India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been consistent in its approach towards the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. For the last two years, it has not condemned it for once despite the UN investigation revealing that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Now, documents even show that India has also refrained from sending aid to Gaza in the last two years, except for three occasions.
India has consciously avoided the Gaza issue unless it popped up at multilateral meetings. It has maintained a textbook stance on the issue that has caused a global uproar. This indifference is visible in India’s approach towards aid delivery to the besieged Gaza Strip.
India sends minimal aid to Gaza
According to India’s Representative Office in Ramallah, New Delhi has sent aid to Gaza only three times in the past two years, once in October 2023 and twice in October 2024. Then, from October 2024 onwards, it didn’t send any aid to Gaza.
There is a stark contrast between the data shared by the MEA on its website and the data shared by India’s Representative Office in Ramallah.
While according to the Ramallah-based India Representative Office, India has sent a total of 98.5 tonnes of aid to Gaza between October 2023 and July 2025, the MEA claims that it has sent 135 tonnes of humanitarian aid.
This discrepancy raises questions about how much real aid has reached Gaza.
India sends first aid consignment to Gaza in October 2023
The first tranche of Indian aid reached Gaza after Israel allowed aid flow through the Rafah crossings in October 2023, following its tightening of the siege and rampant bombing.
According to the Representative Office, India had sent 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material through Egypt in October 2023.
The material, according to the Ramallah office, included life-saving medicines, surgical items, tents, tarpaulins, tents, sleeping bags, sanitary utilities, water purification tablets, among other items.
However, the MEA has a different estimation. “In response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, India has also sent 70 tonnes of humanitarian assistance including 16.5 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in two tranches on 22 October and 19 November 2023 (sic),” it claims on its website.
Behind this first consignment lies a dark chapter in Indian foreign policy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended unconditional support to Israel in its Gaza aggression following Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th 2023.
He said India supports Israel against terrorism. Following his announcement, India remained quiet even after Israel targeted civilians, schools and even hospitals, killing thousands within a week.
I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2023
Mr Modi’s stance and indifference not only isolated India in West Asia, it also jeopardised the US-backed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor project, unveiled during the September 2023 G-20 Summit in New Delhi.
The isolation forced the MEA to reiterate India’s age-old line on the Palestine question—support for a two-state solution. The MEA said that it supports a two-state solution to end the conflict.
Mr Modi tweeted, highlighting India’s concerns regarding Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza. Then the MEA announced sending aid to Gaza.
Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2023
Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern.…
Spoke to the President of the Palestinian Authority H.E. Mahmoud Abbas. Conveyed my condolences at the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. We will continue to send humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. Shared our deep concern at the terrorism,…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 19, 2023
Then, despite Israel intensifying its killings, attacks on hospitals and expanding its aggression targeting Lebanon and Syria, India didn’t send any aid until October 2024.
India’s second aid consignment to Gaza
In October 2024, India sent aid consignments to Gaza after Mr Modi had a bilateral meeting with the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22nd 2024.
“Prime Minister expressed deep concern at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating security situation in the region and reaffirmed India’s unwavering support to the people of Palestine, including continued humanitarian assistance (sic),” the MEA had said in a statement.
The prime minister’s assurance that India would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza prompted New Delhi to send the second consignment a month later.
India had sent aid to Gaza in two tranches in October 2024. According to the official data, India had sent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
On October 22nd 2024, India sent the first tranche of aid of the year to Gaza through the UNRWA.
According to the Representative Office of India in Ramallah, the first tranche of the aid comprised 30 tonnes of medicines and food items. The consignment included a wide range of essential medicines and surgical supplies, dental products, general medical items and high-energy biscuits, the office informed.
Following these, India sent the second tranche of aid to Gaza on October 29th 2024. It sent 30 tonnes of medical supplies comprising essential life-saving and anti-cancer drugs, according to the Representative Office of India in Ramallah.
No further food items were sent then.
However, the MEA claims that India has sent more aid and until November 2024. “In October and November 2024, we also sent close to 65 tonnes of lifesaving medicines to UNRWA and Palestinian Ministry of Health (sic),” the MEA has mentioned.
Cutting off aid
After the 2024 BRICS summit, India didn’t send any more aid to Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis worsened further, especially after Israel restricted aid flow in May, blaming Hamas for looting the trucks.
While India had supported the unhindered supply of aid to Gaza at the UN, its reluctance to provide minimum food or medical items to the crisis-ridden Palestinians trapped in the besieged territory from October 2024 raises questions.
Not only did India refrain from sending regular aid to Gaza, where 2.2m people face Israel’s oppressive starvation policy, but it also refrains from highlighting the issue at global platforms.
Leaders remain silent on Gaza
Mr Modi himself has tweeted on Gaza four times in the last two years—twice in October 2023, once in September and once in October 2025. In his latest tweets, he has lauded US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace proposal.
When External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the UNGA on September 27th, he mentioned Gaza only once, and that too to emphasise how conflicts in some regions are affecting all.
“In the case of conflicts, especially Ukraine and Gaza, even those not directly involved have felt its impact. Nations who can engage all sides must step-up in the search for solutions. India calls for an end to hostilities and will support any initiative that will help restore peace (sic),” Mr Jaishankar had said.
Mr Jaishankar’s speech, obliterating the sufferings of Gaza, a year after Mr Modi had mentioned that India is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip, highlights India’s hypocrisy on the matter.
It’s an irony that Mr Jaishankar had, in the same speech, said that India is becoming the Global South’s voice. While claiming to be the Global South’s voice, India’s indifference towards the biggest issue of the region that has captivated the world has stunned many.
The approach taken by India, the indifference shown by it towards the Palestinian people’s plight and the data that shows scanty aid allocation for Gaza prove that New Delhi strives to be seen as a partner of Israel and the US. It doesn’t want to represent the collective will of the Global South.
This exposes the hollowness of Mr Modi’s foreign policy.
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