A parliamentary advocacy group focused on Palestinian causes has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider his planned visit to Israel, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what it describes as serious violations of international law.
In an official memorandum addressed to Modi, the League of Parliamentarians for al-Quds and Palestine said the visit would take place amid continued attacks on Palestinians. The letter, signed by the league’s secretary-general, Dr. Mohammad Makram Balawi, said the organisation was closely monitoring developments related to the trip.
The memorandum said India, which has historically supported anti-colonial movements and the Palestinian cause, should reaffirm its foreign policy principles rooted in respect for international law and the right to self-determination. It also urged New Delhi to oppose annexation, settlement expansion, and collective punishment.
The League said the proposed visit coincides with what it described as a “genocide” in Gaza since October 2023, which it alleges has been accompanied by escalating violations of international law.
It also referred to a January 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering provisional measures in a case brought under the Genocide Convention. The court said there was a plausible risk of acts in Gaza that could fall within the scope of the convention and directed to take steps to prevent such acts and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The League also referred to ongoing proceedings at the International Criminal Court involving officials of the occupying authority over war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying the cases underscore the gravity of the accusations.
The memorandum criticised continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, describing it as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems settlements illegal under international law and calls for their cessation. It said the continued expansion of settlements undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.
League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammad Makram Balawi urged Modi to reconsider the visit and to use India’s international influence to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and compliance with rulings of the International Court of Justice and international humanitarian law.
Dr. Balawi, an Istanbul-based academic and writer, is also the founder and president of the Asia Middle East Forum and a member of the Union of Palestinian Academics. Born in Jordan, he has longstanding ties to India, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in English in 1989 and a master’s degree in 1993 at Nagpur University.
Modi is scheduled to begin a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday. According to the Indian government, the trip—his second to Israel in nine years—aims to deepen cooperation in defence, trade, technology, and strategic sectors.
The visit has drawn criticism from opposition parties at home. The Congress party has accused the government of sidelining the Palestinian cause and criticised Modi for engaging with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid international concern over the situation in Gaza.
