In an interview with the Indian Express on Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said that Israel would welcome any help from India for the release of over 200 hostages who are still being held by the Hamas terrorists.
Gilon appreciated the support from India following the attack on 7 October and blamed Hamas for the recent Al Ahli Hospital attack in Gaza, which killed around 500 people.
Appreciate India’s Help
The envoy said, “We understand that India has a special place in the world. Many countries are trying to put pressure on Hamas to secure the release of the innocent civilians. If India is able to speak to people who have influence over them, we would welcome that.”
As per reports, Hamas has taken around 200 Israeli and foreign nationals as hostages.
#ExpressFrontPage | Naor Gilon spoke to The Indian Express on India's hand of friendship, deaths of civilians on both sides, and how the conflict is now spreading to other parts of Israel.https://t.co/LF6yafmIRF
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 19, 2023
Gilon said, “We were moved that the first reaction from Prime Minister Narendra Modi came on the same afternoon, even before the full picture was out.”
The ambassador mentioned that Modi spoke to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a few days into the conflict and expressed solidarity.
He said, “Not just the Indian PM, we have got a show of support from all levels here — officials, ministers, civil society, and even people on social media.”
Hamas Responsible for Hospital Attack, Using Human Shields
Commenting on the loss of civilian lives in the war, Gilon said that Hamas is using civilians as human shields.
He mentioned, “They were given time and warning to evacuate the southern part of the Gaza Strip before our offensive, but they chose to field civilians.”
Gilon said that Hamas wants civilian deaths to be used as protection to put international pressure on Israel to stop the conflict.
US Supporting Israel; Iran’s Connection to Hamas, Hezbollah
Appreciating the US as “a great supporter of Israel,” Gilon called Biden “the leader of the biggest friend of Israel” on his visit.
The Israeli envoy said, “After the barbaric 7 October attack by the Hamas on our people, killing more than 1,400 women, children and elderly, and even kidnapping more than 200, we have decided to make sure the Hamas doesn’t have the capacity to do something like this ever again.”
Gilon mentioned that after the Hamas attack in the south, Israel is now facing disturbance in its northern part from Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group supported by Iran.
#Exclusive: Israeli envoy to India, Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) to CNN-News18 on #Hamas, "Let's agree that we have to eliminate this organisation. They are using their population as human Shield#TheHardFacts #IsraelGazaWar | @RShivshankar pic.twitter.com/DMmZ3VZf92
— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 16, 2023
The ambassador said, “The Iran connection is clear; they have been training, aiding and arming Hamas for many years now.”
India’s Position on the Attack
Within a few hours of the attack, Indian PM Narendra Modi expressed shock at the news of the “terrorist attacks” in Israel and later talked to Netanyahu on call.
While the statements were perceived to be a deviation from India’s traditional stand on Palestine, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified during a weekly press briefing that India’s policy on the Israel-Palestine issue had been consistent.
While there has been no direct assertion from the leadership recently, the MEA reiterated India’s support for establishing a “sovereign, independent and viable” state of Palestine.
Indian opposition parties have also reaffirmed support for Palestine as the war unfolds, condemning the perceived change in the government’s posture.
India’s balancing act on the conflict comes amid strengthening India-Israel ties, with Israel being India’s second-largest defence supplier.
The recent conflict has also brought forth reports of Indian right-leaning social media accounts spearheading a disinformation campaign maligning Palestinians, signalling a shift in the popular perceptions of the issue.