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India welcomes hostage release; Modi hails Trump, Netanyahu over peace efforts
Hamas freed all 20 living hostages who were being held in the Gaza Strip, while the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners by Israel was underway
New Delhi: India on Monday welcomed the release of all surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas under a US-backed peace plan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the “unwavering peace efforts” of President Donal Trump.
Hamas freed all 20 living hostages who were being held in the Gaza Strip, while the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners by Israel was underway as part of the conditions of a ceasefire that is part of the first phase of the peace deal.
“We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Modi said in a social media post that tagged Trump and Netanyahu.
“We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to bring peace to the region,” he said.
The PM has lauded Trump several times in recent days for his peace efforts in West Asia, with the praise being seen to be as much about the situation in West Asia as India’s attempts to repair ties with the US after months of tensions created by Trump’s unprecedented tariffs on Indian exports.
Seven of the captives taken by Hamas during the terror attacks of October 2023, which triggered the conflict with Israel, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Israeli military said 13 more captives were also transferred by the group.
The release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails was also underway. The exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the war in Gaza that killed 67,806 Palestinians, though questions remained over the future of the world’s most densely populated enclave and Hamas’s role in the territory.
The current truce is expected to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, where famine has broken out amid Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
The exchange of hostages and prisoners started as world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, gathered for the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit that is to be co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
India is being represented at the peace summit by minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. The organisers had invited Modi, who was unable to travel to Egypt because of his schedule and other engagements.
Trump travelled to Israel and addressed the Knesset or Parliament on Monday, before flying to Egypt.
