Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi communicated with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu regarding recent developments in West Asia and denounced terrorism, Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on September 30.

“Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages. India is committed to supporting efforts for an early restoration of peace and stability,” Modi remarked.

These comments come amid a rising conflict in West Asia, where Israel has been engaged in a confrontation with Hamas since the attacks in October last year. Recently, Israel has conducted airstrikes in Lebanon and informed the US of its plans for a limited ground operation, according to reports from the Washington Post. Last week, the Israeli army announced that it had eliminated Hezbollah leader Nasrallah in an attack on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut.

Modi was among the first world leaders to denounce Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Nevertheless, India has also called for a complete ceasefire and has expressed support for a "two-state solution" to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Meanwhile, during his address at the UN General Assembly last week, Netanyahu presented two maps depicting India as a 'Blessing' and Iran as a ‘Curse’. The 'Curse' map illustrated Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in black, while the ‘Blessing’ map depicted Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and India in green, as reported by various Indian media outlets. The maps also included the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria's Golan Heights as part of Israel.

According to Hindustan Times, while discussing Iran's support for Hezbollah and the Israeli strikes targeting them in Lebanon, Netanyahu stated, "I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran where the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that is true for the entire Middle East."

The threat of an open conflict between Israel and Iran has been mounting since the assassination of Hamas's political wing chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital in July, according to India Today.