India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, called today for an urgent two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, stressing that only dialogue and diplomacy can bring lasting peace. Delivering India’s statement at the High-Level International Conference on “The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of The Two-State Solution” in New York, he reiterated New Delhi’s demand for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
Ambassador Harish drew attention to the catastrophic humanitarian toll in Gaza, where “tens of thousands have been killed, and many more injured,” medical facilities lie in ruins, and children have been deprived of schooling for over 20 months. “Sustaining life is beyond any realm of politics or conflict,” he said, underscoring that humanitarian assistance—food, fuel, and medical relief—must remain “outside the realm of politics or conflict” and flow without hindrance.
He outlined India’s four-point short-term roadmap:
- Immediate ceasefire to halt further civilian suffering.
- Sustained and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, ensuring access to essential supplies.
- Release of all hostages to build trust and goodwill.
- Direct dialogue and diplomacy between Israel and Palestine to chart a path toward a viable two-state outcome.
“Humanitarian aid needs to flow without impediments,” Ambassador Harish insisted, expressing appreciation for nations that have already facilitated relief efforts. He warned against paper-only resolutions and called instead for follow-through on concrete action points from the conference. “Let us not be content with paper solutions but strive to achieve practical solutions that actually make a tangible difference in the daily lives of our Palestinian brothers and sisters,” he urged.
Reaffirming India’s readiness to support these efforts, Ambassador Harish concluded, “It is also India’s earnest desire to see peace and calm prevail in the Middle East. Lasting solutions are required to achieve this… India expresses its complete readiness to contribute to this noble endeavor.”
