India: The humanitarian crisis resulting from the Israel-Hamas conflict is unacceptable. Citing the UN Security Council resolution as a “positive step,” India demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan, calling the humanitarian situation resulting from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict “simply unacceptable.” The ongoing hostilities in Gaza deeply disturb us. During a UN General Assembly meeting here on Monday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, stated that the humanitarian crisis has worsened and that instability has been rising throughout the region and beyond.
According to her, India sees the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution on March 25 as “a positive step.” According to Ms. Kamboj, a significant number of civilian deaths—particularly those of women and children—have resulted from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Delhi has strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict, and it is imperative to avoid the loss of civilian lives in any conflict situation,” the speaker continued. “The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable.”
An “immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting, sustainable ceasefire” was called for in the UNSC resolution that was adopted last month. Along with requesting humanitarian access to meet their medical and other needs, it also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The resolution’s adoption represented a turning point in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which had lasted for more than five months at the time.
The resolution was proposed by the 10 non-permanent elected members of the Council, and the US, a permanent member, chose not to vote on it. The 15-nation Council passed the resolution with 14 votes in favor and 0 against.
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The “long-awaited” resolution about Gaza must be implemented, as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. “Failing would not be acceptable.” However, China and Russia, permanent members, vetoed an alternative resolution that the US had proposed regarding Gaza on March 22, just three days before the Council adopted the resolution. The US-led draft had declared that “an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides” was “imperative.” Beijing and Moscow’s vetoes of the resolution that required the president of the 193-member UN body to call a meeting within 10 working days of the veto being filed in the Council, set off the General Assembly debate.
Ms. Kamboj emphasized that India’s leadership has made clear what the country’s stance is on the conflict on multiple occasions.
She emphasized that the terror attacks on Israel on October 7 of last year were shocking and deserved “our unequivocal condemnation,” saying there can be no justification for such acts or for hostage-taking. “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, in line with India’s long-standing and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Ms. Kamboj stated.
India expressed concern about the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasized the need to immediately increase humanitarian aid to the people living there to prevent the situation from getting worse.
Ms. Kamboj praised the UN’s and the international community’s efforts to promote peace in the area.
She said that India “will continue to do so” in addition to having given humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. Indian leaders have repeatedly stated that a two-state solution that is reached through substantive and direct negotiations between both sides on final status issues is the only path to sustainable peace.
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“With due regard to Israel’s security needs, we are committed to supporting a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders,” Ms. Kamboj stated. She also urged all parties to create an environment that will facilitate the early resumption of direct peace negotiations.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least 33,207 Palestinians had died and 75,933 had been injured in Gaza in the six months between October 7, 2023, and the afternoon of April 8, citing the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza.
The Gaza Government Media Office reports that 9,560 women and approximately 14,500 children were among the dead.
Over 1,200 foreign nationals and Israelis, including 33 children, have died in Israel; the majority of these deaths occurred on October 7, 2017, when Hamas carried out the horrific terror attacks against Israel. Dennis Francis, the president of the 78th UN General Assembly session, expressed his sincere regret that the Assembly must regularly convene on veto initiatives “because of the Security Council’s persistent incapacity to speak with one voice on matters of grave importance.” “Once more, we gather under this initiative as the violence in Gaza rages into its sixth deadly month, as devastation and death are the order of the day, and as differences among Member States, particularly in the Council, endure,” he declared.
Francis described the Gaza conflict as a “blight on our common humanity.” After Ramadan ends on April 9, Francis said that millions of people will celebrate the religious holiday Eid-al-Fitr in the comfort of their own homes, “while Gazans will again offer prayers on the ruins of mosques and their obliterated homes.” “I implore the Security Council members to meaningfully use their power in support of an immediate and, importantly, a lasting ceasefire on the ground,” he said.
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