India vehemently denounced the terrorist attack, but the two-state solution must also be the main priority: Jaishankar

Geneva India underlined on Monday that the Gaza conflict is a “great concern” and that a lasting solution to the humanitarian crisis resulting from conflicts is needed to provide immediate relief to those who are most affected. Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council’s 55th session, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed his hope that the conflict would not escalate either inside or outside of the region and declared that terrorism and hostage-taking are intolerable.

India vehemently denounced the Hamas terror strike on October 7 of last year. He made this statement during his speech via video link from New Delhi: “At the same time, we must be clear that terrorism and hostage-taking are unacceptable.” He asserted that respect for international humanitarian law must never waver.

“It is imperative that the conflict stays contained within or outside the region,” he stated, stressing that efforts should also be directed toward achieving a two-state solution that would allow Palestinians to coexist with Israelis.

India’s stance in the Israel-Hamas conflict Earlier this month, during an interactive session at the Munich Security Conference, Jaishankar emphasized India’s long-standing stance on the Palestine issue. “India has, undoubtedly, long supported a two-state solution. We have held that position for many years, and I believe that many more nations around the world now agree that finding a two-state solution is not only important, but also urgently needed,” he stated.

In response to Hamas militants’ historic October 7 attack on Israeli cities, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza. Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas, and over 220 others were abducted; some of the hostages were freed during a brief ceasefire. Authorities in Gaza report that the Israeli offensive has killed close to 30,000 people. India has been advocating for the de-escalation of the situation and setting up the groundwork for an early start to direct peace talks aimed at resolving the Palestine conflict between two states.