India welcomes Trump Gaza plan, Modi says it provides viable path to peace
India has consistently called for a return to dialogue to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and to pave the way for efforts aimed at a two-state solution
India on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the initiative provides a “viable pathway” for long-term peace and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people.
On Monday, Trump unveiled the peace proposal, which envisages the return of all hostages taken by Hamas, living or dead, within 72 hours of a ceasefire. The plan leaves many details to be worked out by negotiators and hinges on acceptance by Hamas, which triggered the conflict with terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Gaza Strip, the world’s most densely populated enclave, where offensives by the Israeli military have killed more than 66,000 people, will be redeveloped as “New Gaza”, according to the plan.
India has consistently called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and to pave the way for efforts aimed at a two-state solution, and Modi endorsed Trump’s initiative.
“We welcome President Donald J. Trump’s announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It provides a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security, and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region,” Modi said on social media.
“We hope that all concerned will come together behind President Trump’s initiative and support this effort to end conflict and secure peace.”
Trump announced the 20-point plan as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. If Israel and Hamas agree to the proposal, the war will end immediately, and Israeli forces will partially withdraw to prepare for a hostage release.
All military operations will be suspended and battle lines will be frozen until conditions are met for the “complete staged withdrawal” of Israeli forces. All hostages taken by Hamas, alive or dead, will be returned within 72 hours of Israel accepting the proposal.
Once all hostages are released, Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,700 Gazans arrested after the start of the conflict in October 2023. After the release of all hostages, Hamas members “who commit to peaceful coexistence” and give up arms will be provided amnesty. Hamas members who want to leave Gaza will be provided with safe passage.
On acceptance of the agreement, full aid will be sent into the Gaza Strip, with quantities consistent with levels mandated under a January 19, 2025, accord. Aid deliveries will proceed without interference from Israel or Hamas through the UN and related agencies.
The plan envisions a “Board of Peace” of international experts led by Trump and including former UK prime minister Tony Blair. Gaza will be temporarily governed by a “technocratic, apolitical” committee of Palestinians and international experts overseen by the Board of Peace.
An economic development plan to rebuild Gaza will be created by gathering a panel of experts who have had a role in creating “modern miracle cities” in West Asia, and a special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates.
Under Trump’s plan, no one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to return. Hamas and other factions will have to agree to have no role in governing Gaza, and the group’s military infrastructure, including tunnels and weapons production facilities, will be destroyed.
The plan envisages the US working with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary “International Stabilisation Force” to be deployed in Gaza. Israel will also not occupy or annex Gaza, and its armed forces will hand over the occupied territory in Gaza to the International Stabilisation Force.
People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that India has had a consistent, clear, and longstanding position focused on a two-state solution. This national policy – focused on a negotiated two-state solution aimed at establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, within secure and recognised borders, and living side by side in peace with Israel – has support across political party lines, the people said.
India was one of the first non-Arab countries to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the people of Palestine in 1974, and, in 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine.
On September 12, India voted in favour of the “New York Declaration”, the outcome document of a conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France on the peaceful settlement of the issue of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.
Since the start of the current conflict in October 2023, India has strongly condemned the terror attacks by Hamas in keeping with its policy of “zero tolerance” for terrorism, as well as the loss of civilian lives, the people pointed out.
India continues to be concerned at the security situation in the region and has called for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, they said. At the same time, India has emphasised the need for safe, timely, and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. “India has reiterated that bringing Israel and Palestine closer contributes to creating conditions for early resumption of direct peace negotiations,” one of the people said.
