India on Friday said it joined more than 100 countries and international organizations in a statement condemning Israel’s moves to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank, as it is in line with New Delhi’s long-standing position of supporting the two-state solution and the rights of the Palestinian people.
India was not included in the statement initially issued by Palestine’s envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, on Tuesday, with the support of more than 80 countries and organizations. On Wednesday, the Indian side, along with about 20 countries and organizations, signed a criticism of Israel’s moves to expand its control over areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly press conference that the document was not negotiated by countries and organizations, as is usually the case at the United Nations. “Our position on this particular issue was recently expressed in the India-Arab League joint ministerial statement,” he said.
The India-Arab League ministerial meeting, held on January 31, saw both sides affirm their commitment to a “just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East”, in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The joint statement issued after the meeting said: “They called for the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, living side by side in peace with Israel. Both parties supported the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
Jaiswal said that in line with the position outlined in the joint statement, India joined the Palestinian initiative, “keeping in mind the concerns addressed in the statement.”
He added: “Let me also point out that a number of countries similarly joined it after the statement was issued.”
This statement came less than a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Israel from February 24 to 25. Modi will meet his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to review bilateral relations, and the two sides are expected to sign several agreements in areas ranging from technology to security.
The statement, which was supported by countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, and organizations such as the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, rejected “all measures aimed at changing the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.”
The countries affirmed their commitment to “take concrete measures” in line with UN resolutions and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued in July 2024, which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank.
Israel has intensified its military operations in the West Bank since it launched its war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023 in response to terrorist attacks launched by Hamas. The operations included arrests, displacement, and expansion of settlements, and Palestinian officials said that the goal was to change the facts on the ground. At least 1,114 Palestinians were killed and 22,000 were arrested in the West Bank.
Jaiswal also said that India attended a meeting of President Donald Trump’s peace council in Washington on February 19 as an “observer.” He said that India supports Trump’s Gaza peace plan and the ongoing efforts under UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
