‘Terrorism has no place in our world’: PM Modi speaks to Israel’s Netanyahu as Middle East crisis worsens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu over phone on Monday as the security situation in the Middle East worsened.

In a post on X, Modi said he spoke to Netanyahu about the recent developments in the region and highlighted the need for de-escalation.

"Spoke to Prime Minister @netanyahu about recent developments in West Asia. Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages,” he said.

Tensions have escalated in the region after Israel launched airstrikes against Lebanon-based Hezbollah and killed many of its top leaders, including its chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Modi, however, did not mention any specific incident in his post, but maintained that India is committed to supporting efforts for an early restoration of peace and stability.

Hezbollah has been attacking Israel ever since the later launched its military operations in Gaza following the October 7 attack. The crisis has widened with Israel opening multiple war-fronts, launching airstrikes on  Hezbollah and Houthis in Yemen.

On Monday, Netanyahu, in a televised address, issued a warning to Iran, saying there was nowhere in the Middle East beyond Israel's reach. 

The killing of Nasrallah had its reverberation in India, too, with protests being held in various states.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where assembly elections are underway, hundreds of people took to the streets in Srinagar and Budgam, prompting the political leaders to condemn the Israeli action.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah urged Modi to put pressure on Israel to end the “bloodshed” in Palestine and Lebanon, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti called Netanyahu as the “biggest terrorist after Hitlar”. Mufti also criticised India’s renewed ties with Israel, noting that New Delhi had always stood by Palestine.