S Jaishankar’s First Contact With Arab World After Hamas Attacked Israel

In the first outreach from India with the Arab world following the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday discussed the “crisis” in West Asia with his counterpart from the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The two foreign ministers deliberated on the evolving situation during a phone conversation. Jaishankar is currently on a visit to Sri Lanka.

“Spoke to Foreign Minister @ABZayed of UAE this evening. Discussed the ongoing crisis in West Asia. Agreed to stay in touch,” the external affairs minister posted on X.

The multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left around 2,150 people dead.

The Israeli authorities said more than 1,200 people, including 155 soldiers, have been killed in Israel while the Palestinian side put the death toll in Gaza at 950.

In a statement on October 7, the foreign ministry of UAE called for exercising utmost restraint and an immediate ceasefire.

The sudden escalation in hostilities between Israel and Palestine has triggered global concerns. Leading powers like Germany, the US, France and the UK emphasised the importance of preventing the situation from further escalation.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that people of India stand firmly with his country in this difficult hour, expressing strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Netanyahu called up Modi to update him on the ongoing situation.

“The prime minister expressed deep condolences and sympathy for those killed and wounded as a result of the terrorist attacks in Israel and conveyed that people of India stand in solidarity with Israel in this difficult hour,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

“He reiterated that India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” it said.

India’s response to the escalating conflict so far has been limited to the MEA’s readout on the phone conversation between the two prime ministers as well as Modi’s tweets.

The MEA has not yet commented on the conflict.

In the past, it said New Delhi is committed to supporting all efforts to resume direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to achieve a two-state solution.

“Our position on the Palestine question has been clear and consistent. We are committed to supporting all efforts to resume direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to achieve a two-state solution,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said in April following violence at al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem.

In a related development, the MEA on Wednesday said it has set up a round-the-clock control room in Delhi and separate emergency helplines in Tel Aviv and Ramallah to monitor the situation in Israel and Palestine and to provide information and assistance to the Indian citizens.

Around 18,000 Indian nationals are living in Israel and there have been no reports of any casualties among them.

“In view of the ongoing developments in Israel and Palestine, a 24-hour control room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance,” the MEA said.

Following the escalation in the situation, the Indian embassy in Israel issued an advisory asking Indian citizens to exercise caution.

“In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities,” it said.