The loss of nearly 45 Palestinian lives, including children, in a recent Israeli bombing in Rafah is "heartbreaking," India said Thursday.
The bombing, which occurred on May 26, targeted tents housing displaced persons in Rafah. The statement came from Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, during a weekly press briefing.
"The heartbreaking loss of civilian lives in the displacement camp in Rafah is a matter of deep concern," Jaiswal said. "We have consistently called for the protection of civilian populations and respect for international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict. We also note that the Israeli side has accepted responsibility for the incident as a tragic accident and announced an investigation."
The bombing, part of an ongoing Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip, has intensified global outrage. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 36,000 people so far.
Jaiswal also reaffirmed India's longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. "We have long supported a two-state solution, which entails the establishment of a sovereign, viable, and independent state of Palestine within recognized and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace," he said, responding to a question about recent recognitions of the Palestinian state by Spain, Ireland, and Norway. India officially recognized the Palestinian state in the late 1980s, he added.
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