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Informist, Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025

NEW DELHI - India Wednesday expressed concern over the situation in Gaza, after airstrikes by Israel killed over 400 Palestinians, including women and children, on Tuesday. India's External Affairs Ministry advocated for the release of all hostages and called for sustained humanitarian assistance to people of Gaza. "It is important that all hostages are released. We also call for supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza to be sustained," the ministry said in a statement.

Breaking the ceasefire in effect since mid-January, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed 404 Palestinians in Gaza, various media reports said. More than 600 people were reported to be injured from the airstrikes, which Israel said targetted Hamas military commanders and political officials, reports said.

Israel's military ordered evacuation of parts of eastern Gaza, which suggests that Israeli troops could launch renewed ground operations within hours, The Guardian reported. A White House spokesperson in Washington said Israel had consulted the US administration before it carried out the strikes, the report said.

Israel and US officials blamed Hamas for breaking the ceasefire agreement as the militant organisation refused to release more of the 59 hostages it holds in Gaza, reports stated. Hamas said hostage releases were due only during a scheduled second phase that Israel agreed to in January but has since refused to discuss or implement, The Guardian reported.

Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire agreement in January after a 15-month-long Gaza war, now stretched to 17 months. The war has resulted in deaths of nearly 48,000 people, mostly Palestinians. As per the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 25 alive and remains of eight dead Israelis were to be returned by militant groups in Gaza in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.  End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Nishant Maher

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