Israel is committed to strengthening its ties with India, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Tuesday. He reiterated Jerusalem’s position on Hamas and other regional terrorism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “was the first world leader to call Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu after Hamas’s October 7 massacre... We won’t forget it,” Sa’ar said.
India is “the world’s largest democracy and fastest growing economy,” he said. It is “a global superpower,” and Israel is “a regional powerhouse,” he added.
Israel and India already share “a warm friendship,” Sa’ar said, adding that the goal is “to build a long-term strategic partnership between Israel and India.”
Regarding security issues, “Radical terrorism is a mutual threat to Israel and India,” he said. He condemned the terrorist attack against tourists in Pahalgam in April.
The eradication of the Hamas terror state
Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen are “terror states,” Sa’ar said, adding that “uprooting them is necessary for the security and stability of our region.”
“The eradication of the Hamas terror state is at the heart of US President Donald Trump’s plan,” he said.“Hamas must be disarmed,” he added. “Gaza must be demilitarized. We won’t compromise on it.”
Regarding regional connectivity, Sa’ar said: “The future for regional partnerships is bright.” He cited Israel’s support for initiatives such as I2U2 and IMEC, which aim to promote connectivity between South Asia, West Asia, and Europe.
Sa’ar thanked Jaishankar for his friendship and said he looked forward to continued discussions.
Modi welcomed the announcement of Trump’s Gaza deal in early October, calling it a step toward lasting peace in the region.
“We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan,” he wrote in a post on X/Twitter at the time. “This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.” The release of the remaining hostages “will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace,” he added.
India has maintained its support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring calm and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
TPS-IL contributed to this report.