The ambassador said Palestinians hoped New Delhi would use its influence, including its ties with Israel, “to push forward the peace process”. (Photo Credit x/Abdullah Mohammad Abu Shawesh. AI enhanced)As India and Palestine finalise the modalities for building a new hospital in the West Bank with New Delhi’s support, Palestinian Ambassador Abdullah Mohammad Abu Shawesh Wednesday welcomed India’s help with key infrastructure projects in the region.This comes a day after top Indian diplomat Sripriya Ranganathan landed in Ramallah, where she met with Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin.During a media briefing held at the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi, Shawesh said Palestine backs India’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2028-2029.“When we used to talk about the reform of the United Nations at large and the Security Council in particular, one of our appeals as a southern country was to have India at least be one of the countries that deserves to have a permanent seat in the Security Council,” Shawesh, who served at the UN for eight years before being posted in New Delhi, said.Also Read | Hamas has agreed to disarm. So why is Israel still refusing to leave Gaza?On India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, the ambassador pointed to India’s global standing as a major economy and political power. He said Palestinians hoped New Delhi would use its influence, including its ties with Israel, “to push forward the peace process”.Besides the hospital funded by India, New Delhi is also supporting a vocational training centre and discussing the provision of artificial limbs for amputees in Gaza. Shawesh said the two sides are also discussing medical equipment, including dialysis machines, some of which are expected to move through Jordan.On the outcomes expected out of the visit of Ranganathan, Shawesh said, “It is very significant for both of us because it came at a very critical time when the Palestinians are enduring a devastating situation, the health sector is on the brink of collapse… and India is one of the countries we have reached out to help us.”Story continues below this adDuring Ranganathan’s ongoing visit, India has reaffirmed its consistent support for the Palestinians and a negotiated two-state solution for the region, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).Explained | How Israel’s new earthen barriers are redrawing GazaRanganathan also discussed the full range of India-Palestine relations, focusing on developments in Gaza, humanitarian needs, and India’s longstanding development partnership with the Palestinian people.This is the first high-level visit from India to the affected Gaza region in the wake of conflict that started in October 2023.As per MEA, Ranganathan also conveyed India’s concern over the “grave humanitarian situation in Gaza” and stressed the need for the “safe, sustained and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance” to civilians. “She reiterated India’s support for efforts towards peace and stability and for a lasting political resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” it added.‘Palestinians being made to pay the price’Story continues below this adWith almost two months left for the parliamentary election in Israel, Shawesh said the Palestinian people are once again being made to “pay the price” for Israeli domestic politics.He also described the Board of Peace, unveiled by US President Donald Trump in early 2026, as a step towards “resolving” the conflict in Gaza, and said it wasn’t an initiative to build lasting peace in Gaza.Opinion | Should India reconsider its defence ties with Israel?The Palestinian ambassador accused Israel of granting impunity to “extremist Israeli settlers,” who, he alleged, are frightening and harassing Palestinians to dispossess and ultimately drive them out of their ancient homeland.“Sixty-nine days ahead of the Israeli parliamentary election, the Palestinian people are once again being made to pay the price for Israeli domestic politics,” he said.Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More