“India stands firm with Israel”: Prime Minister Modi received an update from Netanyahu The call came as the Palestinian envoy called on India to help resolve the crisis. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him and gave him an update on the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has left more than 1,600 people dead so far. The Prime Minister said he assured Netanyahu that India stands with Israel in “this difficult hour”. He also emphasized that India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms. "I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for the call and providing updates on the current situation. The people of India stand with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Prime Minister Modi said on X, formerly Twitter. This message of support is significant as India has historically supported the Palestinian cause and has also moved closer to Israel in recent years. The war comes at a time when India is preparing to play a larger role in the Middle East and is currently facing a difficult diplomatic situation. While the US, UK, Germany, France and Italy issued a joint statement expressing "unrelenting support" for Israel and clearly condemning Hamas, many Middle Eastern countries blamed Israel for the current situation. The conversation between Prime Minister Modi and Netanyahu also took place in the context of the Palestinian envoy saying that India is a friend of both Israel and Palestine and must intervene to help resolve the crisis. In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Tuesday, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abu Alhaija blamed the war on Israel and the international community, now in its fourth day. “What happened was a reaction to what Israel is doing in the West Bank. The international community must take responsibility for this war. The United Nations has passed 800 resolutions on Palestine. Israel has not done any of those things. If Israel ends its control over the occupied territories in Palestine, the attacks will also stop,” said Alhaija, appointed by the Palestinian Authority government headed by President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Abbas's government controls the West Bank while the Gaza Strip is under the control of Hamas. The ambassador said Palestine opposes the killing of civilians and called for Indian intervention to help find a peaceful solution. “Our president is in contact with several European countries to help negotiate,” he said. India is a friend to both. We want India to intervene and help us negotiate.” “We support Israel” Post a comment In a joint statement, the leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy called Hamas's actions appalling and warned against any country trying to exploit the current crisis in Israel. "We clearly state that Hamas' terrorist act has no just cause, has no legitimacy and must be universally condemned. There can never be any justification for terrorism . In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes", " He massacred more than 200 young people who were enjoying a music festival and kidnapped elderly women, children and entire families, who are now being held hostage," the statement said.