India’s evolving ties with Israel, PalestineOn the morning of October 7, the world was taken aback by surprising Hamas attack on Israel. Thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip, and Hamas fighters entered Israeli ‘territory’ by land and sea, killing hundreds of Israeli forces. The action triggered a war between Hamas and Israel, in which Palestinians living in Gaza, mostly children, have become the biggest casualty. So far, the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen over 5,000.
Soon after the Hamas attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Israel. He was quick to post on X: “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel.On October 13, nearly six days after the conflict broke out, India released its first official statement on Palestine saying there was a “universal obligation to uphold humanitarian principles.”