India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which was adopted with overwhelming support from 153 member-states, maybe sensing the sentiment around the world against Israel's unrelenting shelling of Gaza.
After the Assembly rejected the US-sponsored amendment that would have condemned Hamas, India threw in its lot with a resolution that Israel branded as hypocritical because it did not even mention or denounce Hamas. Compared to the government's abstention on a comparable vote in October, this was a substantial deviation. India's vote is significant because it hasn't before issued a firm request for a ceasefire.
New Delhi said there were many dimensions to the conflict, including the October 7 terror attacks on Israel, the ensuign humanitarian crisis in Gaza and efforts for a lasting two-state solution, and that it was important to find the right balance in dealing with the situation. It also welcomed the fact that the international community had been able to find a “common ground to address the multiple challenges” facing the region right now.
India’s quest for a balanced approach to the West Asia situation has seen it temper its strident condemnation of October 7 Hamas terror strikes with repeated calls for respecting international humanitarian law, support for two-state solution and efforts to intensify engagement with the Arab world. India will host Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for what will be the first visit by a Gulf head of state to the country since the ongoing conflict broke out.