India on Thursday officially said it plans to be involved in Gaza’s reconstruction but remained silent on putting boots on the ground as part of the International Stabilisation Force, the UN-mandated multinational peacekeepers mandated in the Gaza Peace Plan.
This is the first time the Narendra Modi government has publicly said India sees a role for itself in Gaza’s reconstruction, though Palestinian authorities have repeatedly said they are looking forward to India’s participation.
“Yes, we do see a role,” foreign secretary Vikram Misri said to a specific question that also asked about the possible deputation of personnel to the ISF, whose deployment was agreed to by Hamas and Israel last October.
While Misri provided a detailed response to the question on Gaza’s reconstruction, he left the ISF-related part unanswered.
“What exactly that role (in Gaza’s reconstruction) is going to be will depend on a little bit more clarity as to how things will actually develop on the ground in Gaza. I am not going to speculate at this point in time as to which exactly is the area in which we may come in,” he said.
“I can tell you with some conviction that India has very specific capabilities and very specific capacities which would be of considerable relevance in a situation of the kind that we see on the ground in Gaza. We do have the capacity to contribute….”
Misri added: “We already are implementing a large number of projects for the benefit of the Palestinian communities to the extent of nearly $170 million, and there are about $40 million dollars in the pipeline in education, health, capacity building….”
Misri said that amid the reports about the Gaza Peace Plan being stalled by disputes over Hamas’s disarmament, Modi had expressed India’s conviction that the 20-point plan drawn up by the Trump administration holds the promise of a “just, durable and lasting peace” region-wide, and addresses the Palestinian question too.
Modi had, in his remarks to the media after the bilateral engagement with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, said: “Humanity must never become a victim of conflict. The Gaza Peace Plan has opened a pathway towards peace. India has extended its full support to these efforts. In the future as well, we will continue to engage in dialogue and cooperation with all countries.”
Apparently trying to address the domestic criticism about Modi visiting Israel at this juncture, Misri underscored that the Prime Minister had visited the region regularly over the past year.
“This visit comes in the context of an effort by the Prime Minister himself to take interest in and pursue our relations with all the countries in West Asia,” he said.
“In slightly over the last one year, the Prime Minister had paid visits to Kuwait, to Saudi Arabia, to Jordan, to Oman and now to Israel, and of course he has received several heads of state/ government from this region as well.”
Asked whether the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) was discussed, the foreign secretary said it was.
“The regional situation does weigh on the progress of the initiative, and relationships between different countries that potentially lie on the IMEC corridor need to be in a certain state in order for the initiative to make progress,” he said.
“Notwithstanding that, there are countries which are taking steps in their national capacities to work on components of IMEC which will eventually contribute to the corridor as a whole…. Israel, even though (it) is not a formal member of IMEC at present, is potentially a very, very important actor in the success of the corridor.”
During Modi’s visit – described as “extraordinarily productive” by Netanyahu -- the two countries decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity.
They directed their teams to speed up the negotiations – which began this week in Delhi – for a free tradeagreement.
