External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met on Wednesday to discuss the situation in West Asia, especially with new efforts underway to finalise a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The two foreign ministers also discussed measures to improve bilateral ties during their phone call. “Pleased to speak to FM @gidonsaar of Israel today. Appreciate his briefing on the ongoing developments in the region,” Jaishankar said on X. “Also, discussed our bilateral relations and efforts to strengthen them. Look forward to meeting in person.” India is a "giant country, one of the most important in the world, and friendly to Israel," according to Sa'ar's post on X. "We agreed to meet soon and work together to strengthen our bilateral relations," he continued. 

India has maintained a neutral stance on the situation in West Asia due to its strong relationships with both Israel and Arab nations. While it condemned the terror attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas in October last year, India also urged Israel to consider humanitarian concerns in its response. Furthermore, India has called for a return to talks and diplomacy to work towards a two-state solution. 

The conversation between Jaishankar and Sa’ar took place while US and Arab mediators were working in Cairo to finalise an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the 14-month war in the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, a Palestinian official with knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters that mediators had closed gaps on the majority of the agreement's provisions. He claimed that Hamas had rejected the terms that Israel had imposed.