India, Palestine sign 2 MoUs in development cooperation; 200-bed hospital, training centre to be set up

India and Palestine signed pacts for a 200-bed super-speciality hospital and vocational training centre, while India reaffirmed support for Palestine.

Published on: Aug 20, 2026, 24:30:28 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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New Delhi: India and Palestine on Wednesday signed agreements on setting up a 200-bed super speciality hospital and a vocational training centre as a top Indian diplomat met the senior Palestinian leadership to discuss development cooperation in a range of areas.

A Palestine flag waves outside the Westminster Magistrates Court, in London, Thursday, July 30. (Representational) (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Sripriya Ranganathan, secretary for overseas Indian affairs, reaffirmed India's “consistent support for the Palestinian people and [a] negotiated two-state solution” during a meeting with Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on Tuesday, according to a readout from India's representative office in Ramallah.

Ranganathan participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the 200-bed Indian super speciality hospital in Jenin along with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and other dignitaries.

‎The two sides also signed the bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the hospital, which will include a trauma centre, and another MoU for establishing a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre within the Palestinian National Printing Press.

The hospital will serve Jenin and neighbouring governorates, including Tulkarm and Tubas. The training centre will provide employment-oriented training in the printing sector and build on India's existing support to the Palestinian National Printing Press.

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A consignment of life-saving medicines was handed over by the Indian side to the Palestinian health ministry. This is part of a larger consignment, including anti-cancer drugs, provided in response to a request from the Palestinian side and reinforces India’s continuing humanitarian and healthcare support, officials said.

⁠India’s efforts to organise an artificial limb fitment camp, building on another successful camp held in 2023, figured at a meeting between Ranganathan and Palestinian health minister Majed Abu Ramadan. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen India’s support to the Palestinian health sector and Ranganathan highlighted the deployment of an Indian field hospital in Gaza.

Ranganathan also met Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and Majdi Al-Khaldi, diplomatic adviser to the Palestinian President, and took stock of the bilateral partnership, including political engagement and development cooperation.

‎She “emphasised India’s continued support for Palestine” and discussed the expansion of the development partnership, including new initiatives in health, education and skill development.

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Ranganathan also met Palestinian labour minister Enas Dahadha Attari and discussed ways to connect entrepreneurs and youth with skills and employment opportunities.

Ranganathan also ‎reaffirmed India’s longstanding support for ⁦‪the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA‬⁩) by visiting a health centre run by the agency. “‎India’s support to UNRWA in providing health, education and other essential services to the Palestinian people remains strong,” the representative office in Ramallah said on social media.

An India-supported women’s empowerment and heritage project is at an advanced stage, officials said. The building is ready and is being furnished, and the project will provide training and marketing support to Palestinian women. The construction of the India-funded Palestinian Institute of Diplomacy too is underway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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