External Affairs Minister 🀅S Jaishankar on Wednesday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar where they discussed bilateral relations and Sa'ar reportedly briefed 🌌him on the ongoing developments in the West Asia region.
Jaishankar in a post on X wrote about their conversation stating, "Pleased to speak to FM @gidonsaar🌱 of Israel today.Appreciate his briefing on the ongoing developments in the region. Also discussed our bilateral relations and effor🍸ts to strengthen them."
Jaishankar als𝓡o added that he looks forwards to meet Sa'ar in person.
There have been a flurry of diplomatic engagements in the last few days for theꦦ proposed ceasefire🅺 and hostage release deal after months of deadlock in the negotiations between the two sides.
Around 95 hostages a꧒re r🅘eportedly in the custody of Hamas in Gaza.
The two foreign ministers understood to have also discussed𝄹 the 🍷situation in Syria following the collapse of President Bashar Assad's regime 11 days back.
Rebel forces overthrew Assad's aut🥀horitarian government on December 8 after capturing several other prominent cities and towns.
Assad fled to Russia after the rebel ♎group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus, marking the end of his family's 50-year rule.
In i▨ts reaction, India pitched for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process in that country.
"We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the Ministry🤡 of External Affairs (MEA) said on December 9.
Jaishankar's call comes days after he reaffirmed India's support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine in the Iꦆndian Parliament.
Addressing the ninth day of the Parliament winter session on December 5, the union minist꧃er reaffirms India's support for the creation of "a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state" alongside♑ Israel.
Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, India has provided humanitarian assistance to Palestine and the United Nations Reliܫef and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
India on December 13 voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated the demand for immediate and unconditional rele𓂃ase of all hostages.
The UN General Assembly haಞs approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban.
India recently also said that it remains "concerned" at the evolving situation in West Asia and attaꩲcks against commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea threaten freedom of navigation and "impact our tra💜de".
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in the Indian Parliament also said the government has "raised the issue" with the countries in the region and the Indian Missions are "closely monitoring" the situation to mitigate its impact.
(With PTI inputs)
