Netanyahu briefs Modi on Gaza plan, leaders vow to deepen India–Israel ties

The two leaders identified shared priorities to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership during 2026, guided by shared democratic values, an official statement said.

Published on: Jan 7, 2026, 17:16:28 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday briefed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the implementation of the Gaza peace plan, while the two leaders also discussed ways to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership and to advance cooperation in counterterrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. (File Photo)

Netanyahu, who is expected to visit India in the near future, dialled Modi to exchange New Year greetings. When he briefed Modi on the Gaza peace plan, the PM reaffirmed India’s “consistent support for efforts towards a just and durable peace in the region”, according to an Indian government readout.

“Glad to speak with my friend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and convey New Year greetings to him and the people of Israel. We discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Israel Strategic Partnership in the year ahead,” Modi said on social media.

“We also exchanged views on the regional situation and reaffirmed our shared resolve to fight terrorism with greater determination.”

The two leaders identified shared priorities to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership during 2026, guided by a forward-looking vision, shared democratic values and mutual trust, the readout said.

Modi and Netanyahu reiterated their zero-tolerance approach towards all forms of terrorism and reaffirmed their commitment to fight this menace. They also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest, the readout said.

The two countries adopted a joint working plan to shape bilateral ties in 2026 when external affairs minister S Jaishankar visited Israel last month. The plan covers diplomacy, security, economic issues, cyber, agriculture and water.

Several Israeli ministers, including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, visited India last year. The two sides signed a bilateral investment treaty during Smotrich’s visit and finalised the terms of reference for a free trade agreement during commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Israel in November.

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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