was “essential” for peace. Sanchez insisted the move was “not against anyone, least of all Israel” and the only way to secure a future of two states living side-by-side “in peace and security”.
Israel has repeatedly condemned the decision, saying it bolsters Hamas, the militant Islamist group that led the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip.
“Sanchez, when you… recognize a Palestinian state, you are complicit in incitement to genocide against the Jewish people and in war crimes,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X.
India also expressed deep concern over the recent loss of civilian lives in the displacement camp in Rafah.
“The heartbreaking loss of civilian lives in the displacement camp in Rafah is a matter of deep concern. We have consistently called for the protection of the civilian population and respect for international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict,”
Jaiswal said, noting that the Israeli side has already accepted responsibility and announced an investigation into the incident.
The Israeli strikes on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, have sparked widespread condemnation. Local health officials reported that the strikes killed at least 45 Palestinians, including many displaced individuals living in tents that were set ablaze on May 26.
The incident has led to a surge of outrage and solidarity on social media, with the hashtag “All eyes on Rafah” gaining traction and being shared by tens of millions worldwide.
When did the attack occur?
On May 26, the airstrike happened at a camp for displaced people in Rafah, reported Reuters. This came after Hamas launched rockets in the Tel Aviv area.
After the incident, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) shared a post on X and wrote, “Gaza has become hell on earth. Families continue to seek refuge, trying to escape war, but there is no such thing as a safe place in the Gaza Strip. No one is safe: not civilians, not aid workers, no one has been spared. We need a #CeasefireNow”.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said that the strikes “claimed the lives of 35 martyrs and left dozens injured, most of them children and women”. Later, it was found that 45 civilians were killed in the attack.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that the attack was based on “precise intelligence” against “legitimate targets under international law”. They added that it killed two “senior” Hamas officials.
Global outrage
This attack has triggered a global outrage, with many condemning it and several demanding a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Last year, Hamas entered Israel through the Gaza border through a deadly attack that killed hundreds. The group now controls the polity.
The attack on Rafah was two days after a ruling by the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ), where the court ordered Israel to halt its attack on the city.
“Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” ICJ President Judge Nawaf Salam said in the order. The order got the support of 13 of 15 judges.
When did this war start?
It started on October 7, 2023, after Hamas attacked southern Israel, resulting in the death of hundreds of people, mostly civilians. The group also took several people hostage. Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed and injured thousands of people.
