By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the US and voiced concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to an official statement.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Summit of the Future in New York on Sunday, and Modi “expressed deep concern at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating security situation in the region,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said.
Modi "reaffirmed India’s unwavering support to the people of Palestine, including continued humanitarian assistance,” the ministry said in the statement.
He reiterated India's "time-tested principled" position on the Israel-Palestine issue, “and called for ceasefire, release of hostages and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.”
Only a two-state solution will deliver enduring peace and stability in the region, Modi said, recalling that India was "one of the first countries to recognize Palestine.”
He conveyed India’s continued support to Palestine's membership of the UN, the ministry said.
The statement added that the two sides discussed India’s support to Palestine at the UN and "ongoing assistance and support to Palestine in the field of education, health, and other capacity building efforts."
Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
More than 41,400 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and more than 95,800 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.