India calls for release of Israeli hostages, de-escalation

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, India on Thursday called for immediate and unconditional release of hostages while also urged to de-escalate the situation to resume direct peace negotiations towards a two-state solution. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India has shared its concern over the rising death toll of civilians. “We (India) made our position clear on multiple occasions during the UNGA debate. We have condemned the horrific attack on Israel, urged the need for zero tolerance for terrorism and called for immediate and unconditional release of hostages,” he said.