India Reaffirms Support for Palestine, Urges Ceasefire and Humanitarian Access in Gaza

by T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman July 24, 2025

By T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman July 24, 2025 0 comments 3 minutes read

PHOTO: Screeshot@UNTV

At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Quarterly Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, held on July 23, 2025, at the UN Headquarters, in New York, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, particularly in the areas of health and education.

Citing figures from the World Health Organization, Ambassador Harish highlighted that approximately 95 percent of hospitals in Gaza have been “damaged or destroyed.” He also referenced reports from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, noting that more than 650,000 children have had “no schooling” for over 20 months.

“Today’s meeting takes place against the backdrop of a persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,” Ambassador Harish told UNSC.

Underscoring India’s consistent position, he stressed that the ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue and called for the facilitation of humanitarian aid in a “safe, sustained and timely manner.”

“There is no substitute to peace. A ceasefire must be put in place. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives. There are no other fixes or solutions,” he stated.

Reaffirming India’s long-standing relationship with the Palestinian people, Ambassador Harish reminded the Council that India shares “historic and strong ties” with its “Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

“We have always stood by them and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering. We were the first non-Arab country to recognize the State of Palestine. We support the Palestinian people in various ways, directly and through our support to other organizations such as UNRWA,” he said.

He further noted that India aims to make a tangible difference in the daily lives of Palestinians by implementing development projects across various sectors. “India is currently implementing projects valued at more than 40 million US Dollars,” he added.

Ambassador Harish reiterated India’s longstanding position that the only path to lasting peace lies in a “two-State solution,” envisioning a sovereign, viable, and independent State of Palestine coexisting peacefully alongside Israel within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.

He also welcomed the upcoming High-Level International Conference on the implementation of the two-State solution, scheduled for next week.

“While engaging in a forward-leaning and constructive manner, it is our hope that this Conference would pave the way for concrete steps towards achieving a two-State solution,” he said, reaffirming India’s commitment to contributing to efforts that shape “a political horizon that restores hope for the Palestinians and achieving sustained peace in the Middle East.”