INDIA on Monday welcomed the cease
fire agreement that brought an end to
more than two years of war in Gaza and
led to the release of the last remaining
Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi said India sup
ports United States President Donald
Trump’s “sincere efforts” to bring peace
to the region.
With all 20 surviving hostages now back
in Israel, Modi said their freedom was “a
tribute to the courage of their families, the
unwavering peace efforts of President
Trump, and the strong resolve of Prime
Minister Netanyahu.”
“We welcome the release of all hostages
after over two years of captivity,” Modi said
on X. “We support President Trump’s sin
cere efforts to bring peace to the region.”
The handover of the hostages to the In
ternational Committee of the Red Cross in
Gaza for transfer to Israeli authorities
marked a crucial step in implementing the
ceasefire deal. Under the first phase of the
agreement, Israel is releasing nearly 2,000
Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The ceasefire, which came into effect on
last Friday, was brokered by Trump and for
mally signed at a peace summit in the Egyp
tian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. More
than 20 world leaders attended the summit,
with India represented by Minister of State
for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
In a statement, India’s Ministry of Exter
nal Affairs reiterated the country’s long-
standing support for a “negotiated two-state
solution” and said it would “support all ef
forts towards lasting peace in the region.”
President Trump, who travelled to Israel
to address its parliament, described the
ceasefire as “the dawn of a new Middle
East.” He said, “After two harrowing years
of darkness and captivity, 20 courageous
hostages are returning to the glorious em
brace of their families. A beautiful and much
brighter future appears suddenly within the
region’s reach.”
Trump added that Hamas is required to
disarm under the peace plan, though the
group has not confirmed its willingness to
comply. Bodies of some of the 26 dead hos
tages, and two others whose fate remains
unknown, will also be returned as part of
the agreement.
The Gaza conflict began on October 7,
2023, when Hamas launched attacks on Is
raeli cities, killing about 1,200 people and
taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli fig
ures. In response, Israel launched extensive
air and ground operations that, according to
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, have
killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
Two years of fighting have left Gaza in
ruins, with much of its population of 2.2 mil
lion displaced. The war also deepened re
gional instability, drawing in Iran-backed
groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and
the Houthis in Yemen.
Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has worsened
sharply, with widespread shortages of food,
water, and medicine. The World Health Or
ganization said last month that malnutrition
levels in Gaza have reached “alarming” levels.
Under the terms of Trump’s Gaza peace
plan, the enclave will be transformed into
a “deradicalized, terror-free zone that
does not pose a threat to its neighbors.”
The plan also outlines reconstruction meas
ures to redevelop Gaza for the benefit of its
residents, supported by international aid
and oversight.
At the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, world
leaders discussed next steps to ensure
lasting stability across the Middle East.
Trump said the peace plan aimed not only
to end hostilities in Gaza but also to “set
the foundation for a new regional frame
work of cooperation.”
India’s participation at the summit and
Modi’s endorsement of the agreement reaf
firm New Delhi’s position of supporting
diplomatic engagement and a peaceful reso
lution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
MODI PRAISES TRUMP’S ROLE IN BROKERED TRUCE ENDING TWO YEARS OF WAR
Business
www.indiaweekly.biz • October 2025
17
India backs Gaza peace accord
NEW DAWN: US president Donald Trump
addresses Israel’s parliament, the Knesset,
in Jerusalem on October 13
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