India and Saudi Arabia discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict on Wednesday. India's external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, said that New Delhi supports an early ceasefire in Gaza and aims to resolve the Palestinian issue with a two-state solution.

During a meeting with his Saudi colleague Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Jaishankar stated that although India denounces acts of terrorism, any response to the October 7 terror attacks must consider international humanitarian law. In his introductory remarks, Jaishankar described Saudi Arabia as an “important force for stability” in West Asia, saying, “The situation in West Asia is a matter of deep concern, particularly the conflict in Gaza. 

He cited India's morally upright and steadfast stance on the war, saying, “While we condemn acts of terrorism and hostage-taking, we are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians. Any response must take into account the international humanitarian law. We support an early ceasefire.” India has supported a two-state solution to the Palestinian problem and helped establish Palestinian institutions, according to Jaishankar.

Recently, India urged both sides to reduce tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading, especially after Israel's attacks on Lebanon. India called for an immediate stop to the fighting, the release of all hostages, a quick resumption of humanitarian aid, and renewed dialogue aimed at achieving a two-state solution. Jaishankar highlighted that both nations share a common goal of keeping the region stable and boosting their economic growth.

The two foreign ministers jointly led the second meeting of the Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation. This committee operates under the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), the top body that manages political, strategic, and trade relations between India and Saudi Arabia. According to a statement from the external affairs ministry, the ministers discussed the development of the two countries' ties since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to India in September 2023.

Both sides discussed ways to make their partnership stronger in areas like trade, investment, energy, defence, security, culture, and consular services. Prince Faisal emphasised the need for teamwork and cooperation on issues that matter to both countries, especially those related to global peace, security, and economic growth. According to the Saudi foreign ministry, he said that increasing cooperation would benefit both nations. 

Jaishankar added that there have been a number of firsts in the bilateral defence collaboration in recent years, such as two combined naval exercises and the first land forces joint exercise in 2024. “And our cooperation has now expanded in the field of defence industry and exports as well,” he said. Security cooperation between the two countries has strengthened, with both sides working together to counter terrorism, fight extremism, prevent terror financing, and stop drug trafficking.

Trade and investment are key aspects of their partnership, and they are now expanding cooperation into new areas like technology, energy, renewable energy, connectivity, and education. Jaishankar also expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their efforts in supporting the welfare of the 2.6 million Indians living in  Saudi Arabia.