Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday paused an ongoing security cabinet meeting on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal to take a phone call from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The Times of Israel reported, citing Netanyahu’s office.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Netanyahu on the agreement reached for the release of all hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu, in turn, thanked his Indian counterpart for his continued support of Israel. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working in close cooperation on regional and global issues, according to the statement.
Modi noted that Netanyahu “has always been a close friend and that their friendship will remain strong.” The Indian Prime Minister also lauded the agreement as a step toward restoring peace and providing humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza. “India welcomes the agreement on the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza,” Modi said, emphasizing that “terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world.”
The phone call came shortly after Modi had spoken to US President Donald Trump, congratulating him on what he described as the “historic Gaza peace plan.” In a post on X, Modi said he and Trump reviewed progress in India-US trade negotiations and agreed to remain in close touch.
Earlier in the day, Modi publicly praised Netanyahu’s leadership, calling the ceasefire deal “a reflection of his strong leadership.” He added, “We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace.”
The first phase of the ceasefire deal, agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, aims to end two years of conflict. Under the agreement, Hamas will release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails. The war, which erupted following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and wounded nearly 170,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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