Israel to begin ‘soon’ evacuating civilians in Rafah
Israel is expected to "soon" begin evacuating civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground attack on Gaza's southernmost city, a state-owned media outlet has reported.
Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said his visit was a “dawn of a new era” in friendship between India and Israel.
Speaking to the media after inspecting the Guard of Honour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Netanyahu said: “This is a dawn of a new era in friendship between India and Israel.”
“It began with PM Modi’s historic visit to Israel that created tremendous enthusiasm, it continues with my visit here which I must say is deeply moving for me, my wife and people of Israel,” he added.
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“This visit heralds a flourishing partnership to bring prosperity, peace and progress for our people,” he said further.
Netanyahu was welcomed by President Ram Nath Kovind and was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the chiefs of the three armed forces and senior ministers.
The Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to hold delegation level talks with later in the day at Hyderabad House to pave way for various projects related to cooperation in innovation, technology transfer, defence supplies, and economic relations.
The issue of India’s vote at the UN will also figure in the talks.
The two sides will sign agreements and also issue a joint press statement.
Breaking protocol, Modi on Sunday personally received Netanyahu with a warm hug as he arrived here on a six-day visit to step up growing trade as well as military and strategic ties between the two countries.
The visit, which marks 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, comes six months after Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish state in July last year.
In a sign of growing importance to the ties with Israel, the government on Sunday renamed Delhi’s Teen Murti Chowk as Teen Murti-Haifa Chowk after the Israeli city.
Netanyahu’s entourage includes the largest-ever delegation of Israeli business people of some 130.
This is the first visit to India by an Israeli Prime Minister since Ariel Sharon came in 2003.
(With inputs from agencies)
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