Jaishankar speaks with Israel’s Gideon Sa’ar amid fresh efforts for ceasefire

India has maintained a balanced position on the evolving situation in West Asia given its close and strategic ties with both Israel and Arab states.

Updated on: Dec 18, 2024, 18:26:52 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday discussed developments in West Asia against the backdrop of fresh efforts to finalise a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

A fire burns inside a Palestinian house during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18 (REUTERS)

During their phone conversation, the two foreign ministers also focused on ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

“Pleased to speak to FM @gidonsaar of Israel today. Appreciate his briefing on the ongoing developments in the region,” Jaishankar said on X.

“Also discussed our bilateral relations and efforts to strengthen them. Look forward to meeting in person.”

Sa’ar, in a post on X, described India as a “giant country, one of the most important in the world, and friendly to Israel”. He added, “We agreed to meet soon and work together to strengthen our bilateral relations.”

India has maintained a balanced position on the evolving situation in West Asia given its close and strategic ties with both Israel and Arab states. While condemning the terror attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas in October last year, India urged Israel to be mindful of humanitarian considerations in its response. New Delhi has also called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy aimed at finding a two-state solution.

The conversation between Jaishankar and Sa’ar came against the backdrop of efforts in Cairo by the US and Arab mediators to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month war in the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations told Reuters on Wednesday that mediators had narrowed gaps on most of the agreement’s clauses. He said Israel had introduced conditions which Hamas rejected.

The talks in Cairo are aimed at concluding an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

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