As the Hamas rocket attack on Israel and the brutal counterstrike splits the world into two camps, India finds itself in a difficult situation diplomatically. This comes at a time when New Delhi was pushing for a bigger role in the Middle East with regional alliances and a boost in diplomatic activities.

Amid reports of Hamas’ rocket strike on Israel cities Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he was “deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks”. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” he added.

The External Affairs Ministry has not come out with an official statement so far. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the ministry’s handle have only retweeted the Prime Minister’s post.

The violence in Israel has sharply divided public opinion, with one camp slamming the terrorist attack and the other alleging that Israel’s actions in Palestine had triggered this pushback. Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister’s post is seen as a clear message of support for Tel Aviv.

This is also significant in the light of how China and Pakistan — India’s ties are strained with both — responded to the violence. China has said it was “deeply concerned” by the “escalation of tension and violence” between Israel and Palestine. While there are no specific bilateral problems between Tel Aviv and Beijing, the latter has opposed Israel’s construction activities in West Bank and East Jerusalem.