UPDATES WITH COMMENTS FROM INDIAN PRIME MINISTER AT G-20 SUMMIT; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK; ADDS BACKGROUND
By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI (AA) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas “should not turn into a regional conflict.”
Addressing a G-20 virtual summit, Modi also welcomed the hostage swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
“We welcome the news of the release of hostages. We hope all the hostages will be released soon,” Modi said.
Early on Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian pause was achieved between Israel and Hamas, with the starting time of the pause to be announced within 24 hours.
The Qatar-mediated agreement suggests the announcement of a four-day pause in fighting, the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Gaza Strip, release of 50 Israelis held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
The agreement also allows an extension of the pause and the potential release of more children and women held by the two sides.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
Authorities in Gaza said Tuesday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave since then has risen past 14,100 people – including over 5,800 children and 3,900 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.
The Indian prime minister is chairing a virtual meeting of the leaders of the world's top 20 economies.
New Delhi invited the leaders of all G-20 member nations including the chair of the African Union, as well as nine guest countries, and the heads of 11 international organizations.
India hosted a physical summit of G-20 leaders in September. Its G-20 term presidency ends this month, with Brazil set to take the reins.