India on Friday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, calling it a positive development and reiterating its support for efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region.
Addressing a media briefing in the national capital, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India supports all initiatives that contribute to de-escalation. “We welcome the ceasefire. We welcome every step that leads towards peace,” he said.
The 10-day truce
The remarks come after a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Thursday, bringing a temporary halt to hostilities along the volatile border. The truce is being seen as part of wider diplomatic efforts to cool tensions in West Asia.
The United States President Donald Trump indicated efforts to broker an unprecedented engagement between the leadership of the two sides, and playing a key role in facilitating the pause in fighting.
The ceasefire is also linked to broader negotiations involving Iran, which has maintained that any de-escalation involving Lebanon must be part of a larger regional understanding. The current diplomatic push is aimed at preventing further spillover of the conflict.
India on Hamas ‘terrorist organisation’ designation issue
Responding to queries about Israel’s request for India to designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation, Jaiswal said the matter is handled through an established process.
“We have a process in place, and those issues are addressed under that process,” he noted.
The issue gained traction after Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently underlined the importance of such a designation during an interaction with global Hindu community leaders, citing Hamas’ alleged links with other extremist groups.
He said, “I stressed the importance of Hamas being designated as a terror organisation by India. Hamas has ties with all other radical Islamist terror organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba,” Sa’ar during the virtual interaction.
Hezbollah factor in Lebanon-Israel tensions
While Lebanon is not formally at war with Israel, the situation has remained tense due to the activities of Hezbollah, which controls significant parts of southern Lebanon. The group has carried out attacks on Israeli positions, triggering retaliatory strikes.
Lebanon has faced the brunt of these counterattacks, with its government struggling to exert full control over Hezbollah’s operations.
The latest round of tensions in the region escalated after a joint military offensive by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. The situation intensified further when Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel on March 2, drawing Lebanon into the conflict dynamics.
The ceasefire is now being viewed as a crucial step toward preventing a wider regional confrontation.