- Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Donald Trump on success of Gaza peace plan
- Israel confirms all parties signed phase one of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
- PM Modi discusses India-US trade talks with Trump, signalling increased activity soon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on the success of the Gaza peace plan that the American leader had proposed in a major step to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people.
In a post on X, PM Modi also announced he discussed India-US trade negotiations with Trump, and indicated more activity in the coming weeks.
"Spoke to my friend, President Trump and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan. Also reviewed the good progress achieved in trade negotiations. Agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks." the prime minister said.
In another post, PM Modi said terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world.
"Called my friend, Prime Minister Netanyahu, to congratulate him on the progress made under President Trump's Gaza peace plan. We welcome the agreement on the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Reaffirmed that terrorism in any form or manifestation is unacceptable anywhere in the world," he said.
Earlier today Israel confirmed that all parties have signed the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The agreement in Egypt follows a 20-point peace plan for Gaza announced last month by Trump, after more than two years of war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.
Trump is likely to visit Jerusalem on Sunday. He has not ruled out going to Egypt and even Gaza.
"The final draft of phase one was signed this morning in Egypt by all parties to release all the hostages," Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters. "Now phase one stands very clear: all of our hostages, the living and the deceased, will be released 72 hours later, which will bring us to Monday," she said.
Under the deal, the Israeli military will withdraw from Gaza and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages. The deal also envisions a surge of aid into Gaza, where the UN has declared famine.
The Israeli army said it was preparing to pull back troops in Gaza, in line with the agreement.
Trump's plan also calls for the disarmament of Hamas and for Gaza to be ruled by a transitional authority headed by the US president himself, though these points have yet to be addressed in discussions.
India-US Trade
PM Modi's announcement on the progress of the India-US trade negotiations comes days after Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said both nations are in continuous dialogue on the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
"We are in constant dialogue with the US (on the trade pact), and talks are on at various levels. We will give more information on this soon on how we are thinking to take it forward," Goyal told reporters in Doha on Tuesday, adding "there is every possibility" of sticking to the November deadline to finalise the deal.
He said India's position is to protect the interests of farmers and the dairy sector. In trade pacts with the UK, the EFTA bloc and Australia, India has protected the interests of farmers and the dairy industry, besides religious sensitivities, he said.
The US remains India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion ($86.5 billion exports). It also accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in the country's total merchandise trade.
