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India and Israel Elevate Ties to a Special Strategic Partnership

The upgrade spotlights a pivot to tighter defence‑tech ties with revived FTA talks alongside a tentative offer to support a Gaza peace plan.

Overview

  • During a Feb 25–26 state visit, the two governments formally upgraded relations and mapped expanded cooperation across defence, critical technologies, space, energy, agriculture and water.
  • Seventeen agreements and MoUs were signed, including AI collaboration, a plan for an Indo‑Israel Cyber Centre of Excellence in India, sectoral pacts in agriculture, fisheries and geophysical exploration, and a UPI‑based cross‑border payments link.
  • India signalled conditional readiness to contribute to a Gaza peace plan, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri saying any role depends on greater clarity about conditions on the ground.
  • Leaders pressed to conclude a bilateral Free Trade Agreement and reaffirmed work on connectivity initiatives such as IMEC and the I2U2 grouping.
  • The visit drew criticism over the Gaza conflict and triggered regional reactions, including a Pakistan Senate resolution condemning remarks by Israel’s prime minister.