Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effusive multilingual endorsement of United States President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles. On Tuesday, Modi hailed Trump’s 20-point proposal as a “viable pathway” to sustainable peace, with messages posted in seven languages across his personal and official X accounts — English, Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Russian.
The unusual seven-language outreach underscored Modi’s intent to amplify India’s support for Trump’s Middle East initiative, thanking him directly and urging all parties to rally behind the plan. The English version on his personal account praised Trump’s “comprehensive” roadmap, highlighting its potential to bring long-term peace, security, and development for Palestinians, Israelis, and the wider West Asian region.
This warmth towards Trump stands in stark contrast to Modi’s previous stance this year, when Trump publicly claimed that he mediated between India and Pakistan after India conducted strikes on Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. New Delhi swiftly rejected the suggestion, stressing that no such request for mediation was made and that India’s disputes with Pakistan were strictly bilateral. Modi not only dismissed Trump’s claim but also avoided thanking him for any role in defusing Indo-Pak tensions. Pakistan, meanwhile, embraced Trump’s words enthusiastically — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded his mediation offer and Army Chief Field Marchal Asim Munir even pushed for Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The irony has not gone unnoticed. While Trump’s brief intervention on India-Pakistan was met with flat denial from New Delhi, his Gaza plan has drawn enthusiastic appreciation from Modi, even extending to posts in languages rarely used by the Prime Minister’s social media handles. Analysts suggest this could be Modi’s way of signalling alignment with Washington on West Asia, and perhaps an attempt to compensate for the public snub that left Trump diplomatically exposed.
The Gaza peace plan itself is ambitious. It demands that Hamas release all hostages within 72 hours in return for a ceasefire and partial Israeli withdrawal, while Israel would free 1,950 Palestinian prisoners. The plan calls for humanitarian aid under UN supervision, reconstruction under the banner of “New Gaza,” and a path to a two-state solution. A “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump alongside international experts including Tony Blair, is proposed to oversee the interim phase.
India has historically maintained a delicate balance in the Israel-Palestine conflict: supporting Palestinian statehood while cultivating deep ties with Israel. By endorsing Trump’s plan so strongly, Modi appears to be reinforcing India’s pro-peace credentials while aligning strategically with Washington at a time when Netanyahu is politically weakened and the region is under immense strain.
Yet the optics matter. Modi’s multilingual thanks to Trump for Gaza may be read not only as a diplomatic endorsement but also as a striking shift from the firm rebuff of any Trump role in South Asia. For some, it suggests a recalibration — perhaps even an overdue gesture of gratitude.
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