India condemns use of force by Israel in Gaza Strip

NEW DELHI: On Monday, India condemned the "unwarranted" and "indiscriminate" use of force by Israel in the Gaza Strip and sought for an immediate end to violence in West Asia.

In the second statement issued in a span of three days, New Delhi asked Tel Aviv to exercise "utmost restraint" and "give peace a chance". The peace process there may get derailed irreversibly by Israel's attack on Gaza Strip and the continued violence, it said.

"The Government of India had hoped that military action by Israel against targets in the Gaza Strip would abate.

"It is disappointing to note that the use of disproportionate force is resulting in a large number of civilian casualties on the one hand and the escalating violence on the other," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

"This continued use of indiscriminate force is unwarranted and condemnable," he said.

"The Government of India urges utmost restraint so as to give peace a chance as the peace process may well get derailed irreversibly by Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip and continued violence," Prakash said.

As Israeli planes pounded Hamas security compound in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killing over 220 people, India had called for "immediate end to the use of force by Israel against Palestinian civilians in Gaza Strip".