India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador T S Tirumurti, said at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Sunday that India called for an immediate de-escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The statement came as violence in the area has continued for a long since it erupted earlier this month after weeks of friction between the two sides.
Tirumurti called for an immediate resumption of direct talks between the two countries, adding that New Delhi supports a two-state solution.
"The indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the civilian population in Israel, which we condemn, and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza, have caused immense suffering and resulted in deaths, including women and children. We urge both sides to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood", said Tirumurti.
The ambassador also condemned the death of Soumya Santosh, an Indian citizen who worked as a caretaker in Israel and was killed by a Hamas rocket attack.
He also mentioned how Jerusalem holds a special place in the hearts of Indians, with the Al Zawiyya Al Hindiyya - The Indian Hospice, a historic site associated with a great Indian Sufi saint Baba Farid. He further mentioned that it is visited by several Indians every year.
"India has restored this Indian Hospice", Tirumurti said.
The Secretary-General at the UN, Antonio Guterres stated that "Leaders on all sides have a responsibility to curb inflammatory rhetoric and calm the rising tensions," reported Hindustan Times.
Since the latest round of violence started, at least 192 people have been killed in Gaza, including 58 children and 34 women.
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