LIVE | Israel-Hamas war: Death toll nears 1,200; Israel to cut off electricity, food, fuel to Gaza

Israel-Hamas conflict may impact gems, jewellery trade: Indian exporters

The Israel-Hamas conflict is expected to impact the trade of gems and jewellery between India and Israel, exporters said on Monday.

Colin Shah, MD, Kama Jewelry, said the war can "adversely" impact Indian exports to Israel.

Total gems and jewellery trade between India and Israel stood at USD 2.04 billion in 2022-23 as against USD 2.8 billion in 2021-22.

"The war situation will further intensify the blow to the trade between Israel and its second-largest trading partner in Asia, India," Shah said.

Mumbai-based exporter and founder chairman of Technocraft Industries India Sharad Kumar Saraf said the conflict may have an impact on Indian exporters in the short run.

"But if the war escalates, things may get bitter for our exporters of that region," Saraf said.

GTRI co-founder Ajay Srivastava stated that trade may be seriously impacted if operations at the three largest ports of Israel – Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat are disrupted.

Cut and polished diamonds constitute the highest exported commodity from India to that country. It is followed by lab-grown diamond.

From Israel, India mainly imports rough diamonds.

India's merchandise trade with Israel happens mostly through Eilat port, located on the Red Sea.

Total India-Israel trade in merchandise and services sectors in 2022-23 is estimated to be USD 12 billion.

India's merchandise exports and imports from Israel during 2022-23 were USD 8.4 billion and USD 2.3 billion, respectively, leading to a merchandise trade surplus of USD 6.1 billion.

India's key exports to Israel are diesel (USD 5.5 billion) and cut and polished diamonds (USD 1.2 billion).

Key imports are rough diamonds (USD 519 million) and cut and polished diamonds (USD 220 million); electronics and telecom components like ICs, parts of photovoltaic cells (USD 411 million); potassium chloride (USD 105 million) and herbicide (USD 6 million). 

Sri Lanka president voices concern

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday expressed concern over the situation in Israel and emphasised the need for immediate action to ensure the safety of Sri Lankans residing there.

During the weekly Cabinet meeting, President Wickremesinghe emphasized the need for immediate action to ensure the safety of Sri Lankans working in Israel, said a statement from his office.

He asked the foreign ministry to ensure the safety of Israelis - both tourists and employees - in Sri Lanka and ensure their safe return. The police have been instructed to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens in Sri Lanka.

President Wickremesinghe called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, emphasizing the broader consequences of the crisis on global fuel prices. He noted that the ongoing conflict would likely lead to a prolonged period of high fuel prices, adversely affecting developing economies, including Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Israel Nimal Bandara told local media over telephone that at least two Sri Lankan workers, including a woman, have gone missing while another has been wounded in Israel.

The two missing persons were identified as caregivers.

About 8,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Israel and the majority of them work as caregivers.

"I want people to know that there is no need to feel worried," Bandara said.

EU Commission suspends 'all payments immediately' to Palestinians

European Union Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said Monday the bloc is suspending “all payments immediately” to the Palestinians because of what he called the “scale of terror and brutality” during the attacks of Hamas against Israel.

The surprise announcement by Varhelyi came just hours after EU officials stressed that no EU money whatsoever was going to Hamas in the first place and that contacts had been frozen for 16 years. The EU considers Hamas a terror group.

Varhelyi said that “as the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review,” which he said amounted to 691 million euros. It was not immediately clear what funds were included and excluded.

Varhelyi said the measures include that “all payments (be) immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budget proposals... postponed until further notice.” EU foreign ministers are slated to meet in Muscat, Oman on Tuesday to discuss the situation and see what actions should be taken. Varhelyi's announcement seemed to preempt the discussions.

“There can be no business as usual,” Varhelyi said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The foundations for peace, tolerance and co-existence must now be addressed. Incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many,” the commissioner wrote.

China 'deeply saddened' by civilian casualties

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that China is “deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict between Palestine and Israel”.

“China opposes and condemns acts that harm civilians,” along with actions that “expand conflict and undermine regional stability,” Mao said at a daily afternoon press briefing.

China hopes for a resumption of peace talks, implementation of a two-state solution, and a “comprehensive and proper settlement of the Palestinian issue, which guarantees the legitimate concerns of all parties, through political means, as early as possible,” Mao said.

Meanwhile, China's embassy in Israel said a young woman of mixed Israeli-Chinese heritage was among the scores of hostages seized by Hamas fighters who killed at least 800 in Israel.

EU's emergency meeting

The European Union (EU) is convening an emergency meeting of its foreign ministers to assess the developing violence in Israel, while stressing that the nation had every right to defend itself against the unprecedented incursion by Hamas fighters.

The ministers will organise the Tuesday meeting in Oman, where EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and some EU delegations are attending an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council joint meeting.

Others will join by video conference.

“The priority right now is for the aggression by Hamas to stop. The hostages need to be released and we need to see the overall deescalation of the situation,” EU spokesman Peter Stano said.

European countries repatriate citizens from Israel

Governments and airlines in Europe are conducting emergency and regular flights from Israel to bring back European citizens who were in the country when Hamas fighters attacked.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says nearly 600 Romanian citizens, including two groups of pilgrims, were repatriated from Israel on commercial flights over the weekend.

A Bulgarian government aircraft has been sent to Tel Aviv to evacuate Bulgarian citizens stranded in Israel. National carrier Bulgaria Air cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv. canceled its flights to Tel Aviv.

Bulgarian media say a total of 179 Bulgarians and one Croatian citizens were evacuated on the government-organized flights between Sunday night and early Monday.

Two Hungarian air force planes carrying 215 people from Israel arrived in Budapest early Monday, according to posts by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook.

Slovakia's government plans to send a government plane to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to pick up Slovak nationals.

A spokesman for Greece's government, Pavlos Marinakis, says 81 of the 149 Greeks registered as having been in Israel over the weekend returned to Athens on Sunday night.

Spain's Foreign Ministry has urged people not to travel to Israel. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he expected all Spaniards wishing to leave Israel will have been brought back by later Monday.

Will make sure 'massacre' by Hamas doesn't happen again: Lapid; thanks India

Israel's former prime minister and current leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid on Monday thanked India for its support to the Jewish nation as he asserted that the country "will not be caught by surprise twice" and make sure that the "massacre" by Hamas does not happen again.

In an interview with NDTV news channel, Lapid, when asked how Israel would respond to these attacks by Hamas, said, "The most urgent thing is we deny Hamas these capabilities and make sure they never again have the opportunity to massacre women, children and the elderly. As the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) said, this is going to be difficult and hard, and we would have to be patient."

"There is going to be a military operation, incursion is not out of the question because we have to make sure this does not happen again," he asserted.

He further said, "This is an opportunity for me to thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and his government for the support they have shown to Israel."

Expressing solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attack, Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said, "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour."

Lebanon wants international community to 'pressure' Israel

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday that the tiny country's priority is to maintain stability along its southern border with Israel.

Mikati called on the international community to “take responsibility” in pressuring Israel to return to peace talks under the Arab Peace Initiative.

“Anything other than that is a further spiraling of violence that will not benefit anyone,” he said.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has praised key ally Hamas for its unprecedented incursion into Israel but not said if it would attempt to join forces.

Israel has estimated that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at the country.

Egypt engages in negotiations with Israel

Egypt has engaged in negotiations with Israel and Palestinian militant groups to release Palestinian women in Israel's prisons in exchange for Israeli women captured by Hamas militants, the state-owned Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported Monday.

The daily paper quoted an unnamed source as saying that the negotiations were aimed at finalising an agreement on the trade.

“The Egyptian government is presently awaiting responses from both parties regarding the proposed prisoners exchange and a temporary cease-fire,” Al-Ahram said.

Palestinian militant groups have claimed to be holding over 130 people who were captured in Israel in the past two days.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told Associated Press (AP) by phone that the group's fighters had captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning.

He said the group aims to free all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which in the past has agreed to lopsided exchanges.

9 Americans killed in Israel

The US State Department said Monday that at least nine American citizens have been killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel, raising the toll from four.

It says an undetermined number of American citizens remain missing and unaccounted for.