Countries have right to respond to situations but should be mindful of civilian casualties: EAM on Israel-Palestine conflict

The minister also said India supports the two-state solution. On India’s position on the International Court of Justice’s warrant against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes, the minister said that “any decision passed by the ICC is not binding on us” as India is not its member.

Jaishankar was responding to questions and supplementaries asked by P P Suneer of the CPI, Tiruchi Siva of the DMK and Saket Gokhale of the TMC on India’s position on the Palestine issue.

“We do believe that countries have a right to respond to situations, but countries should be mindful of civilian casualties, they must observe humanitarian laws and we would like a ceasefire and early end to violence,” Jaishankar said.

Gokhale sought to know why India abstained from the resolution at the UN against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and what was India’s position on it. Siva asked why India abstained on the October 27, 2023 resolution at the UN regarding protection of civilians and upholding of legal and humanitarian obligations.

Jaishankar said that resolutions have implications and their wording is important. “For example, in the resolution regarding (humanitarian obligations) there was no reference to terrorism, there was no reference to hostage taking, so in our mind, a resolution which does not reflect the entirety of the resolution is not a balanced resolution.”

“A country like India which is itself a victim of terrorism, if we countenance the fact that terrorism is underplayed and ignored, it is not in our interest that we do so, so we look at any resolution, we look at the wording we take a very mature view about it and I want to say as a matter of principle, we condemn terrorism, we condemn hostage taking,” he explained.

Responding to supplementaries on the aid sent to Palestine, Jaishankar said that India has sent humanitarian aid to Palestine through the United Nations Relief Work and Works Agency (UNRWA) making an annual contribution of $5 million. India sent 70 metric tonnes of aid, of which 16.5 was medicine, to Palestine in 2023.

“In October and November 2024, we sent close to 65 tonnes of life-saving medicines to UNRWA and Palestinian Ministry of Health,” the minister’s written statement tabled in the House stated.

“Regarding our support and contribution to the UNRWA, this is a decision we took as a government and we continue to stand by that decision and in fact we have just released the latest tranche through the UNRWA,” he added.

“Regarding the two-state solution, we supported the two-state solution. We have been public and unambiguous about that. There should be no cause for confusion regarding a two-state solution,” the Union minister said.

On India’s position on the International Court of Justice’s warrant against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas leader for war crimes, the minister said, “India is not a member of the International Criminal Court. When the International Criminal Court was constituted, the question of our membership was considered. For very good reason and after a great deal of deliberation, India decided not to become a member. With regard to any decision passed by the ICC, it is not binding on us.” (With PTI)