India announces USD 2.5 million contribution to UNRWA and reiterates support for two-state solution at UN Security Council

Key facts

• India will hand over USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as the first tranche of its annual USD 5 million contribution.
• India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, spoke at the UN Security Council Open Debate on 'Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Advancing Political Solutions in the Middle East: Mediation and Dialogue for Lasting Peace'.
• India reaffirmed support for a negotiated two-state solution: a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel within secure and recognised borders.
• On Lebanon, India called for implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the Declaration on the Cessation of Hostilities issued in November 2024, and noted the role of Indian troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
• India condemned attacks on maritime navigation in Yemen and emphasised safeguarding the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea as a shared international responsibility.