'Everyone must honour commitments', says MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh on Trump's Gaza peace plan

The Minister of state in the ministry of external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who was PM Modi's special envoy to the US-Egypt hosted Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit has said that when it comes to the US President Trump's Gaza peace plan "everyone must honour their respective commitments" that could "set the stage for subsequent follow up steps".

Under Trump's 20 point Gaza peace plan, after the first phase has been implemented, which involves ceasefire implementation, release of Israeli hostages, Palestinian prisoners, humanitarian access, phase 2 needs to be implemented. Under Phase 2, a multinational force called the International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be deployed, Israeli defence forces will withdraw, Hamas will disarm, and Gaza will be demilitarized. The phase 2 challenges include Hamas’s historical resistance to disarmament and Israel’s insistence on maintaining security control until threats are fully eliminated.

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The Indian minister was making the statement at theNAM Ministerial Committee meeting on Palestine in Uganda.Important to note that the NAM Ministerial Committee on Palestine was established under India’s Presidency, during NAM Summit in New Delhi in 1983. While condemning the October 7th, 2023 terror attack by Hamas in Israel, MoS Singh said, "Gaza must have access to food, fuel and other necessities without hindrance". He restated India's policy on a 2 state solution which he said is the "only path to achieve lasting peace and overall prosperity". India backs a sovereign, independent, viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, within secure and recognized borders.

India meanwhile continues to extend development cooperation and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan. The minister said, "our projects range from health to education; from institution-building to women’s empowerment and more". Since October 2023 alone, India has provided relief assistance of nearly 135 metric tons of medicines and supplies. India also contributes annually $5 million to the core budget of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The Indian minister on the sidelines of the meet met Mali Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Somalia Ali Mohamed Omar.