India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, on Tuesday reiterated the country’s longstanding relationship with the Palestinian people and said the large-scale loss of civilian life in the conflict between Israel and Hamas was unacceptable. As the world observes the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29, Cambodia highlighted the deep historical ties between India and Palestine and “our unwavering support to the Palestinian people in their quest for statehood, peace and prosperity”.
“We are gathered today as the security situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, with the Israeli-Hamas conflict resulting in the loss of a large number of civilian lives, particularly women and children, and a serious humanitarian crisis. This is clearly unacceptable and we strongly condemn the killing of civilians,” she said.
The representative of India welcomed the international efforts aimed at providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. Cambodia hailed the humanitarian relief as a positive step in ensuring the timely and continuous delivery of aid.
“On our part, we have sent 70 tons of humanitarian goods, including 16.5 tons of medicine and medical supplies,” the Indian envoy added.
Cambodia is concerned about terrorism and repression, saying that there can be no reason for such actions. While conveying India’s support for the release of the hostages, she urged the unconditional release of those still in custody. India maintains a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and emphasizes its universal obligation to respect international humanitarian law.
“Since the start of the conflict, PM Modi and the foreign minister have been in close contact with regional leaders, stressing the importance of preventing escalation, ensuring continued supply of humanitarian aid and working to restore peace and stability,” he said.
Hamas has so far released 81 hostages and Israel has freed 180 Palestinian prisoners, giving Hamas-run Gaza its first relief after seven weeks of bombardment that has reduced the coast to rubble and killed more than 15,000 people there, according to health officials.
