India has not denied supplying weapons to Israel so far, maintaining that it wishes a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Gaza
NEW DELHI – Former Israeli Ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, speaking with Israeli publication Ynetnews, has said that India might be supplying weapons to Israel as a sign of gratitude for Israeli assistance during the Kargil war of 1999.
The seasoned diplomat’s comments came in the backdrop of speculation that India has supplied drones and artillery shells to Israel as the latter ran short of the items with its war against the Hamas continuing for more than eight months, reported The Hindu.
“The Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil war. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons. The Indians don’t forget this and might now be returning favour,” Mr. Carmon said in his remarks to the Ynetnews.
The Ynetnews report recounted that in May, Spain had prevented the cargo vessel Marianne Danica from docking at the port of Cartagena as it was sailing to a port in Israel carrying 27 tonnes of munitions meant for the Israel Defense Forces.
“The incident highlights the fact that India has been providing significant military assistance to Israel since October 7,” the news outlet said.
It had earlier come to light in February that New Delhi was supplying Israel with advanced Hermes 900 drones manufactured in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad factory was set up to cater to the requirements of the Indian military forces but it had to rush 20 units of them to Israel, which faced a shortfall during its war with the Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and with the Hezbollah in Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
The Hyderabad factory is a joint venture between Israel’s Elbit Systems and Indian industrialist Gautam Adani’s Adani Group. According to Ynetnews.com, the decision to supply the drones to Israel was “likely approved by the highest officials in India, likely due to Israel being one of the main arms suppliers to the country.”
The Ynetnews.com report has been picked up by Arab media, and the Iranian news agency IRNA, which has reported, “Zionist media reveals India has provided the Israeli regime with large hauls of weaponry since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip”.
India has neither confirmed nor denied supplying weapons to Israel so far, maintaining that it wishes a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Gaza. India has urged an end to the fighting, and supports the creation of a Palestinian state to ensure a permanent solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
