Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, expressing India’s “deep concern” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He reaffirmed India’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people during their bilateral talks, which took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, highlighted this meeting in a post on X, stating, “PM @narendramodimet H.E. Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine… PM expressed deep concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirmed India’s continued support to the people of Palestine.”
India has historically supported a two-state solution for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Prime Minister Modi condemned the October 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israel, India continues to voice concerns about the escalating crisis in Gaza. As part of its commitment, India has also sent humanitarian aid to Gaza and previously released 2.5 million dollars in funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees.
In addition to his meeting with Abbas, PM Modi also held bilateral discussions with Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Modi and the Crown Prince reviewed bilateral relations between India and Kuwait, discussing ways to further enhance historical and people-to-people ties.
With PM Oli, the focus was on strengthening cooperation across multiple areas as part of the longstanding India-Nepal partnership. Earlier in the day, PM Modi also interacted with top technology leaders and CEOs in a roundtable hosted by MIT’s School of Engineering, discussing opportunities to advance innovation and collaboration in diverse sectors.
PM Modi arrived in New York for the second leg of his three-day U.S. visit. On Saturday, he participated in the Quad Summit and held bilateral meetings with leaders from the U.S., Australia, and Japan. He also addressed a large Indian diaspora gathering at Nassau Coliseum in New York and is set to speak at the ‘Summit of the Future’ during the UN General Assembly.