S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, on Wednesday said that what happened on October 7 in Israel was terrorism but nobody could deny that Palestinians have been denied their home.
In an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Jaishankar said, “Nobody would, you know, countenance the deaths of innocent civilians. Countries may be justified at least in their own minds and response, but you cannot have a response which does not take into account something called international humanitarian law.”
He added, “And the fact is, that whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue, there is the underlying issue of the rights of the Palestinians and the fact that they have been denied their homeland.”
On October 7, Hamas militants launched an attack in southern Israel, killing and abducting scores of its citizens. It has since then escalated into a full-fledged war in Gaza. Israel said it would continue the offensive until all hostages are released and Hamas is destroyed.
Jaishankar’s statements come just a day after former US President Donald Trump said that the attack on Israel was “one of the saddest things” but the country must put an end to the war.
“That being said, you have to finish up your war. You have to finish it up, you got to get it done,” he said in an interview with newspaper Israel Hayom.
Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India has also talked to Russians “very frankly and bluntly” on their war with Ukraine and the solution can not be found on the battlefield.
“At the end of the day, every party and a lot of innocent bystanders or other nations also get ruined or affected. One way or the other by conflict. So, our position has been here to find a way of bringing this conflict to an end,” he said, adding that “very honestly, in some circles, this was not a very popular position at that time”.
During his address, Jaishankar also said that India and Malaysia are by nature “pluralistic”. He also held a round-table meeting with various chief executive officers in Malaysia.
In a post on social media platform X, he wrote, “Glad to hear about growing interest in partnering with Indian industries. Encouraged them to join in India’s growth story. Discussed geopolitical developments that can provide more opportunities in India-Malaysia business interactions.”
Jaishankar is in Kuala Lumpur on the last leg of his three-nation tour to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia.
(With agency inputs)
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Published: 27 Mar 2024, 11:00 PM IST