Rafah attacks are shocking, India expresses concern over Israeli airstrikes

New Delhi : India on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing situation in the Gaza Strip’s Rafah city. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, “The heartbreaking deaths in the displacement camps in Rafah are a matter of deep concern. India has always appealed for the protection of innocent civilians and respect for international humanitarian law. The Israeli side has already acknowledged this as a tragic incident and has also announced an investigation into the incident.” Recently, 45 people including children were killed in attacks on a camp in Rafah.

Along with this, on the stand of Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize Palestine, Jaiswal said, ‘As you know, India was one of the first countries to recognize the State of Palestine in the 1980s. India has long been supporting the ‘two state’ solution. We have been advocating the creation of a sovereign and independent Palestine state within recognized borders.’ On the death of retired Colonel Vaibhav Kale, the ministry said that the Israeli side has started an investigation. The United Nations Fact Finding Mission, the Indian Mission in Israel and the United Nations are in touch.

‘An impartial view emerged in Pakistan’

India has also reacted to former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement regarding breaking the Lahore Agreement. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on this issue, ‘You are aware of our position on this issue. I do not need to repeat it. We see that an impartial view is emerging in Pakistan on this matter as well.’ In fact, Sharif had said in his/her party meeting that Pakistan did not honor the Lahore Agreement of 21 February 1999 and Pakistan is guilty of this. The Kargil war took place only a few months after this agreement.

Don’t give weapons to Israel… Palestine got tensed when India paid off the ‘Kargil debt’, appealed to Modi government

‘No proposal for FTA with Maldives’

India has said that no proposal has been made on a free trade agreement (FTA) with Maldives. Last week, Maldives Minister Mohammad Saeed had said that India had started efforts for an FTA between the two countries. The Ministry of External Affairs said on this, ‘No specific proposal has been put forward by the Government of India for a bilateral FTA with Maldives. If the Maldives government is interested in an FTA with India, then we can consider it.’ The ministry also responded to media reports according to which the European Union has given an aid of 2.26 crores to the state to deal with the flood situation in Manipur. The ministry said, ‘We have seen reports regarding this. The Manipur government has denied such reports, we are not aware of it.’