In light of Ireland, Norway, and Spain’s recent recognition of Palestine, India reiterated its long-standing stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Thursday. Spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal emphasised India’s longstanding backing of Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution.
When asked about the coordinated decision by Spain, Ireland, and Norway to formally recognise Palestine, Jaiswal, at a weekly press briefing, said, “As you are aware, India was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine in the late 1980s, and we have long supported a two-state solution which entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable, and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace.”
The European countries think that by recognising Palestine, worldwide efforts to bring about peace will be sparked.
“We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process. However, we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive,” Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a statement, urging Israel to “stop the humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.
While Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that recognition was “essential” for peace, Norway’s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide celebrated the development as “a special day for Norway-Palestine relations.”
Sanchez emphasised that the action was the only way to ensure that two states would continue to coexist “in peace and security” and that it was “not against anyone, least of all Israel”.
Israel has consistently denounced the ruling, claiming it supports Hamas, the violent Islamic organisation that spearheaded the horrific attack on Israel on October 7 that started the conflict in the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas.
“Sanchez, when you… recognize a Palestinian state, you are complicit in incitement to genocide against the Jewish people and in war crimes,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Tuesday.
India also conveyed its profound sorrow on the tragic deaths of civilians in the Rafah camp.
“The heartbreaking loss of civilian lives in the displacement camp in Rafah is a matter of deep concern. We have consistently called for the protection of the civilian population and respect for international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict,” Jaiswal said, noting that the Israeli side has already accepted responsibility and announced an investigation into the incident.
The city of Rafah in southern Gaza has been the target of Israeli strikes that have drawn strong criticism. At least 45 Palestinians were killed in the attacks, according to local health officials. Many of the victims were displaced people whose tents were set on fire on Sunday.
On social media, the tragedy has sparked a wave of indignation and unity, with tens of millions of people sharing the hashtag “All eyes on Rafah” as a result.
