Jaishankar meets Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, discusses Gaza situation

Munich [Germany], February 18 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the foreign minister of Palestine, Riyad al-Maliki, in Munich on Sunday and discussed the situation in Gaza.
In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, "Nice to see Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki."
"Exchanged views on the current situation in Gaza," he added.
The External Affairs Minister is currently in Munich, Germany, to attend the prestigious security conference there.
The Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2024 offers a unique opportunity for high-level debates on the world's most pressing security challenges.
Six decades after its foundation by Ewald von Kleist, the MSC has assembled senior decision-makers and thought leaders from around the world for discussions on the most pressing international security concerns in February 2024, according to the conference's official statement.
This year's conference was held under the chairmanship of the German Ambassador to the US, Christoph Heusgen.
Speaking at a panel discussion at the ongoing Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Jaishankar said there was no justification for the 'terrorism' that was unleashed on the kibbutzes of southern Israel on October 7, last year.
"All of us follow enormous efforts which Tony (Antony Blinken) is putting in right now,but look the way we look at it has different dimensions, different elements to this," Jaishankar said.
"We must be clear that what happened on October 7 was terrorism. No justification, no explanation, it was terrorism," the EAM added.
As he went on to speak, the EAM also stated that a large number of countries " strongly believe in two-state solution."
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on February 17 to rising appeals from world leaders to avoid a ground operation in Rafah, remarking that doing so would mean "losing the war against Hamas," as reported by The Times of Israel.
"Those who want to prevent us from operating in Rafah are essentially telling us: 'Lose the war.' I won't let that happen," he vowed at an evening press conference in Jerusalem.
"We won't capitulate to any pressure," he said.
According to The Times of Israel, Rafah, located on the Gaza-Egypt border, is the final remaining Hamas stronghold in the territory, but it also houses over a million displaced Palestinians sheltering from war.
In the previous discussions, Israel claimed that it would draw up a plan for civilians to evacuate before it enters, and believes it cannot effectively curtail Hamas without taking Rafah.
At least some of the 134 hostages remaining in Gaza are thought to be in the city, as per The Times of Israel.
Hamas leadership is also believed to be sheltering there.
Netanyahu said at the press conference that he'd told US President Joe Biden that Israel will fight until "total victory," and yes, that includes action in Rafah." But the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) operation in Gaza's southernmost city, he stressed, will "obviously" come only after civilians there have an opportunity "to evacuate to safe areas."