Denial of Palestinians their land, rights root cause, two nations is the solution: Jaishankar

Kuala Lumpur: “The Palestinians have been denied their homeland," said India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, citing it as the root cause of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, and reiterating the country’s historic stand advocating a two-nation solution.

Jaishankar addressed the issue during an interaction with the Indian community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he condemned the October 7 attack as an act of terrorism while acknowledging the underlying issue of Palestinian rights, emphasizing the rights of Palestinians and the humanitarian imperative to protect civilian lives.

Jaishankar's remarks come amidst escalating violence in the region, with the Israeli bombardment of Gaza resulting in the deaths of over 32,000 Gazans, primarily civilian women and children. While condemning terrorism, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law and finding a sustainable solution to the conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously condemned the Hamas attack in October 2023, expressing solidarity with Israel. However, India has continued to advocate for a ceasefire and dialogue to resolve the conflict, throwing its support behind the two-state solution.

Speaking in Singapore, Jaishankar highlighted ongoing efforts by several countries to address the crisis and stressed India's support for finding a permanent solution. He emphasized the need to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians and reiterated India's commitment to a two-state solution as the path forward.

"We are in a situation today where clearly, the need is to find a way of delivering humanitarian aid to a civilian population on a sustainable basis," Jaishankar stated. "But beyond that, I think there is a larger, longer-term issue really. What do you do on a more permanent basis? And we are very clear that we have to find a two-state solution."

India's reaffirmation of support for a two-state solution reflects its commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, emphasizing the rights of all parties involved in the conflict.