By Reena Bhardwaj

New York [US], July 24 (ANI): India has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, uninterrupted humanitarian aid and release of hostages to address the deepening crisis in the region. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council's quarterly open debate on the Middle East, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said that mere pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the worsening humanitarian situation.

'Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,' Harish said.

He expressed concern over the collapsing healthcare and education systems in Gaza.

'WHO estimates that around 95 per cent of all hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that more than 6,50,000 children have had no schooling for over 20 months,' he said.

Calling for urgent international action, Harish said, 'The ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue. Humanitarian assistance needs to be facilitated in a safe, sustained and timely manner. There is no substitute for peace. A ceasefire must be established. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives. There are no other fixes or solutions.'

Harish also reiterated India's historic support to Palestine.

'India shares historic and strong ties with our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We have always stood by them, and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering. We were the first non-Arab country to recognise the State of Palestine.'

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He said India is currently implementing development projects worth over USD 40 million to support Palestinian people through direct aid and partnerships with organisations like UNRWA.

'India reiterates that the pathway to enduring peace is rooted in a two-State solution, one that establishes a sovereign, viable and independent State of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace,' Harish said.

He also welcomed the upcoming High-Level International Conference on the two-State solution, expressing hope it would lead to 'concrete steps' toward peace.

'India underscores its readiness to contribute to efforts that are aimed at shaping a political horizon that restores hope for the Palestinians and achieving sustained peace in the Middle East,' Harish added.

Meanwhile, Israel categorically rejected statements made by several international organisations on the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry accused these organisations of 'serving the propaganda of Hamas.'

'These organisations are serving the propaganda of Hamas, using their numbers and justifying their horrors. Instead of challenging the terror organisation, they embrace it as their own,' the ministry said.

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Israel said such statements were harming ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire. 'In this critical time of negotiations, they are echoing Hamas's propaganda and harming the chances for a ceasefire.'

According to the statement, nearly 4,500 trucks have entered Gaza carrying food, flour, and baby formula. Israel said over 700 aid trucks are currently inside Gaza but are waiting to be picked up by the UN.

'This bottleneck is the main obstacle to maintaining a consistent flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. For some, the obsession with attacking Israel is more important than helping the people of Gaza,' the statement said. (ANI)