Israeli FM Sa'ar in India: Commitment to Hamas Disarmament and Strengthening Strategic Partnership
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar visited India, emphasizing Israel's commitment to dismantle Hamas as part of the Trump Gaza plan and underscoring shared threats of terrorism with India. He praised India's global stature and expressed Israel's intent to build a long-term strategic partnership with New Delhi, including cooperation in training diplomatic cadets and regional connectivity.
During his first official visit to India, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi. Sa'ar reaffirmed Israel's determination to dismantle Hamas, calling it a 'terrorist state' central to the Trump peace plan for Gaza, and stressed that Israel would not relent on this objective. He expressed appreciation for Indian Prime Minister Modi's solidarity following the October 7 Hamas massacre. Sa'ar condemned terrorism shared as a common threat to both nations, referencing the recent Pahalgham attack that killed 26 people. He highlighted the rise of 'terrorist states' in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as obstacles to regional stability. Sa'ar described India as a global superpower, emphasizing its democratic and economic strengths and the existing warm friendship between the two countries. The visit saw a memorandum of understanding signed for training diplomatic cadets and reinforced cooperation encompassing political, security, trade, technology, and regional connectivity initiatives such as I2U2 and IMEC. The visit follows recent bilateral agreements to boost economic ties and takes place amid growing security alignment and India's strong support for Israel since October 7. Netanyahu's planned forthcoming visit to India signals deepening relations between the countries.
