New Delhi: India on Thursday expressed deep concern following the tragic death of civilians in Rafah. In a weekly media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said, "The heartbreaking loss of civilian lives in the displacement camp in Rafah is a matter of deep concern. We have consistently called for protection of civilian population and respect for international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict".
The MEA noted that the Israeli side has already accepted responsibility for it as a tragic accident and announced an investigation into the incident. There has been a global condemnation after Israel's attack has killed several civilians in the city of Rafah in Southern Gaza.
On May 26, the airstrike happened at a camp for displaced people in Rafah. This came after Hamas launched rockets in the Tel Aviv area. In a statement, the Israeli military has said that the attack was based on precise intelligence against legitimate targets under international law. They added that it killed two senior Hamas officials.
Meanwhile, the MEA said India was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine in the late 1980s. This comes a day after Ireland, Spain and Norway formally recognised Palestine, despite Israel's violent response following seven months of operations in Gaza.
When asked India's position regarding the recognition of Palestine by Ireland, Norway and Spain, the MEA spokesperson said, "As you are aware, India was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Palestine in the late 1980s, and we have long supported two state solution which entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable, and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace".