People of India stand firmly with Israel: PM Modi Consoles Netanyahu

NEW DELHI: Amid the intense Israeli military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas terror attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming India's support for Israel.

Prime Minister Modi took to his official social media handle on X to share details of his discussion with Netanyahu, stating, "I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for his phone call and the update on the ongoing situation. The people of India stand firmly with Israel during this challenging period. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."

On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi had expressed solidarity with Israel in response to the deadly rocket strikes carried out by Hamas. He conveyed that his thoughts and prayers, along with those of fellow Indians, were with the innocent victims and their families.

"Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," PM Modi posted on X.

Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, also expressed gratitude to PM Modi for his support, stating on X, "Thank you again PM @narendramodi-ji. Since we receive SUCH STRONG support from our Indian brothers and sisters, I regretfully cannot thank each and every one personally. Please accept this as my heartfelt gratitude to all our friends."

According to the latest reports, the conflict has resulted in the loss of at least 900 lives among Israelis, with over 2,616 individuals injured.

In a war update shared by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on X, it was revealed that around 30 individuals are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict.

The IDF report also highlighted that approximately 4,500 rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israel. In response, Israeli defense forces have targeted 1290 Hamas locations in Gaza.

The Israeli Air Force continues to conduct extensive airstrikes on multiple targets belonging to terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.

An IDF Spokesperson confirmed that 123 soldiers have lost their lives in the fighting, and 50 families have been notified of their relatives being kidnapped by Hamas.

Israel has initiated the mobilization of 300,000 troops within the last 48 hours as part of its counteraction against Hamas. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced the mobilization, emphasizing that the IDF has never called up such a large number of reservists so swiftly, with 300,000 reservists mobilized within 48 hours. This mobilization is the largest since the 1973 Yom Kippur War when Israel had called up 400,000 reservists, as reported by Times of Israel.

Also Read: 40 Israelis killed, over 50 held hostage; Netanyahu says country at war

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