- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
The Indian PM’s reaction in the wake of the blast in the hospital came when Israel and Palestine blamed each other over who was responsible for the strike that killed hundreds.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (18) condemned the horrific strike on a hospital in Gaza the day before, killing hundreds of people.
In a post on X, Modi, who was one of the first world leaders to react to the October 7 strikes by Hamas on Israel calling the act a terrorist one, said he was “Deeply shocked” by the deaths and extended condolences to the families of those killed.
Modi reiterated India’s support for Israel last week following a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu even though his political opponents such as the Left and the Indian National Congress also spoke in favour of the Palestinians while criticising the attacks on Israel. The Indian external affairs ministry later spoke in favour of an ‘independent’ Palestine state peacefully co-existing with Israel.
Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured.
Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2023
The Indian leader’s reaction in the wake of the blast in the hospital came when Israel and Palestine blamed each other over who was responsible for the strike. Modi called for those involved in the attack to be held responsible.
“Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured. Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. Those involved should be held responsible,” the PM said on X.
His post also came at nearly the same time as US president Joe Biden reached Israel on a visit to show solidarity with the Jewish state. He will also visit Jordan.
On October 7, soon after Hamas launched several thousand rockets at Israel and carried out a multi-pronged attack by land, air and sea, Modi had said he was “deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel” and expressed New Delhi’s solidarity with the country.
Speaking to India’s NDTV, Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon had referred to Modi’s statement and said New Delhi’s quick condemnation of Hamas’s attacks earned it a right to be on the table when it comes to finding a solution to the current crisis.
The Indian government also launched a mission named ‘Operation Ajay’ last week to evacuate its nationals stranded in Israel and has reportedly brought home 1,000 of them.
