New Delhi: India reiterated its commitment to Palestine and to continued humanitarian assistance to the region when ministers and senior officials of Arab League states met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, people familiar with the matter said. An India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting also backed a two-state solution.
Delegates from the 22 Arab League member states, including Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, met Modi, who described the Arab world as part of India’s “extended neighbourhood” linked by civilisational bonds and a shared commitment to peace, progress and stability.
“Confident that enhanced cooperation in technology, energy, trade and innovation will unlock new opportunities and take the partnership to new heights,” Modi said on social media regarding the meeting.
The Indian side affirmed its commitment to the Palestinian people, including a long-standing development partnership, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. India has provided bilateral development aid and assistance through agencies such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) worth $170 million. Projects valued at $40 million are currently being implemented, the people said.
Though the India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting had been planned since last year, it came ahead of an expected visit to Israel by Modi in late February.
{{/usCountry}}Though the India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting had been planned since last year, it came ahead of an expected visit to Israel by Modi in late February.
{{/usCountry}}Deliberations focused on the shared priority of advancing the Gaza peace plan, the conflicts in Sudan and Yemen, and the common threat of terrorism, with New Delhi emphasising the need for concerted action to strengthen security and stability across the region.
Both sides backed a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in West Asia. A declaration issued after the meeting called for a “sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine based on 1967 borders, living side by side in peace with Israel”. Both sides also supported the “practice of inalienable rights of the Palestinian people”.
The two sides welcomed the outcomes of the 2025 Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, which led to a ceasefire in Gaza, and commended the role played by the US and Arab states, especially Egypt and Qatar. They urged all parties to fully implement the agreement and noted the launch of the Arab-Islamic plan for relief, recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.
They welcomed the formation of the Palestinian technocratic committee as a temporary transitional body to administer Gaza in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803, a preparatory step for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The two sides backed the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism, termed one of the most serious threats to peace and security. They condemned cross-border terrorism and “called on all States to refrain from using terrorism against other States, urging all States to work collectively to combat terrorism, dismantle terrorist infrastructures and terror financing networks”, and bring perpetrators to justice. They agreed to strengthen joint efforts to counter terrorism, including the misuse of new technologies for recruitment, fund transfers and the execution of terror activities.
The foreign ministers of Arab states strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that targeted tourists, and reaffirmed their full support for India and Arab states in confronting terrorism.
The meeting was attended by all members of the Arab League, though only seven countries – including the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Oman and Qatar – sent ministers.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said taking forward the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2803, is a widely shared priority. Pointing to the transformation of the global order due to politics and economics, he said: “Nowhere is this more apparent than in West Asia or the Middle East, where the landscape itself has undergone a dramatic change in the last year. This obviously impacts all of us, and India as a proximate region.”
While the situation in Gaza has been in focus, Jaishankar noted other challenges such as the conflicts in Sudan and Yemen, which have implications for the safety of maritime navigation.
“Then there is the concern about Lebanon, where India has troops committed to UNIFIL. Where Libya is concerned, all of us have an interest in advancing the national dialogue process. The direction of events in Syria is also critical for the well-being of the region,” he said.
Jaishankar described terrorism as a common threat in both regions. “Cross-border terrorism is particularly unacceptable because it violates the basic principles of international relations and diplomacy,” he said.