New York [US], June 11 (ANI): India has reiterated its support for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, called for a sustained ceasefire in Gaza, and announced that it will soon hand over USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as part of its annual contribution.

Speaking 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' on Wednesday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said the situation in Gaza has grave humanitarian implications and requires urgent international attention.

He reaffirmed India's support for 'a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security with Israel within secure and recognised borders,' describing it as the only path to achieving lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

Highlighting India's longstanding development partnership with Palestine, he said, 'We will be handing over in a few days, USD 2.5 million to UNRWA, the first tranche of our annual USD 5 million contribution,' he said.

On Lebanon, India called for respect for the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty and stressed the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the Declaration on the Cessation of Hostilities issued in November 2024.

Ambassador Parvathaneni noted that Indian troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continue to play a vital role and underscored the importance of ensuring their safety and security.

'They carry out a vital mandate entrusted by this Council and they must not be targeted,' he said, adding that India would also be sending medical assistance to Lebanon.

Addressing the situation in Yemen, India reaffirmed its commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and strongly condemned attacks on maritime navigation.

The envoy emphasised that safeguarding the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea is a shared international responsibility and said India remains opposed to any attempts to undermine stability in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

In his remarks, he underlined how mediation frameworks once created are not fit for purpose forever and highlighted how the Gaza Peace Plan and the Board of Peace Framework stand as very distinct approaches when compared to the past frameworks.

'We must adapt and continue our efforts in tune with the new realities. For example, the Palestine issue is replete with outdated mediation frameworks that are not relevant in today's context. Today's Gaza Peace Plan and the Board of Peace framework are very distinct as compared to earlier frameworks,' he said.

Underlining how the biggest casualty in conflicts and disputes are vulnerable groups such as women and children, he said that any intervention must attach centrality to alleviating human suffering and called for a human-centric approach towards all efforts that endeavour to resolve disputes and address conflicts.

He also spoke about the need to reform the eight-decade-old architecture of the Security Council in the wake of the inability to address conflict situations taking place in different parts of the world.

'The UN is facing questions related to legitimacy, credibility and efficacy. Raging conflicts in different parts of the world and the immeasurable human suffering are driving factors... Implementing real reforms, through expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories in accordance with today's geo-political realities, is vital to UN's continued relevance and future. The UNSC has to be fit-for-purpose,' he said. (ANI)