Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages, while Israel freed more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to end the two-year war in Gaza. Thousands of people gathered in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate the return of the hostages. They were waving Israeli flags and raising slogans saying that this massacre is not about the death of the enemies, but about the victory of the lives of our own people. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met US President Donald Trump in Egypt. Kirtivardhan has arrived to represent India at the Gaza Peace Summit. He is participating in the conference as a special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor believes that sending the minister of state in place of Prime Minister Modi was a wrong diplomatic move, especially when the summit saw the presence of heads of state.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a social media post that India welcomes the signing of the historic peace agreement and hopes that it will lead to lasting peace in the region. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “This is a reflection of India’s long-term commitment to dialogue and diplomacy.
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India sent three messages to Minister of State Harsh Vardhan at the summit
India is in no mood to give much importance to Trump: Prime Minister Modi was invited, but he decided to send External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s junior to the Gaza peace summit. Knowing full well that there would be a chance to shake hands and be photographed with the US President. Trump does not miss any opportunity to praise PM Modi but has also been criticizing India on many unconfirmed trade issues. While addressing the world leaders at the summit, Trump described Prime Minister Modi as his great friend, something he has said many times before.
No stage sharing with Pakistan: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was expected to attend the event, which provided an opportunity for Trump and the Pakistani leader to pose for a diplomatic photo. This potential diplomatic inconvenience was averted in advance. This assumes significance in the backdrop of Trump’s repeated claims of resolving the four-day war between India and Pakistan. In fact, during his brief conversation with Trump, Sharif had thanked the President for his efforts in resolving Pakistan’s dispute with India. However, New Delhi has clearly rejected Trump’s claim regarding ceasefire.
Expert in geopolitical game: Modi government showed commitment towards geopolitical connect and clearly said that India is in favor of peace. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that India is in favor of peace in the Middle East and resolution of issues through dialogue and diplomacy. We support President Trump’s Gaza peace plan and commend Egypt and Qatar for their valuable role in achieving it and moving forward on the path to peace.