India on Friday said it had joined more than 100 countries and international organisations in a statement condemning Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank, asserting that the move was consistent with New Delhi’s long-standing support for a two-state solution and the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that India’s decision to associate with the statement aligned with positions articulated in the recent India–Arab League ministerial joint declaration.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the document was not negotiated in the conventional manner at the United Nations but reflected concerns that India has consistently raised. “Our position on this particular issue was most recently expressed in the India-Arab League ministerial joint statement,” he said at a weekly media briefing.
The joint statement issued after the January 31 India-Arab League meeting reaffirmed commitment to a “just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East” based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. It supported the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine based on 1967 borders, living side by side in peace with Israel.
India was not among the initial signatories when Palestine’s UN envoy circulated the statement earlier this week. However, New Delhi subsequently associated itself with the document, joining several other countries and organisations that did so after its release.
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The statement rejected measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and status of Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and reiterated support for concrete steps in line with UN resolutions and a July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice declaring Israel’s occupation illegal.
The development comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Israel on February 24–25, where he is expected to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and review bilateral cooperation across key sectors.
Jaiswal also said India recently attended a meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington as an observer and continues to support diplomatic efforts under relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
India has historically maintained close ties with both Israel and Palestine, balancing strategic cooperation with Tel Aviv while reiterating support for Palestinian statehood.
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