United Nations:

Describing the continuing humanitarian crisis due to the Israel-Hamas conflict as “deeply concerning”, India has reiterated its call for de-escalation, emphasising a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Delivering India’s statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East, Charge d’Affaires and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN Ambassador R Ravindra said that India was among the countries which strongly and unequivocally condemned the terror attacks on Israel on October 7 last year.

He was referring to the deadly attack by Gaza-based Hamas militants in Israel.

“It has been nine months since the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the continuing humanitarian crisis is deeply concerning,” Ravindra said on Wednesday.

“We have also condemned the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict,” he said, adding that India has called for de-escalation and emphasised peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

India reiterated the call for an immediate, full and complete ceasefire; safe, timely and sustained humanitarian assistance and unrestricted access to relief and essential humanitarian services in the Gaza Strip.

India also called for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. “Towards this end, we appreciate the role played by countries in the region, particularly Qatar and Egypt,” Mr Ravindra said.

He told the UN Security Council that India’s leadership has continued to engage with the leadership of both Israel and Palestine.

“We have consistently reiterated our position in all the relevant multilateral forums,” he said, adding that India stands for peace and stability in the region.

It has been India’s long-standing position that it supports a two-state solution, which entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace with due regard to the security needs of Israel.

India’s developmental assistance to Palestine in various forms over the years amounts to close to USD 120 million, including USD 35 million as a contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

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New York:

India at the United Nations has reiterated its call for an immediate and complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called for the release of the hostages without any conditions.

Delivering his remarks at the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) Open Debate on the Middle East on Wednesday, India’s Deputy Representative to the UN, R Ravindra, also underlined that India’s developmental assistance to Palestine, in various forms over the years, is close to USD 120 million.

“India was among the countries which strongly and unequivocally condemned the terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. We have also condemned the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. We have called for restraint, de-escalation and emphasized peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said

#IndiaAtUN

Ambassador R. Ravindra, Chargé d’Affaires & DPR, delivered India’s statement at the UNSC Open Debate on the Middle East today. pic.twitter.com/PTat4Z0PfB

— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) July 17, 2024

He urged adherence to international law and international humanitarian law under all circumstances.

“We reiterate the call for an immediate, full and complete ceasefire, safe, timely and sustained humanitarian assistance and unrestricted access to relief and essential humanitarian services in the Gaza Strip. In addition, we also call for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Ambassador R Ravindra said.

He also appreciated the role of countries like Qatar and Egypt for their continued engagement with the leadership of Israel and Palestine.

“We have consistently reiterated our position in all the relevant multilateral fora,” he added.

India stands for peace and stability in the region. “It has been our longstanding position that we support a two-state solution that entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable and independent state of Palestine within recognized and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace. With due regard to the security needs of Israel, India was represented at the senior level at the International High-Level Conference on Urgent humanitarian response to Gaza held in Jordan last month,” the Ambassador said.

He also underlined that India’s developmental assistance to Palestine, in various forms over the years, amounts close to USD 120 million.

“Our developmental assistance to Palestine in various forms over the years amounts close to USD 120 million, including USD 35 million as a contribution to UNRWA. India has been providing an annual contribution of USD 5 million since 2018 to UNRWA. We have already announced the disbursement of USD 2.5 million. The first trans of our annual contribution to UNRWA was transferred early this week on July 15, 2024,” he added.

Concluding his remarks, he stated that India stands ready to continue its engagement with the region with an abiding faith in realizing the vision of sustained peace and stability in West Asia.

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United Nations:

Calling for a reform of the UN Security Council, India has cautioned against its peacekeeping mandates as “not representative of current realities”.

Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka said: “We call for caution on any activity that is rooted in authorisation from a Security Council that is not representative of current realities.”

In his address at the UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS) here recently, he said that because it is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, “it is important that the Security Council is a reformed body with an expansion of membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories”.

He pointed out the imbalance in the regional imbalance in its membership “given that more than half of the Security Council’s work is focused on Africa”.

India, he said, has been consistently calling for greater representation of Africa in line with the African Union’s two signature documents, the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, that demand increasing the continent’s membership of the Council in the elected category and giving it at least two permanent seats.

He said that the nature of armed conflicts where peacekeepers operate changed with the involvement of “non-State Armed Groups” – diplomatic speak that includes terrorists.

Their involvement has “increasingly exposed peacekeeping operations to regional and global dynamics that undermine their efforts to implement their mandate”, he said.

Deka criticised the current peacekeeping system where the mandates from the Council are not clear, the resources given to peacekeeping operations are inadequate, and there are no definitive exit strategies for ending missions, endangering the safety of peacekeepers.

“There are divergences in interpretation of mandates between various stakeholders, which results in inadequacy of mandate delivery as well as a threat to the safety of our peacekeepers,” he said.

Deka added that it is “extremely important that there is continuous and effective coordination between the UN leadership, host nation as well as Troop/Police Contributing countries” from the drafting of the Council mandates till ending missions with an exit strategy.

The peacekeeping operations should also be given adequate resources, he said.

There were 151 Indian police in UN peacekeeping operations, while 5,384 troops were deployed, according to UN statistics.

Historically, India has been the biggest contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.

Deka, who was given a year’s extension in the top Intelligence Bureau position last month, criticised “the fallacy of solutions being imposed from outside” and said: “India has always stressed that there can be no substitute for national efforts in creating an environment where civilians are secure.”

“The eroding support of host nations to the presence of peacekeepers is a reflection of the failure to address the root causes of conflict,” he added.

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Amid Israel’s military action in Gaza against Hamas, India has strongly condemned the civilian deaths in the ongoing conflict and said that the resulting humanitarian crisis in the region is “simply unacceptable.”

“The conflict in Gaza has been going on for over seven months, and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered has been increasing. There is also the potential for growing instability in the region and beyond. In this context, we view the UNSC’s adoption of resolution 2728 as a positive step,” India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said at the 10th UNGA Emergency Special Session on Palestine.

ALSO READ | Indian UN Staff Member Killed In Gaza: Report

“India’s position on the conflict has been clearly articulated on more than one occasion by our leadership: One, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone under all circumstances,” she added.

Highlighting the October 7 attack on Israel, Ms Kamboj also asserted that the Hamas attack on Israel also deserves equivocal condemnation of the forum and that there is no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking.

#IndiaAtUN

Statement by the Permanent Representative at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Palestine today.

Statement: https://t.co/0eCQmiGdwWpic.twitter.com/h8WivNX7kv

— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) May 13, 2024

“The terror attacks in Israel on 7 October were shocking, and they deserve our unequivocal condemnation. There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking. India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” she said.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must be scaled up immediately to avert a further deterioration in the situation. We urge all parties to come together in this endeavour. We welcome the efforts of the UN and the international community in this regard. India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so. We note the recent facilitation of greater flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza by the Israeli authorities,” she added.

ALSO READ | In US Shocker, Senator Suggests Israel Should Be Allowed To Nuke Gaza

Reiterating India’s stand on the two-state solution of the matter, she also urged the conflicting parties to engage as soon as possible for direct peace negotiations.

“My leadership has repeatedly emphasized that only a Two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace,” she said.

“India is committed to supporting a Two-State solution where the Palestinian people can live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel. To arrive at a lasting solution, we urge all parties to foster conditions conducive to resuming direct peace negotiations at an early date,” she added.

Additionally, India also reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian bid for full membership at the United Nations and hoped that the respective application of Palestine would be reconsidered by the forum.

“In keeping with our longstanding position, we support the membership of Palestine at the UN and therefore, we have voted in favour of this Resolution. We hope that Palestine’s application will be reconsidered by the Security Council in due course and that Palestine’s endeavour to become a member of the UN will get endorsed,” she said.

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United Nations:

India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan and co-sponsored by China on Islamophobia, asserting that the prevalence of “religiophobia” against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out just one religion.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’, introduced by Pakistan on Friday, with 115 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj voiced condemnation of all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia but asserted that it is crucial to acknowledge that such phobias extend beyond Abrahamic religions.

“Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the emergence of contemporary forms of religiophobia, particularly anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh sentiments,” she said, in an explanation of India’s position on the resolution.

India stressed that the adoption of the resolution should not establish a precedent that could result in numerous resolutions centred on phobias tied to specific religions, “potentially dividing the United Nations into religious camps.” “It is crucial for the UN to maintain its stance above such religious concerns, which have the potential to fragment us rather than unite us under the banner of peace and harmony, embracing the world as one global family,” Kamboj said.

India called on all member states to consider the broader scope of religious discrimination that persists globally.

“While the issue of Islamophobia is undoubtedly significant, we must acknowledge that other religions are also facing discrimination and violence. Allocating resources solely to combat Islamophobia, while neglecting similar challenges faced by other faiths, might inadvertently perpetuate a sense of exclusion and inequality,” she said.

Kamboj told the UN General Assembly that “it is crucial to recognise” that Hinduism, with over 1.2 billion followers, Buddhism with more than 535 million and Sikhism with over 30 million followers worldwide, are all subject to religiophobia.

“It is time that we acknowledge the prevalence of religiophobia, rather than single out just one,” she said.

Kamboj said the contemporary forms of religiophobia are evident in the increasing attacks on religious places of worship such as gurudwaras, monasteries and temples, as well as the spreading of hatred and disinformation against non-Abrahamic religions in many countries.

“The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, violations of gurudwara premises, massacres of Sikh pilgrims in gurudwaras, attacks on temples, and the glorification of breaking idols in temples all contribute to the rise of contemporary forms of religiophobia against non-Abrahamic religions,” she said.

The destruction of the giant Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan by the Taliban in March 2001 led to global condemnation.

Kamboj underlined that India stands against all forms of religiophobia, be it antisemitism, Christianophobia, or Islamophobia, as “we stand against all anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh sentiments.” The resolution condemned the incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against Muslims as manifested in the increasing number of incidents of desecration of their holy book, attacks on mosques, sites and shrines and other acts of religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, hatred and violence against Muslims.

It also requested UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a United Nations Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.

India said it “in principle” is opposed to the creation of the post of a Special Envoy on the basis of a single religion, she said.

Kamboj pointed out that the substantial budgetary implications of establishing such a position “prompt us to pause and reflect on whether this is the most effective use of resources. Could we not achieve greater impact through a more inclusive approach that addresses religious discrimination in its entirety?” She underscored that India’s rich history as a pluralistic and democratic nation, embracing diverse religions, has long served as a refuge for those persecuted for their faith.

“Whether Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jews, or adherents of any other belief, they have consistently found in India a sanctuary free from persecution or discrimination,” she said.

Prior to adopting the resolution, the Assembly rejected two amendments to the draft introduced by Belgium on behalf of the EU. India voted in favour of both the amendments.

One amendment proposed changes in the resolution’s language to remove references to the desecration of the Quran.

The other amendment would have called for the appointment of a “United Nations focal point, within existing structures and resources, to combat anti-Muslim discrimination” instead of a UN special envoy.

The General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2022 proclaiming March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in the wake of the 2019 mass shootings in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that had killed over 50 people.

In his remarks to mark the day, Guterres said that around the world, there is a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate and bigotry in many forms such as structural and systemic discrimination, unequal immigration policies, unwarranted surveillance and profiling and restrictions in accessing citizenship, education, employment and justice.

The UN chief also voiced concern over “supremacist ideologies and attacks” against Jews, minority Christian communities and many others. “Hatred of one group fuels hatred of another. Hate normalises hate. Hate destroys the fabric of our societies,” he said. PTI YAS AMS AKJ AMS

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New York:

India is committed to support a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country, with due regard to the security needs of Israel, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj has said.

Delivering an address at the United Nations General Assembly Meeting on the Use of Veto on Monday, Ms Kamboj said that India’s position on the conflict has been clear and has been stated on several occasions.

“Only a Two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace. India is committed to support a Two-State solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel,” Ms Kamboj said.

Urging for immediate de-escalation, India’s Permanent envoy said, “In order to arrive at a lasting solution, we urge for immediate de-escalation, eschewing violence, release of all hostages, avoiding provocative and escalatory actions, and to work towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations.”

“India’s position on the conflict has been clear and has been stated on several occasions by our leadership…the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to large scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. As I mentioned before, this has also resulted in an alarming humanitarian crisis. This is clearly unacceptable,” she strongly noted.

Ms Kamboj said, “We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. It is critical to prevent further escalation of violence and hostilities. It is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected under all circumstances.”

Reiterating India’s stance on Israel-Hamas war, she stated that the trigger of the conflict were the terror attacks in Israel on October 7 last year. Those attacks require unequivocal condemnation.

“India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justifications for terrorism and hostage taking. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Ms Kamboj said.

She called for humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza be scaled up immediately in order to avert a further deterioration in the situation.

“We urge all parties to come together in this endeavour. We welcome the efforts of the UN and international community in this regard. India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so,” Ms Kamboj added.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has time and again, made it clear that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, and has noted that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.

Earlier on February 26, CNN reported that Hamas backed off some key demands in the negotiations for a hostage deal and paused the fighting in Gaza after Israeli said that its position was “delusional”.

It brought the negotiating parties closer to an initial agreement that could halt the fighting and see a group of Israeli hostages released, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

Following the meeting held in Paris between the US, Egyptian, and Israeli intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister, a senior Biden administration official said, “The major obstacles have been resolved in terms of Hamas insisting on a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to the war,” CNN reported.

“Hamas’ requirements for the number of Palestinians (prisoners that) would have to be freed have declined,” the official added.

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The Security Council meets to talk about the situation in the Middle East at United Nations headquarters on October 24, 2023
| Photo Credit: AP

India has said it will treat a reference by Pakistan to Kashmir during a Security Council meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation with the contempt it deserves and will not dignify it with a response.

The remarks by India’s Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador R. Ravindra, came on Tuesday after Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram made reference to Kashmir at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

“Before I end, there was a remark of habitual nature by one delegation referring to Union Territories that are integral and inalienable parts of my country,” Mr. Ravindra said.

“I would treat these remarks with contempt they deserve and not dignify them with a response in the interest of time,” Mr. Ravindra said.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Security Council meeting that all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they are carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terror outfit, or by Hamas, targeting people in Mumbai or Kibbutz Beeri.

“We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people,” Mr. Blinken said.

“As this Council and the U.N. General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They’re unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali… Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be’eri,” Blinken told the UN Security Council.

“They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether they’re carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason,” Mr. Blinken said.

He stressed that the Security Council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, fund and train Hamas or “any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts.”

Mr. Blinken’s remarks appeared to make a reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

New York:

India’s engagement with the Global South is ingrained in the “very fabric” of New Delhi’s culture and philosophy, Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said on Saturday (local time). 

While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Ms Kamboj said, “…As far as India is concerned, our engagement with the Global South is not just a matter of policy, it is ingrained in the very fabric of our culture and philosophy. Earlier this month, the G20 New Delhi leaders’ declaration reinforced our commitment to the comprehensive development of fellow developing nations.”

Ms Kamboj recalled that India during the COVID-19 pandemic extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations. 

“Many of you would recall that throughout the COVID pandemic, India had extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations, earning us the moniker ‘The Pharmacy of the World,'” Ruchira Kamboj said. 

Ms Kamboj said that India’s development partnerships have expanded significantly. She said that the India-UN Development Partnership Fund at the United Nations has successfully developed a portfolio of 75 projects across 56 developing nations in six years. 

“Meantime, our development partnerships have also expanded significantly, reaching 78 nations across diverse regions and we have, over the past decade, initiated 600 projects that stand as a testament to our goodwill for our friends,” Ms Kamboj said. 

“Capacity building is also at the core of our development philosophy, and we have offered training to 200,000 individuals from over 160 countries, prioritizing the needs of our partners. At the UN, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, a single country South-South initiative, has successfully developed a portfolio of 75 projects across 56 developing countries in just 6 years,” she added. 

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations arrived to attend the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. The leaders posed for the pictures before the start of the event. 

Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)