البروندو

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi told Israel’s parliament on Wednesday that New Delhi stood with it "with full conviction" as he offered condolences over the October 2023 Hamas attack.

Mr Modi received a rousing welcome from Israeli lawmakers at the start of his two-day visit as he promised “friendship, respect and partnership” with the Mideastern country at a time when its global standing has suffered because of the war in Gaza.

"Like you, we have a consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, with no double standards," he told the Knesset, where he received a standing ovation after a 30-minute speech.

Mr Modi added: “Let us ensure that the friendship between India and Israel remains a source of strength in an uncertain world."

Both Mr Modi and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also addressed the parliament, spoke of terrorist attacks that their nations had faced, with the latter saying India and Israel both faced the challenge of confronting "radical Islam".

Some opposition lawmakers briefly walked out of the special session, protesting at the speaker's decision not to invite the head of the Supreme Court, but returned for Mr Modi's remarks. Mr Netanyahu's right-wing government, which the speaker belongs to, has had a confrontational relationship with the court.

Mr Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, became the first prime minister in India's history to visit Israel in 2017, during which he and Mr Netanyahu took a barefoot stroll on a beach in the northern port city of Haifa.

Still in power nearly nine years later, the two leaders are expected to hold talks on artificial intelligence as well as defence at a time when Israel is seeking to increase its military exports.

The Indian leader was greeted at the airport with a hug from Mr Netanyahu, who later introduced Mr Modi to the Knesset as “Narendra, my dear friend".

“I’ve never been more moved than by your visit here with us,” said Mr Netanyahu, calling Mr Modi “a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Israel-India alliance and a great leader on the world stage”.

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The visit is likely to give Israel a boost after seeing relations with many of its allies deteriorate over its prosecution of the war in Gaza.

An Israeli government official told Reuters that Mr Modi's visit would "pave the way for new partnerships and collaborations across many fields”. Bilateral ties were on the cusp of a significant upgrade, an Israeli foreign ministry official said.

Mr Modi's visit to Israel underscored how much closer Israel-India relations had grown during his tenure. His government’s embrace of Israel has marked a shift in the foreign policy of India, which has historically supported the Palestinians.

India did not establish full diplomatic ties with Israel until 1992 and Mr Modi’s visit aims to strengthen security, economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.

In addition to being a powerful ally, India is also Israel’s second-largest trading partner in Asia. Total trade between India and Israel was valued at $3.6bn in the 2025 fiscal year, according to India's commerce ministry.

Mr Modi had been one of the first global leaders to swiftly express solidarity with Israel following the October 2023 attack, which triggered Israel's war on Gaza. “You didn’t flinch. You didn’t waver. You didn’t give excuses,” Mr Netanyahu said as he thanked Mr Modi for his support. “You stood next to Israel. You stood by Israel.”

In turn, Mr Modi affirmed India’s “strong support” for the US ceasefire plan for Gaza that was endorsed by the UN Security Council last year.

It lays out plans for ending Hamas’ rule, disarming the militant group, rebuilding the territory and withdrawing Israeli troops with only a vague commitment to possible Palestinian statehood.

“We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including the Palestine issue,” Mr Modi said.

His visit to the Middle East also comes at a time when the US has deployed a vast naval force near Iran's coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic, with the two countries at an impasse in talks over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The US has also deployed an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, bound for Israel's coast.

A US attack on Iran could draw Iranian retaliation against Israel as well as US military facilities in Gulf Arab countries, where millions of Indians live and work and send home billions of dollars in remittances each year.

In his speech to Israeli lawmakers, Mr Modi vaguely spoke about the challenges facing stability in the region, acknowledging that the landscape had become more challenging in recent years, but made no mention of the US military build-up, or of Iran.