Sharad Pawar targets Modi govt over India abstaining on Gaza resolution in UN

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was "total confusion" in the approach of the Narendra Modi government to the Palestine issue amid the Israel-Hamas war, his comment coming after India abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution calling for immediate humanitarian truce.

Several thousand people have been killed in Gaza in a massive counter-offensive by Israel following deadly raids on October 7 by Hamas.

Replying to a question in a news conference, Pawar said India never supported the way Gaza is being attacked, hospitals were being bombed, resulting in the death of thousands.

"Today, there is total confusion in the Indian government's policy. I have never seen such confusion from the Indian government over the Palestine and Gaza issue. The first statement of the PM totally supported Israel. When there was a reaction from the outside world and (within)India, the foreign ministry took a different line and spoke in favour of Palestine," Pawar, a former defence minister, claimed.

India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict leading to a cessation of hostilities. It also called for unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip.

The 193 members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session, voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations, including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa.

The 193-member world body adopted the resolution by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions.

Earlier this month, after Hamas launched its incursions, PM Narendra Modi had expressed solidarity with Israel and condemned the "terrorist attacks".

"Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," Modi had said.

On October 10, Modi told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that people of India stand firmly with his country, expressing strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the strikes by Hamas on Israeli cities as "terror attacks", but also reaffirmed India's long-standing position, advocating negotiations towards establishing a "sovereign, independent and viable" state of Palestine living side-by-side at peace with Israel.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing there was a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law as also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.