Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the deal to release 50 Israeli hostages. During his address at the Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit on November 22, he asserted that killing of innocents, especially children and women, is not acceptable.
The Prime Minister made seven observations on the Israel-Hamas conflict. These included zero tolerance on terrorism, expediting humanitarian aid, need for regional stability and pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.
The virtual G20 summit was attended by 22 heads of government, though some leaders were not present. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, Australian PM Anthony Albanese took part, while Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden skipped it.
At the summit, PM Modi also spoke about the negative effects of artificial intelligence and made a strong pitch for its global regulation. India, he added, will host a Global AI Partnership Summit next month.
The four-day Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on November 23. In the Gaza truce, 130 Palestinian women and children will be freed in exchange for 50 Israeli hostages. The truce could be extended by a day for each additional release of 10 Israeli hostages. Hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel would be allowed to enter Gaza. Egypt, Qatar, and the US have helped mediate the deal between Israel and Hamas.
