The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed, citing sources, that India has provided Israel with artillery shells, light weapons, and drones, since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza.

A report published by the Israeli newspaper stated that last February, Indian media reported for the first time that India was supplying Israel with advanced Hermes 900 drones that were manufactured in the city of Hyderabad.

The report said that the factory, which Israel established in Hyderabad to supply the Indian army with these drones, converted 20 of them specifically for the Israeli army due to the shortage that occurred during the war.

The factory, a joint venture between the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems and the consortium of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, is the first in the world to produce these drones outside Israel.

This dramatic decision was likely approved by senior officials in India, most likely due to Israel being one of its major arms suppliers.

Yedioth Ahronoth added that this step joins other reports indicating that India has provided Israel with artillery shells and weapons since the beginning of the war, noting that this strategic partnership between the two countries has proven to be very beneficial to Israel.

Between India and Israel

The newspaper quoted the former Israeli ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, as saying, referring to the Indian military conflict with Pakistan in the summer of 1999: “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 supply them with weapons. The Indians will not forget this and perhaps they will return the favor now."

Yedioth Ahronoth said that the war in Gaza put the relationship between Israel and India before a difficult test, a test that many allies failed to pass.

She added, "During the early hours of October 7, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared his support for Israel and unequivocally condemned terrorism. Once he set the tone, his country showed unconditional support for Israel in the first few months."

This clear position changed slightly as India entered the electoral campaigns for the elections that took place in the country at the beginning of the month, partly because approximately 15% of its citizens are Muslims. However, the general policy of the Indian government did not remove support for Israel, but two elements were added. To the official data.

The first: is to support the two-state solution in line with India’s consistent position over the years (India has recognized the Palestinian state since the Cold War).

The second: is the call to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, including sending its own supplies.

Indian government officials have refrained from saying anything negative about Israel over the past eight months, while the opposition has fiercely attacked it.

Protests against Israel

Protests took place across India, especially in the state of Kerala, where Governor Pinarayi Vijayan, the leader of the Communist Party, took a hard line against Israel and even participated in a protest in Delhi. Even Khaled Meshal, a senior Hamas official, participated in one of the protests.

Behind the scenes, India has blocked or moderated resolutions against Israel in international forums such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the BRICS (which includes Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa, all of which oppose Israel).

However, as the war continued and anti-Israel sentiment increased, India realized that it was paying a high diplomatic price. It did not obstruct the recent resolution against Israel in the Non-Aligned Movement because it did not find another country to join it as required. At this point the Indians declared: Enough, we have our own interests too. Israel did not protest, understanding the sensitive situation.

Public sentiment towards Israel in India is also not clear and unambiguous. Social media is filled with expressions of support for both sides, and pro-Israel rallies are held from time to time. Indian media are highly critical of the war, but articles supportive of Israel are also published.

In March, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Israel and discussed regional developments with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was the only visit by a senior Indian official to Israel since the outbreak of war, despite Israel's desire to host a larger solidarity visit.

Source: Sky News Arabia