NEW DELHI: India and Israel on Tuesday adopted a joint working plan to shape bilateral ties in 2026, even as external affairs minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi backs the Gaza Peace Plan in the hope that it will lead to a lasting solution.
Jaishankar arrived in Israel following a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for meetings with senior Israeli leadership. He met foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar. “Held productive discussions on our strategic partnership and its further advancement across various domains,” Jaishankar said on social media after meeting Sa’ar.
Sa’ar said in a social media post that the two sides adopted a joint working plan for bilateral relations in 2026. “Our relations will advance even further in the coming year across all areas: diplomacy, security, economic, entrepreneurship and cyber, agriculture and water, culture and more,” he said.
Jaishankar noted that the strategic partnership had developed very significantly in the past decade, and the two sides are “purposing our relationship for the world that awaits us”. Sa’ar added: “I believe that the future is India and it is natural that we want to have a share in the future.”
The two ministers discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in Gaza. “India supports the Gaza Peace Plan and hopes that it will lead to a lasting and durable solution,” Jaishankar said.
{{/usCountry}}The two ministers discussed regional and international issues, including the situation in Gaza. “India supports the Gaza Peace Plan and hopes that it will lead to a lasting and durable solution,” Jaishankar said.
{{/usCountry}}They also discussed efforts to fight terrorism, and Jaishankar expressed condolences at the loss of lives in a terror attack on Hanukkah celebrations in Australia on Monday and reiterated India’s resolve in combating the shared challenge.
“We condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Jaishankar said. “Where India and Israel are concerned, we are both countries who have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.”
Sa’ar had condemned the terrorist incident in New Delhi last month, and Jaishankar appreciated Israel’s consistent support for combating all forms of terrorism.