Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel “will not annex Gaza" during a meeting with India's foreign minister on Thursday.
Netanyahu said that he plans to establish a "security perimeter" around Gaza to prevent another October 7 attack from happening. He also added that “innocents must be separated from Hamas," in regards to the humanitarian aid situation in the Gaza Strip.
This came amid a meeting with the Indian Ambassador to Israel, J. P. Singh, where the two discussed expanding cooperation and further talked about security and economic issues, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.
India, Israel try and dodge Trump tarrifs
The meeting comes as both countries try to dodge tariffs set by US President Donald Trump. India is facing at least 50% tariffs from the US because it buys Russian oil, the president noted.
The US's 15% tariffs on imports from Israel took effect on Thursday. Israel initially sought to lower the tarrifs, and has since stated that the lower rate "reflects positive dialogue."
"The tariff rate set by the US for Israel is at the lower end among countries with a trade deficit with the US, and it is lower than the rate set for Israel on April 2," the Finance Ministry stated.
"Including Israel in this group reflects the positive dialogue and engagement between Israel and the administration. These discussions are ongoing with the goal of reaching a full and improved agreement.”
"RECIPROCAL TARIFFS TAKE EFFECT AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!," Trump said on Truth Social just ahead of the deadline. "BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LARGELY FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY YEARS, LAUGHING ALL THE WAY, WILL START FLOWING INTO THE USA. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP AMERICA'S GREATNESS WOULD BE A RADICAL LEFT COURT THAT WANTS TO SEE OUR COUNTRY FAIL!"
Israel, India have long history of strong relations
India has had a history of supporting the Jewish State, Indian political figures noted. “India was one of the countries that stood very firmly with Israel after October 7,” Swapan Dasgupta, an Indian politician and political commentator, told The Jerusalem Post in February.
“Public opinion in India is overwhelmingly supportive of Israel, which isn’t just limited to the defense and diplomatic sectors. There’s a genuine admiration for Israel’s resilience and the innovative ways it handles security challenges.”
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.