According to Daniel Carmon, former Israeli ambassador to India, India may be supplying arms to Israel to reciprocate the support it received during the 1999 Kargil War.
In an interview with Israel’s Ynetnews, as reported by India Today, Carmon highlighted the close military cooperation between the two nations, which began when Israel provided crucial military aid to India during its conflict with Pakistan.
“The relationship built during the Kargil war has not been forgotten by India, and they are likely returning the favor now,” Carmon stated.
He served as ambassador from 2014 to 2018 and noted that during the Kargil conflict, India received significant military supplies from Israel, including guided munitions and drones.
Recent reports suggest that India has sent drones and artillery shells to aid Israeli forces in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as Israel’s military supplies have been depleted over the months-long engagement. Notably, in February, it was reported that Hermes 900 drones, produced in a Hyderabad facility set up by Israel for manufacturing military supplies for India, were supplied to the Israeli Defense Forces.
Despite these reports, the Indian government has yet to officially confirm or respond to the former ambassador’s comments.
Complications arose when Spain, adhering to its policy against arms shipments to Israel, intercepted the cargo ship ‘Marianne Danica’. The ship, carrying 27 tonnes of military equipment from Chennai, was prevented from docking at the Cartagena port in May, as reported by Ynetnews.
The conflict has had a severe humanitarian impact on Gaza. Palestinian health authorities report nearly 37,600 casualties, and the region has faced significant destruction. Recently, intense fighting has been concentrated around Rafah, near the border with Egypt, where approximately half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have sought refuge.
The ongoing Israeli offensive has severely impacted Gaza’s healthcare system. Hospitals and medical centers in Gaza are facing critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies, exacerbated by Israel’s control over the crossings and its targeting of the health sector.
The most affected areas are emergency services, anesthesia, intensive care, and surgical operations, as stated by Gaza’s health ministry.
This military offensive by Israel was in response to actions on October 7, when Hamas-led fighters entered southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the capture of over 250 hostages, as per Israeli sources.
