India on Friday expressed deep concern at the “large number of civilian casualties” in Lebanon, which has been relentlessly bombarded by Israeli forces over the past month, while emphasising the protection of civilians and the need to respect international law and the sovereignty of states.
Israeli troops reportedly invaded southern Lebanon after destroying vital infrastructure, such as bridges, after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on March 2. The Israeli bombing campaign and invasion have killed 1,800 people and injured 5,873 in Lebanon.
Deadly campaign
A deadly bombing campaign on Wednesday alone killed 303 people and threatened to derail a fragile truce between Iran and the US.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of a large number of civilian casualties that have been reported in Lebanon,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing. “As a troop contributing country to the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) that is invested in Lebanon’s peace and security, the direction of events is very disturbing.”
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Though the spokesperson didn’t refer to Israel, the remarks amounted to rare criticism of Israel’s actions in the region.
Jaiswal, who was responding to a question on the situation in Lebanon, said it is essential to observe international law and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. “India has always emphasised the protection of civilians as the foremost priority,” he said.
The Indian embassy in Beirut is in close touch with the Indian community in Lebanon, which numbers around 1,000, to ensure its safety and security, he said.
What happened in Lebanon?
Israeli forces bombed more than 100 targets across Lebanon within 10 minutes on Wednesday, despite the Iran-US ceasefire agreement that official statements said included Lebanon. The deaths of 303 people and injuries to 1,150 others were described as the worst mass killings in Lebanon since the end of the country’s civil war in 1990.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the strikes violated the US-Iran truce and threatened to undermine negotiations. More than 1.1 million people have been displaced by the Israeli bombing and invasion over the past month.
India ‘closely’ watching
India, Jaiswal said, is closely following developments in West Asia and reaching out to countries in the region. This includes trips to Qatar by Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri during April 9-10 and to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during April 11-12 to strengthen ties and ensure India’s energy security.
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Jaiswal said Puri conveyed India’s message of solidarity and support to Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani of Qatar. Qatar’s energy minister reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to remain a reliable energy supplier and to strengthen energy cooperation with India, he said.
Qatar is India’s largest supplier of both LNG (11.19 million metric tonnes worth $6.39 billion in 2024-25) and LPG (4.89 million metric tonnes worth $3.21 billion in 2024-25).
Even as India focuses on strengthening its energy security, it is supporting its neighbours in meeting their energy needs. Jaiswal noted that India has supplied 38,000 metric tonnes of fuel to Sri Lanka and is finalising a government-to-government agreement for supplying oil and gas to Mauritius.
Aseem Mahajan, additional secretary (Gulf) in the external affairs ministry, told the media briefing that 2,180 Indian nationals, including 981 students and 657 fishermen, have so far returned from Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan.
