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Israel’s FM cuts India trip short after Gaza escalation, meets Modi

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's trip follows Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval's visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia last week, aiming to strengthen bilateral strategic ties and encourage Delhi to further engage with the Abraham Accords peace circle.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Indian Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, New Delhi, India, May 9 2023

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is cutting short his trip to India following the Gaza escalation, but is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The two will discuss strengthening bilateral strategic relations and expanding Israel’s normalization circle with Arab and Muslim countries across Asia.

Cohen changed his itinerary from a three-day visit to a one-day trip to Delhi due to the unfolding escalation in the Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed three Islamic Jihad militant group leaders and 10 others on Tuesday. The group is threatening revenge attacks inside Israel. 

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that upon his arrival to Delhi Cohen was updated with the developments on the Gaza border, and decided to shorten his trip and travel back to Israel after his meeting with Modi.

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