Operation Ajay

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Operation Ajay
• News Summary: India reiterates stand on Palestine statehood
• Background
• Response given by the MEA
• Analysis of this response

Why in news?

• Days after the Israel-Hamas war broke, India reiterated its call for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.
• Also, the Ministry of External Affairs said that there was an obligation to uphold humanitarian principles.
• These statements came as India is sending a chartered flight to bring back Indian nationals under Operation Ajay.

Operation Ajay

• India has launched Operation Ajay to bring back Indians from Israel as the conflict escalated with Israel retaliating against Hamas's attack.
  • Israel has declared war against Hamas and set up a war cabinet.
• Operation Ajay is not technically an evacuation operation. It is an operation to repatriate its citizens from Israel.
• Special chartered flights will bring back the Indians. Indian Navy ships will be deployed if the need arises.
  • There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel, and about 16 in Palestine — a dozen in the West Bank and 3-4 people in Gaza.

News Summary: India reiterates stand on Palestine statehood

Background:

• On October 7, hours after the Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a statement on X.
• Through this post, he expressed his deep shock at the terrorist attacks and said that we stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
• Five days later, in its first official statement on the Israel-Hamas war, New Delhi has sought to nuance this.

Learn in Detail: India Israel Relations

Response given by the MEA

• Universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law
  • Ministry of External Affairs said that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law.
  • The phrase — universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law — is seen as aimed at Israel which is conducting aerial strikes in Gaza.
  • The clause, “international humanitarian law,” also seeks to protect innocent civilians and so this is meant for Hamas.
  • Hamas killed civilians including women, children and the elderly.
  • The targeted attacks against Israeli civilians have claimed 1,300 lives on the Israeli side, and the death toll in Gaza because of Israeli air strikes rose to more than 1,350.
• Fight against terrorism
  • MEA also said that there is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
  • This statement is a strong signal of support to Israel.
• MEA reiterated its traditional position on the Israel-Palestine conflict
  • India has advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel.

Analysis of this response

• Balancing act
  • These statements are a part of Delhi’s diplomatic imperatives as it has Israel as a key strategic partner on one side and allies in a divided Arab world on the other including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Iran and Egypt.
  • There are an estimated 90 lakh Indians living and working in the West Asia region, and India imports more than 50 per cent of crude from the region.
• Divided Arab World
  • The Hamas attack has divided the Arab world, too. 
  • The UAE and Bahrain, which signed the US-brokered Abraham Accords with Israel, have criticised the attack.
  • This was a rare departure from the past, where usually the entire Arab world would speak in a chorus against Israel.
  • Saudi Arabia has tried to strike a balance: it did mention Israeli occupation forces and was perceived to be leaning towards Palestine but there was no condemnation of the Hamas attacks.
  • Qatar, Kuwait and Oman have been critical of Israel.

Q1) What is HAMAS?

Hamas is a militant Palestinian nationalist and Islamist movement that governs the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. The acronym stands for Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-Islāmiyyah, which translates to "Islamic Resistance Movement".

Q2) What is the geographical location of Israel?

Israel is located in the Middle East, on the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by: North: Lebanon and Syria; East: Jordan and the West Bank; Southwest: Egypt; West: The Mediterranean Sea.

Source: Diplomatic tightrope: Delhi red-flags terror, reiterates stand on Palestine statehood | The Hindu | Hindustan Times