Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed the agreement on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, calling it a reflection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strong leadership.
“We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu. We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace,” Modi said.
We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.
We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 9, 2025
The Indian Prime Minister’s statement comes after President Trump announced that the first phase of the Gaza peace deal had been agreed upon, paving the way for the release of hostages and prisoners held by both sides.
Over the past two years, Israeli forces have destroyed much of Gaza and killed more than 67,183 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, according to the territory’s health ministry. The figures have been cited as credible by the UN and other international bodies, though Israel disputes them.
The conflict began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Gaza’s health ministry has also reported that an additional 460 people have died from malnutrition since the start of the war, including 182 since a man-made famine was declared in Gaza City in August by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Netanyahu has denied claims of starvation, stating that Israel continues to facilitate the delivery of food and aid.
If both Hamas and Israel adhere to the terms of the initial peace agreement, as many US politicians are hopeful they will, the devastating war could finally come to an end. However, experts caution that the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza will take years, given the widespread destruction of infrastructure and the humanitarian toll of the conflict.