Ahmad Adil
01 February 2026•Update: 01 February 2026
NEW DELHI
India and Arab nations have called for a “sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine” and reaffirmed their commitment to “achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, according to international law, relevant UN resolutions.”
A declaration was issued on Saturday evening following the 2nd India-Arab foreign ministers' meeting in the capital of New Delhi, which was co-chaired by India and the United Arab Emirates.
Top diplomats from Arab nations, as well as the Arab League secretary general, attended the meeting, held after a 10-year hiatus.
Dubbed the “Delhi declaration,” it said: “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, according to international law, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
“They called for a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine based on 1967 borders, living side by side in peace with Israel. Both parties supported the practice of inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
The two sides welcomed the outcomes of the 2025 Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, which culminated in the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“…they urged all concerned parties to fully comply with the implementation of the agreement and noted the launch of the Arab-Islamic plan for relief, recovery, and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip,” according to the declaration.
It added: “They further underscored the necessity of ensuring adequate, sustained, and unimpeded access for humanitarian and relief assistance throughout all of the Strip, guaranteeing the continued operations of relief agencies and international and humanitarian organizations…”
The Gaza peace agreement ended a two-year Israeli war that killed nearly 71,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,400. The assault has destroyed roughly 90% of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza, with UN estimates placing reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.
Both sides also welcomed the robust trade between India and the Arab states, which is over $240 billion, and “encouraged measures to further enhance it.”
