India and Israel agree there is 'no place for terrorism in the world', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday in a strong joint statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Terrorism… in any form, in any expression, cannot be accepted. We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Modi also underlined India's support for peace in Gaza and said, "India will support future initiatives as well. We have always believed in peaceful resolution. Humanity must never become a victim of conflict. We will counter terrorism and their sponsors."
The Prime Minister has made India's position on the war in Gaza, which has been raging since October 2023, clear. He has said India urges both sides to negotiate a peaceful end to the violence, a statement he repeated yesterday, when he addressed the Israeli Parliament.
"A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts. In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries".
India and Israel, PM Modi also said, would elevate their "time-tested" relationship to that of a Special Strategic Partnership and would expand already close defence ties by working towards joint development and production of military hardware under a tech transfer framework.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
On Wednesday NDTV reported about the two countries being on the verge of signing a deal for Delhi to buy six aircraft to allow Indian fighter jets to refuel in mid-air.
This Rs 8,000-crore deal, sources said, involves an Israeli government-owned corporation partnering with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to convert six second-hand Boeing 767 passenger jets into military refuelling aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
It is crucial since the Indian Air Force has long required tanker jets and has been forced to rely on leased aircraft as a backup. The deal likely to be signed later this year, sources said.
The Prime Minister, on a two-day visit to Israel, also signed multiple agreements across multiple sectors covering Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, education, civil nuclear facilities, and defence, reflecting the nations' growing strategic, technological, and economic partnership.
Addressing the joint presser with Netanyahu, PM Modi said his talks had given India-Israel ties a "new direction and faster momentum". "Our economic collaboration has become the engine for growth, innovation and shared prosperity," he said, adding, "We will soon give the final shape to a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement."
