Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
India

India always advocated direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel: MEA

Darpan News Desk IANS, 12 Oct, 2023 05:40 PM
  • India always advocated direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel: MEA

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) India on Thursday made it clear that in case of Palestine, it has always advocated resumption of direct negotiations for its peaceful coexistence with Israel, even as it sees the conflict in Israel as a terror attack.

"We have been very clear that we see it as a terrorist attack. As far as Palestine is concerned, India has advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing the sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised border side by side with Israel," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.

Addressing a flurry of questions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which got escalated last week after the Hamas group launched rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, Bagchi said that government's prime focus is to bring back 18,000 Indians stuck there.

"Our focus is to bring back Indians who want to come out of Israel. There are 18,000 Indians there, including students," he said, informing that the government has launched Operation Ajay to bring back Indian citizens from war-torn Israel.

"Yesterday, Operation Ajay was launched to facilitate our citizens who wish to come back. The first flight will reach Tel Aviv tonight and is likely to reach India tomorrow (Friday) with 230 people," Bagchi informed.

The spokesperson also informed that there are no casualties among Indians stuck in Israel, though one person has been injured.

"We are aware of one Indian who was injured. The person is in hospital. Thankfully, we have not heard of any Indian casualty," he informed. 

To questions on Indians stuck in Palestine, Bagchi said, "My understanding is that about a dozen-odd people are there in West Bank while 3-4 people are there in Gaza. The number is very small. Mostly, we have received requests (to rescue) from Israel."

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has kept its aircraft on stand-by in case there is a requirement to bring back Indian citizens from Israel, reports quoting IAF officials said. 

The IAF transport aircraft fleet includes the C-17 and IL-76 heavy-lift transport planes along with the C-130J Super Hercules Special Operations aircraft which have been used in the past for such evacuation operations, they added.

Replying to questions on reports saying that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is learnt to have met his Canadian counterpart, Bagchi said, "We have been in touch with Canadians at various levels, but we do not have any specific information regarding any particular interaction."

To a question on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raising the issue of his country's relations with India with other world leaders, Bagchi said, "We don't know really how will it help address the core issue of Canada giving space to terrorists and criminal elements.

"We would urge Canada to take more seriously their international obligations to provide security to our diplomats in their premises."

MORE India ARTICLES

Putin conveys inability to attend G20 summit to Modi, to send Foreign Minister

Putin conveys inability to attend G20 summit to Modi, to send Foreign Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who conveyed his inability to attend the G20 summit in New Delhi, which is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10. Putin informed Modi that Russia would be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 summit.

Putin conveys inability to attend G20 summit to Modi, to send Foreign Minister

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi shifted to Sabarmati Jail in Rs 195 cr drugs case

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi shifted to Sabarmati Jail in Rs 195 cr drugs case
Bishnoi was previously housed in Delhi's Tihar Jail but was subsequently handed over to the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in April this year. His arrest was linked to alleged drug smuggling activities with connections to Pakistan.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi shifted to Sabarmati Jail in Rs 195 cr drugs case

Lawrence Bishnoi aide among five thieves held in MP

Lawrence Bishnoi aide among five thieves held in MP
Madhya Pradesh police have arrested five persons in connection with a series of thefts in Indore. According to the police, one of the arrested happens to be an associate of Khalistan supporter Lawrence Bishnoi.

Lawrence Bishnoi aide among five thieves held in MP

Punjab Governor warns Chief Minister, seeks report on drugs

Punjab Governor warns Chief Minister, seeks report on drugs
Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for “breaking down the law and order situation in Punjab” and asked him to “immediately send him a report concerning the action taken by him on the rampant drug trade”. Warning the Chief Minister, he asked him to respond to his letters.

Punjab Governor warns Chief Minister, seeks report on drugs

Air quality monitoring van to be deployed in Punjab

Air quality monitoring van to be deployed in Punjab
Annoucing it on the sidelines of India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2023 in Bengaluru, Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman, Punjab State Pollution Control Board (PSPCB), said it was important for people to understand the air they were breathing 

Air quality monitoring van to be deployed in Punjab

India, Greece to elevate ties to strategic partnership level, says PM Modi

India, Greece to elevate ties to strategic partnership level, says PM Modi
India and Greece on Friday decided to elevate their relationship to a ‘strategic partnership’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Modi said that Mitsotakis and he agreed that the bilateral trade is rapidly growing and has immense potential for further growth.

India, Greece to elevate ties to strategic partnership level, says PM Modi