Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in Jerusalem on Wednesday that India stands "firmly" with Israel following Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023.

Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a two-day visit aimed at deepening trade and defence ties that has drawn criticism at home.

"I... carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7," Modi said in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

"We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond."

In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas.

But he said that India "supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability."

Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country's economic growth and Israel's leadership in technological innovation formed a "natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership."

"I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence," he added.

It is Modi's second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp