India condemns the loss of civilian lives as a result of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Cambodia said at the 10th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Palestine.
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“India’s position on this conflict has been made clear by our leadership on several occasions: First, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We strongly condemn the deaths of civilians during conflict, international law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone in all circumstances,” she said.
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The Permanent Representative of India noted that humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza must be immediately increased to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
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“We call on all parties to come together in this effort. We welcome the efforts of the UN and the international community in this regard. India has provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so. We note the recent facilitation of increased humanitarian aid flows into Gaza by the Israeli authorities,” Cambodia added.
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Reiterating India’s position on a two-state solution to the issue, it also called on the conflicting parties to begin direct peace negotiations as soon as possible. In addition, Cambodia noted that India has reaffirmed its support for Palestine’s application for full membership in the UN, and expressed hope that Palestine’s application will be reconsidered by the forum.
