Jaishankar expresses concern amid rising Middle East tensions

As per the EAM, while Israel has a right to respond, any action taken must adhere to international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilian populations.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, on Tuesday, expressed India's significant concern about the escalation of conflict in the Middle East during a discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

During a conversation at the Carnegie Endowment in the US, Jaishankar labeled Hamas' attack on Israel as a "terrorist attack." He stated that while Israel has a right to respond, any action taken must adhere to international humanitarian law, ensuring the protection of civilian populations.

"We are very much concerned at the possibility of a broadening of the conflict, not just what happened in Lebanon, but also, you know, I referred earlier to the Houthis and the Red Sea, and, you know, to some extent, everything that happens between Iran and Israel. So again, it’s one thing to be concerned. I’m sure you can say that for a lot of countries. If as part of that concern, we can end up doing something about it, you know, then don’t underestimate the importance of communication in difficult times. If there are things to be said and passed on and passed back, I think those are all contributions that we can make and we do," Jaishankar underscored.

" We regard October 7th as a terrorist attack. We understand that Israel had a need to respond, but we also believe that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law, that it must be careful about any damage or any implications for civilian populations. And that given what has happened in Gaza, it is important to have some kind of international humanitarian effort out there", said the EAM.

He expressed India's concerns about the broadening of the conflict, mentioning not only the situation in Lebanon but also the involvement of the Houthis in the Red Sea and the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.

India has long supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first world leaders to condemn Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7. India has, however, consistently expressed concerns about the deteriorating situation in Gaza.

In a major escalation, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel on Tuesday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that all Israeli civilians were advised to seek shelter as rockets were fired from Iran. The IDF indicated that Hezbollah was retaliating against Israeli military disclosures about their plans. Reports confirmed that 102 missiles were launched toward Israel, triggering sirens across the country and placing approximately 10 million civilians at risk. Iranian state media also confirmed the missile strikes targeting Israel.