External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar amid signs of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. There have been a flurry of diplomatic engagements in the last few days for the proposed ceasefire and hostage release deal after months of deadlock in the negotiations between the two sides. Around 95 hostages are reportedly in the custody of Hamas in Gaza. "Pleased to speak to FM @gidonsaar of Israel today. Appreciate his briefing on the ongoing developments in the region. Also discussed our bilateral relations and efforts to strengthen them," Jaishankar said on 'X'. "Look forward to meeting in person," he said. The two foreign ministers understood to have also discussed the situation in Syria following the collapse of President Bashar Assad's regime 11 days back. Rebel forces overthrew Assad's authoritarian government on December 8 after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. Assad fled to Russia after the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus, marking the end of his family's 50-year rule. In its reaction, India pitched for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process in that country. "We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on December 9.
