India sees role in Gaza even as PM Modi deepens ties with Israel

The Israel visit, Vikram Misri suggested, underscores India’s effort to maintain balanced and substantive engagement with all key stakeholders in West Asia

• India signals ongoing role in Gaza amid deepening Israel ties
• India has $170 million in development projects for Palestinians
• PM Modi's Israel visit marks a new phase in bilateral relations

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Even as India signalled a deepening strategic partnership with Israel, New Delhi indicated it continues to see a role for itself in Gaza.

“Yes, we do see a role,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on February 26 at a press briefing in Jerusalem. He clarified that the extent and nature of India’s involvement would depend on evolving ground realities in Gaza.

Misri noted that India is already executing development initiatives worth nearly $170 million for Palestinian communities, with an additional $40 million in projects in the pipeline. These initiatives span education, healthcare, capacity building and other social sectors.

“…Even when considering what would be required as a consequence of the Gaza peace initiative moving forward, we would have the capacity to contribute at the right time on the ground,” he said, signalling readiness to support post-conflict reconstruction if required.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Israel as a “significant milestone”, Misri said the trip marked the beginning of the next phase of bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister travelled to Israel on a state visit at the invitation of his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This is the Prime Minister’s second visit to Israel; he was last here almost nine years ago. The visit reflects the progress achieved over the past decade and lays the foundation for the next phase of this important partnership,” Misri said.

Modi also became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, during his visit — nearly a decade after his landmark 2017 trip.

Placing the visit in a broader regional context, Misri said it forms part of India’s sustained outreach to West Asia under what has often been described as a “Link West” approach. Over the past year, Modi has visited Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman, while also hosting several leaders from the region in New Delhi.

The Israel visit, Misri suggested, underscores India’s effort to maintain balanced and substantive engagement with all key stakeholders in West Asia.