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A time aft it skipped a associated quality with different countries astatine the United Nations to condemn Israel for its plans for West Bank settlements, India signed a associated connection precocious connected Wednesday (February 18, 2026) night.
The statement, which was work retired by the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, connected Tuesday (February 17) successful New York, criticised the Israeli authorities for a fig of moves to grow its power implicit the West Bank areas nether the Palestinian Authority.
Among those who accompanied Mr. Mansour during the associated property telephone were diplomats from Arab nations, BRICS members, Quad partners Japan and Australia, European Union subordinate states specified arsenic Germany, and each imperishable members of the UN Security Council, but for the U.S.
India’s archetypal determination not to motion the statement, which was endorsed by 85 countries, was seen arsenic linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s question to Israel connected February 25-26 and his upcoming meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The determination was astonishing fixed India’s accepted enactment for a Palestinian authorities and its past disapproval of Israel’s colony policy.
However, much than 24 hours later, the government appeared to displacement its presumption and signed the document.
“More than 100 states and planetary organizations person joined the connection condemning Israel’s unilateral measures and rejecting annexation,” the Palestinian authorities announced precocious connected Wednesday (February 18), including India’s sanction successful the statement.
“We reiterate our rejection of each measures aimed astatine altering the demographic composition, quality and presumption of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem,” said the connection issued successful New York. “Such measures interruption planetary law, undermine the ongoing efforts for bid and stableness successful the region, tally antagonistic to the Comprehensive Plan, and jeopardize the imaginable of reaching a bid statement ending the conflict,” it added.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who travelled to Delhi to be the AI Impact Summit connected Wednesday (February 18), had besides issued a connection “condemning” the Israeli government’s plans to necessitate documentation from existing landholders and easiness restrictions connected outsiders acquiring spot successful the West Bank.
“The determination could pb to the dispossession of Palestinians of their spot and risks expanding Israeli power implicit onshore successful the area. Such measures, including Israel’s continued beingness successful the Occupied Palestinian Territory, are not lone destabilizing but, arsenic recalled by the International Court of Justice, unlawful,” the connection issued by the Secretary-General’s bureau said.
The External Affairs Ministry refused requests for a remark connected the government’s decisions, archetypal to enactment distant from the associated quality and past to motion the statement.
The government’s determination to enactment retired of the connection was criticised by the Opposition and erstwhile diplomats, immoderate of whom praised the determination to articulation the connection later.
Congress wide caput Jairam Ramesh said Mr. Modi indispensable “call out” Mr. Netanyahu during his sojourn to Israel adjacent week and “publicly explicit India’s sedate interest astatine what Israel is executing successful the occupied West Bank”.
India has added its sanction to the database of countries criticising Israel for its unilateral measures connected the West Bank.
