Indian political leaders condemn “Israel’s assault on Palestinians” and urging peace and justice.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Leaders of several Indian political parties — including the Opposition Congress, the Janata Dal (United) which is part of the ruling coalition, the Samajwadi Party (SP), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — have unequivocally condemned the ongoing “Zionist aggression” and the “heinous genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel” amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In a statement on Sunday (August 25, 2024), the leaders asked the Indian government to work to “ensure peace and justice” in the region.

Samajwadi Party MPs Javed Ali and Mohibbulah, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi, and Congress leader Danish Ali were among those who joined Mohammad Makram Balawi, the secretary general of the League of Parliamentarians for Al-Quds, a pro-Palestinian body, at a meeting here to convey their support for their cause.

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Offering a detailed description of Israel’s alleged violation of international laws by targeting civilians, Mr. Balawi said that more than half of those killed in Israeli attacks were women and children.

‘Affront to humanity’

“This brutal assault is not only an affront to humanity but also a gross violation of international law and the principles of justice and peace,” the statement by the Indian political leaders said.

It also cited India’s historical support to the Palestinian cause. “We take pride in the fact that India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988, and has consistently supported the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, sovereignty and liberation,” the leaders said.

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They urged the Indian government to cease the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and call upon the Government of India and the international community to act swiftly to implement the UNSC resolutions and to end this aggression and ensure peace and justice for the victims of the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” they said.