External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar has described the Hamas attack on Israel, that occurred on October 7, as a terrorist act. He made these remarks during a session of the Senate's External Affairs and Defence Commission in Rome.
Jaishankar emphasized the need to address the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine while condemning terrorism. He expressed the view that a solution to the Palestinian issue should involve a two-state solution, reached through dialogue and negotiation, rather than conflict and terrorism.
"What happened on October 7 is a big act of terrorism and the subsequent happenings after that...this has taken the entire region into a very different direction. But surely it must be everybody's hope that eventually, the conflict cannot be the normal in the region...that it comes back to some stability, some cooperation. within this, we have to find a balance in between different issues... we all find terrorism unacceptable and we have to stand up on terrorism," Jaishankar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
"But there is also an issue of Palestine. There has to be a solution to the problems being faced by the Palestinian people. And our view is that it has to be a two-state solution. If you have to find a solution, you have to find it through dialogue and negotiation. You cannot find a solution through conflict and terrorism,” he added.
India, in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, maintained a balanced stance against terrorism and expressed support for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine. Prime Minister Modi was one of the early global leaders to condemn the Hamas terror attack and show solidarity with Israel. In the United Nations General Assembly, India abstained from voting on a resolution calling for a truce in Gaza, as it did not explicitly mention Hamas and did not condemn the attack.
S. Jaishankar also acknowledged the challenges faced by the world in recent years, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, setbacks in achieving sustainable development goals, financial and economic crises in various countries, and the global repercussions of the Ukraine war. He emphasized the turbulent times ahead and the importance of finding a balance in addressing complex and difficult situations.
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