{"id":347754,"date":"2025-10-10T18:51:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T13:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=347754"},"modified":"2025-10-12T10:20:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T04:50:34","slug":"india-has-stakes-in-gazas-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-has-stakes-in-gazas-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"India has stakes in Gaza\u2019s peace"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of a US-backed ceasefire framework. Key actors\u2014the PA, EU, and major Arab states\u2014offer cautious support; Israel\u2019s approval is reluctant, and Hamas questions disarmament. India welcomes the development and calls for a role in reconstruction India\u2019s choices now hinge on balancing its principles\u2014Palestinian sovereignty and humanitarian protection\u2014with practical cooperation that can stabilise Gaza and safeguard its own interests. <strong>AI for Inclusive Societal Development.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-347873\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?resize=419%2C278&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"AI for Inclusive Societal Development\" width=\"419\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?resize=1024%2C680&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>International Responses<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Support with conditions: <\/strong>The <strong>Palestinian Authority (PA)<\/strong>, the <strong>European Union (EU)<\/strong>, and <strong>Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE<\/strong> have offered <strong>cautious backing<\/strong>. Their main concern is the <strong>absence of a clear timeline for Israeli withdrawal<\/strong>, which affects sequencing and trust.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Israel: <\/strong>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offers reluctant support. He accepts the plan\u2019s first phase but faces resistance from right-wing partners who reject any Palestinian role in governance. This internal divide may slow decisions.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Hamas:<\/strong> Hamas signals willingness to engage in talks. It objects to the disarmament requirement. This reservation could challenge the demilitarisation track and the pace of implementation.<\/li>\n<li><strong> United Kingdom:<\/strong> Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes the first-phase deal. He urges immediate, full implementation and the removal of all limits on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>India\u2019s Position<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> India\u2019s stance: Prime Minister Narendra Modi<\/strong> calls the development <strong>\u201cdecisive progress\u201d<\/strong> and a <strong>\u201csignificant step forward.\u201d<\/strong> He speaks with <strong>President Trump<\/strong> and <strong>Prime Minister Netanyahu<\/strong>, welcoming <strong>hostage releases<\/strong> and <strong>humanitarian relief<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Since Oct 7, India has <strong>balanced condemnation of terrorism<\/strong> with <strong>support for Palestinian rights<\/strong>, consistent with its <strong>long-standing two-state, sovereignty-plus-security stance<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>India Could Play a Bigger Role Now<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Regional stakes<\/strong> : India\u2019s criticism after the <strong>Doha strike<\/strong> reflects <strong>changing international opinion<\/strong> and <strong>GCC concerns<\/strong>. With expanding links under the <strong>Abraham Accords<\/strong> and the <strong>India\u2013Middle East\u2013Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)<\/strong>, <strong>economic interdependence<\/strong> strengthens the incentive to <strong>coordinate with GCC partners<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Diplomatic space<\/strong> : There is <strong>precedent<\/strong> for active Indian involvement. <strong>China\u2019s critical stance<\/strong> on the plan creates a <strong>contrast<\/strong> that can widen space for <strong>constructive Indian participation<\/strong>, provided India stays aligned with its <strong>core principles<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Role in reconstruction: India\u2019s envoy to Israel<\/strong> suggests <strong>Indian participation in reconstruction<\/strong>, citing infrastructural expertise and ties with both <strong>Israel<\/strong> and the <strong>PA<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practical steps:<\/strong> India can support <strong>hostage\u2013detainee exchanges<\/strong>, push <strong>sustained humanitarian access<\/strong>, and pursue <strong>targeted investments<\/strong>that stabilise services. Coordination with the <strong>PA<\/strong>, <strong>EU<\/strong>, and key <strong>Arab states<\/strong>\u2014<strong>Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE<\/strong>\u2014can keep actions aligned and transparent.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>India\u2019s stakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Diaspora:<\/strong> Nearly <strong>90 lakh Indians<\/strong> live in the Middle East; stability safeguards communities, including <strong>18,000 in Israel<\/strong> and up to <strong>10,000 in Iran<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy:<\/strong> India relies heavily on Middle Eastern crude; reduced tensions can <strong>stabilise prices<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity and investment:<\/strong> Peace can <strong>encourage Arab investment<\/strong> and create space for projects like the <strong>India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>C<strong>oncern:<\/strong> <strong>Pakistan\u2019s visible role<\/strong> in the process is a <strong>strategic concern<\/strong> for New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>India\u2019s Historical Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Consistent diplomatic roles<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>In <strong>1947<\/strong>, <strong>Jawaharlal Nehru<\/strong> pushed for India\u2019s place on <strong>UNSCOP<\/strong>, backing a <strong>single federal state<\/strong> with Arab and Jewish provinces.<\/li>\n<li>India <strong>recognised Israel in 1950<\/strong>, yet sustained <strong>solidarity with Palestine<\/strong>, including <strong>UNRWA support since 1951<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>India <strong>recognised the State of Palestine in 1988<\/strong>, among the <strong>first non-Arab states<\/strong> to do so.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Peacekeeping and process participation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>India contributed major contingents to <strong>UNEF I and UNEF II<\/strong>, patrolling the <strong>Egypt\u2013Israel Sinai<\/strong> and taking <strong>casualties in May 1967<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>After establishing diplomatic ties with Israel in <strong>1992<\/strong> (to avoid exclusion from a widening peace process), India <strong>attended donor conferences and UN forums<\/strong> on Palestinian rights and provided <strong>developmental aid and technical training<\/strong> to the <strong>PA<\/strong> alongside <strong>strategic ties with Israel<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>India has stakes in Gaza\u2019s peace<\/strong> because security, <strong>economic interdependence with the GCC<\/strong>, and <strong>historic commitments<\/strong> converge. A <strong>careful, principle-first, reconstruction-focused<\/strong> role\u2014aligned with <strong>humanitarian law<\/strong>, <strong>Palestinian sovereignty<\/strong>, and <strong>mutual security<\/strong>\u2014can add value. <strong>Clarity on timelines<\/strong> and <strong>governance arrangements<\/strong> is essential. With these safeguards, India can help <strong>stabilise Gaza<\/strong>, <strong>support reconciliation<\/strong>, and <strong>protect its regional interests<\/strong> without worsening local labour dynamics or political fault lines.<\/p>\n<p>For detailed information on <strong>The course ahead for Trump\u2019s Gaza ceasefire plan<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/the-course-ahead-for-trumps-gaza-ceasefire-plan\/\">read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Discuss why India has stakes in Gaza\u2019s peace and how it could play a constructive role under the proposed ceasefire plan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: Indian Express<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of a US-backed ceasefire framework. Key actors\u2014the PA, EU, and major Arab states\u2014offer cautious support; Israel\u2019s approval is reluctant, and Hamas questions disarmament. India welcomes the development and calls for a role in reconstruction India\u2019s choices now hinge on balancing its principles\u2014Palestinian sovereignty and humanitarian protection\u2014with&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-has-stakes-in-gazas-peace\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">India has stakes in Gaza\u2019s peace<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":347873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[300,212,10500],"class_list":["post-347754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-governance","tag-gs-paper-2","tag-indian-express","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-for-Inclusive-Societal-Development.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}