- 7 weeks ago
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for a two-day visit to Israel from February 25, 2026, India has joined over 100 countries and international organisations in condemning Israel's expansion in the West Bank's Area C.
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NewsTranscript
00:15Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:19Prime Minister Modi is headed to Israel, but before that, big story.
00:22India has joined more than 100 countries and international organizations
00:26in condemning Israel's expansion in the West Bank.
00:30Israel's cabinet had approved the beginning of the land registration process in Area C of West Bank.
00:36It's the first time since Israel occupied the Palestinian territory in 1967.
00:41The Palestinian Authority called it de facto annexation of West Bank.
00:46On the 18th of February, a statement was issued on behalf of 85 states
00:50and a number of international organizations condemning Israel's unilateral measures
00:54that rejected annexation.
00:56India was not signatory to the initial statement, but later,
01:00India, along with 100 states and international organizations,
01:03joined the statement to condemn Israel's illegal annexation of West Bank.
01:07India's condemnation also comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi
01:11embarks on a two-day visit to Israel from the 25th of February.
01:15Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the Israeli parliament or the Knesset.
01:19This will be the second time Indian Prime Minister is visiting the country.
01:24His first visit to Israel was in the year 2017,
01:27the first ever visit by an Indian premier to the Jewish nation.
01:31The visit also comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to attack Iran
01:35and a growing military presence of U.S. military in the West Asian region.
01:40Israel has condemned Iran's uranium enrichment
01:43and called for the closure of all nuclear facilities.
01:46Israel, backed by the U.S., was in a 12-day war with Iran in June 2025,
01:51where it attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer.
01:58Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu called India a global power
02:01and Prime Minister Narendra Modi a personal friend.
02:03He also envisioned hexagon of alliances in and around the region
02:07that will include India.
02:14This week we expressed the special relationship that has developed over the past few years
02:19between Israel and global power India
02:21and between me and its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
02:24We are personal friends.
02:25We speak frequently on the phone.
02:27We visit each other.
02:28I visited India.
02:30Modi visited here.
02:31In the vision that I see before my eyes,
02:33we will create a complete system,
02:35essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances around or within the Middle East.
02:39This includes India.
02:41This includes the Arab countries.
02:43This also includes African countries,
02:45also countries in the Mediterranean, Greece and Cyprus,
02:48and also countries in Asia that I will not list right now.
02:51I will present it in an orderly manner.
02:59Strategic affairs expert, Professor Brahma Chalani, joins me for more on this.
03:03Brahma, you wrote about it.
03:05You said that the Indian government waited long enough
03:09for Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to India.
03:12That didn't happen.
03:13But Prime Minister Modi is now headed to Israel.
03:16Amid all the tensions and the West Bank annexations of territories,
03:21what's your reading of the visit itself?
03:25Peter, the visit is very important
03:26because the Israeli Prime Minister was supposed to come last year.
03:32Three times he postponed his visit.
03:36The first two times because of domestic political turbulence in Israel.
03:40The third time his office cited the Red Fort bomb in Delhi,
03:46even though the bomb explosion happened in November
03:49and he was supposed to come in December last year.
03:51But still, the fact that there has been an interruption
03:55in high-level visits between Israel and India
03:58prompted Modi then to decide to go to Israel.
04:01Of course, the timing is very odd
04:03because of the possibility of U.S. military strikes on Iran.
04:08So he's going at a time when there is a military alert in Israel
04:12because any kind of U.S. action against Iran
04:16is going to drag Israel into a wider regional conflict.
04:22So the timing may be odd,
04:23but I think the visit seeks to send a deliberate message
04:28that stability in the Middle East
04:30is critical to India's economic and energy interests
04:33and that India will not be deterred
04:37by the current looming conflict between the U.S. and Iran
04:43from seeking to renew its relationship with Israel.
04:48But how do you also see this, Prama,
04:50at a time when India remains engaged with Iran?
04:54There is a looming threat of an attack on Iran.
04:58Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Israel
05:01and alongside comes a statement
05:04which criticizes and condemns the annexation plan of Israel
05:09of the Area C in the Palestinian territories.
05:14It's a good question, Keita.
05:16What India is trying to do is to maintain equilibrium
05:20in its Middle East policy.
05:22For example, on January 31st, just four weeks ago,
05:27India hosted Arab foreign ministers in New Delhi
05:30and signing on to the statement on the West Bank
05:35meshes with international law.
05:38International law recognizes the West Bank
05:41as occupied territory
05:44and Israel's unilateral actions
05:49impinge on international law.
05:52And therefore, after careful consideration,
05:55the Indian foreign ministry agreed to sign on to that statement.
05:59And I think Modi's visit to Israel
06:02is part of this effort to maintain equilibrium.
06:06But I think we have to keep in mind that with Israel,
06:10India has very sensitive defense
06:13and technology projects underway.
06:17And Modi's trip to Israel is to ensure
06:20that these projects remain on track
06:22because these projects are quite central
06:26to India's military security.
06:30That's right.
06:31Brahma, I know you have a flight to catch,
06:32but before I let you go,
06:33this is really important.
06:35Regional volatility, how is India looking at it?
06:37Because should something happen in the Persian Gulf,
06:40it will not remain in the Persian Gulf.
06:42And it is not just close to home, it is home.
06:47You're absolutely right, Geetha.
06:48First and foremost,
06:50the very fact that Modi is traveling to Israel
06:54at this point goes to show
06:57that U.S. strikes on Iran are not imminent.
07:03They're not going to happen in the next two, three days
07:05because Trump would have taken the Israeli prime minister
07:10in confidence.
07:11You know, Modi wouldn't be going there
07:13without the Israeli leader saying,
07:17now it's okay to come.
07:19So I think we have to keep in mind
07:21that even though U.S. carrier strike forces
07:25are in position to carry out punishing airstrikes on Iran,
07:31that such strikes are not going to happen
07:34in the next two or three days.
07:36But to answer your larger question,
07:39if there is a U.S. operation against Iran,
07:45this will be much bigger
07:46than last summer's American bombing
07:50of three Iranian nuclear sites.
07:53Iran has learned some lessons
07:56from the U.S. air campaign of last June.
08:02And this time, despite being internally weak,
08:05Iran is going to try and hit back.
08:08And the question is whether it will be able
08:11to cause considerable damage
08:13to U.S. military deployments in the region,
08:18such damage that would deter the U.S.
08:23from continuing punishing airstrikes on Iran.
08:27But it's apparent that given the fact
08:30that this American buildup in the Middle East
08:34is the largest since the 2003 Iraq war,
08:38and whenever the U.S. has deployed such forces
08:41in large numbers anyway, strikes have happened.
08:44So the only question now is the timing,
08:47because on one hand, of course,
08:49we know that this buildup of forces
08:51is designed to force Iran's hand
08:55at the negotiating table
08:57to force Iran to capitulate.
08:59But Iran is not a soft state.
09:02It has refused to capitulate,
09:03and it may not capitulate.
09:06And if it does not,
09:08and if the Trump administration
09:10is not happy with what,
09:13Iran is offering,
09:15strikes might still happen.
09:19That's absolutely correct, Brahma.
09:21The fact that there are strikes
09:23that could be imminent
09:23should Iran not agree
09:25to the terms and conditions.
09:26We'll have to wait and see
09:27what happens there.
09:28But more importantly,
09:30Prime Minister Narendra Modi
09:31has time and again reiterated,
09:33this is not an era of war,
09:34whether it was Russia, Ukraine,
09:36or for that matter,
09:36the Gaza conflict.
09:38We'll have to wait and see
09:39what he says at the Knesset.
09:40Will he repeat the fact
09:42that this indeed is not an era of war?
09:44Brahma Chalani,
09:45thank you so much for joining us.
09:46I'll let you go,
09:47but we'll stay on the story.
09:51A statement from U.S. Ambassador to Israel,
09:54Mike Huckabee has enraged
09:55the Arab world
09:56with foreign ministries
09:57of multiple Mideast and Asian countries,
10:00along with several regional organizations,
10:02issuing a joint statement
10:04strongly condemning Huckabee's remarks
10:06regarding potential Israeli control
10:09over the entire Middle East.
10:10In an interview with Tucker Carlson,
10:13Huckabee endorsed the idea
10:14of Pax Judaica,
10:16or Greater Israel,
10:17that Israel has a biblical right
10:19to much of the Middle East,
10:21from Nile to Euphrates,
10:23essentially sweeping across Israel,
10:25Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,
10:27and large swaths of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
10:29Soon after,
10:30a statement was issued
10:32by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs
10:33of the United Arab Emirates,
10:35Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia,
10:38Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia,
10:40and many others.
10:41The secretaries of the Organization
10:42of Islamic Cooperation,
10:44that's OIC,
10:45and the Arab League of States,
10:46also came out,
10:47including the GCC,
10:49with the condemnation
10:51regarding Huckabee's remarks.
10:53They categorically rejected
10:54what they described
10:55as dangerous and inflammatory remarks,
10:58saying such statements
11:00constitute a flagrant violation
11:02of international law
11:03and the Charter of the United Nations,
11:05and pose a grave threat
11:07to regional security and stability.
11:18Shifting focus,
11:19violence has erupted in Mexico
11:21after the death
11:22of one of the world's
11:23most wanted drug lords.
11:24Mexican forces killed cartel kingpin,
11:27Nemesio El Mencho,
11:29leader of the powerful
11:31Jalisco New Generation cartel.
11:33The group is blamed
11:34for massive fentanyl trafficking
11:36into the U.S.
11:37Here's a report.
11:43After a Mexican military operation
11:45killed Nemesio El Mencho
11:47Oseguera Cervantes,
11:49one of the world's most wanted traffickers,
11:52violence erupted in several parts
11:54of western Mexico.
11:56Oseguera was the cartel leader
11:58of the Jalisco New Generation.
12:00Mexico's Ministry of Defense,
12:01in a statement on X,
12:03said that during the operation
12:04in western Jalisco,
12:05Oseguera, also known as El Mencho,
12:08was wounded and died
12:09while being flown to Mexico City.
12:12Earlier, there was speculation
12:13of America's involvement
12:14in the operation
12:15and the White House
12:17later confirmed
12:17that the U.S.
12:18did indeed provide
12:19intelligence support for it.
12:22The cartel trafficked
12:23huge quantities of fentanyl
12:24and other drugs
12:25to the U.S.
12:26from Hellisco.
12:27As the violence spread,
12:28the U.S. Embassy
12:29and consulates in Mexico
12:31issued directives
12:32to U.S. citizens
12:32to take shelter
12:33until further notice.
12:36U.S. Deputy Secretary of State,
12:37Christopher Landau
12:38has also confirmed
12:39cartel's death,
12:40describing him
12:41as one of the bloodiest
12:42and most ruthless
12:43drug kingpins.
12:48The main objective
12:50during this day
12:50has been to safeguard
12:51the safety of the people.
12:53That is why,
12:54from early on,
12:54from this security table,
12:56which is in permanent session,
12:58we activated the red code,
12:59which continues
13:01until the moment
13:01to coordinate the work
13:02of all the security corporations.
13:09The violence spread rapidly
13:11with buses and businesses
13:12being torched
13:13allegedly by suspected gang members.
13:17Videos have been captured
13:18of stampedes
13:19as passengers panicked
13:20at the Guadalajara
13:21International Airport.
13:27Look, now we are scared.
13:29We only go out
13:30when it's necessary
13:31because people don't know
13:32whether to go out
13:34or what to do.
13:34We have the peace of mind
13:36of not being so close to them.
13:38It is good
13:39that they are finishing
13:40with all these organizations,
13:41but there's fear
13:42because of these situations
13:44that are happening now.
13:45You don't know
13:46how to react
13:47or what to do
13:47at these moments.
13:52Oseguera,
13:53once a police officer,
13:54became one of the most feared
13:55Mexican drug lords
13:56and the most wanted,
13:58with the United States
13:59offering a $15 million bounty
14:01for information
14:02leading to his arrest.
14:04After the killing,
14:05the FIFA World Cup
14:06host city of Guadalajara
14:07has been rocked
14:09by a wave of violence.
14:10The city is scheduled
14:11to host four games
14:12at the Estadio Akron
14:13during the 2026 FIFA World Cup
14:16this June.
14:17Co-hosts Mexico,
14:18European champion Spain
14:19and South American sides
14:20Uruguay and Colombia
14:21are all set to play
14:23in Mexico's
14:23second largest city.
14:26Another video showed
14:27plumes of smoke
14:28covering Mexico's
14:29Puerto Vallarta,
14:30a resort city
14:31in the state of El Esco.
14:33Following the fall
14:34of Venezuela,
14:35Trump has been
14:35constantly pressuring
14:36Mexican President
14:37Claudia Sheinbaum
14:38to take action
14:39against the drug cartels.
14:43He had earlier suggested
14:44that the U.S.
14:45could expand
14:45its military campaign
14:46against the Mexican
14:47drug cartels
14:48in case the national
14:50government did not.
14:51Bureau Report,
14:52India Today.
14:56Now a crowd
14:57of protesters
14:58chanted
14:58we'll fight,
14:59we'll die,
15:01we'll reclaim Iran
15:01at Al-Zahra University
15:03as they marked
15:04the 42nd day
15:05of mourning
15:06for those killed
15:07in recent protests.
15:08In recent videos,
15:10kafils were seen
15:10as groups of students
15:11at several universities
15:13in Iran
15:13staged anti-government protests.
15:15Opposing groups
15:16were seen chanting
15:17pro- and anti-government
15:19chants
15:19while pushing each other.
15:21The protests
15:21happened also
15:22as U.S. and Iran
15:24get ready
15:24for next round
15:25of meeting
15:26in Geneva on Thursday.
15:27The talks are being
15:28mediated by Omani
15:29Foreign Minister
15:30Badr al-Busaydi.
15:31Oman previously
15:32hosted the indirect talks
15:33on the Islamic Republic's
15:35nuclear program
15:35and facilitated
15:36the latest round
15:38in Geneva last week.
15:39Iran's state news agency
15:41said students protested
15:43at five universities
15:44in the capital
15:44and one
15:46in the city of Mashhad.
15:48Many Iranians
15:49have held ceremonies
15:50marking the traditional
15:5140-day mourning period
15:52in the past week.
15:53During the 1979
15:55Islamic Revolution
15:56that toppled the Shah
15:57and brought the Islamic Republic
15:59to power,
16:0040-day memorials
16:01for slain protesters
16:02often turned into rallies
16:03that security forces
16:05tried to crush
16:06causing new deaths.
16:07Those were then marked
16:0840 days later
16:09with new protests.
16:11The events unfold
16:12as the Pentagon
16:14sends the largest force
16:16of American warships
16:17and aircraft
16:18to the Middle East
16:19in decades
16:19including two aircraft
16:21carrier strike groups
16:22as President Donald Trump
16:23warns of possible
16:25military action
16:26against Iran
16:27if talks over
16:28its nuclear program
16:29fall apart.
16:34Well, let's now
16:35take a look at
16:36some other stories
16:36from across the world
16:38and world at a glance.
16:49China has urged the United States
16:51to lift its unilateral tariffs
16:53on trading partners.
16:54The Chinese Ministry of Commerce
16:56said China has noticed
16:58the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling
17:00against the U.S. government's tariffs
17:02imposed under the
17:03International Emergency
17:04Economic Powers Act
17:05and is conducting
17:07a comprehensive assessment
17:08of its relevant content
17:10and impact.
17:11The U.S. Supreme Court
17:12ruled on Friday
17:13that the U.S. government's
17:14imposition of tariffs
17:16on trading partners
17:17under the IEEPA
17:19is illegal.
17:21China has always opposed
17:22all forms of unilateral tariff
17:24increase measures
17:25repeatedly stressing
17:27that the trade wars
17:28produce no winners.
17:35According to Canadian media reports
17:37ahead of Prime Minister
17:38Mark Carney's visit
17:39to India next month
17:40Canada has moved
17:42to revoke the citizenship
17:43of the Havur Rana
17:45the Pakistani-Canadian
17:46accused of playing
17:47a key role
17:47in the 26-11
17:49Mumbai attacks.
17:50Carney's visit
17:51is seen to restore
17:53the India-Canada relationship
17:54which has been greatly affected
17:56under its predecessor
17:57Justin Trudeau.
18:04Former Philippine President
18:06Rodrigo Duterte
18:07was pivotal
18:07in the murder
18:08of thousands of people
18:09during his rule
18:11prosecutors at the
18:12International Criminal Court
18:13said
18:14as they pushed
18:15for his trial
18:16to go ahead.
18:17The prosecutors
18:17at the Hague-based
18:19War Crimes Court
18:20have charged
18:21Duterte with
18:22three counts of murder
18:23as a crime
18:23against humanity
18:25involving dozens of victims
18:27that accusers say
18:28were only a fraction
18:29of the real death toll
18:30in his clampdown
18:31on alleged drug users
18:33and criminals.
18:39North Korea's ruling
18:41Workers' Party
18:41re-elected leader
18:42Kim Jong-un
18:43as General Secretary
18:44at the fourth day
18:46of its party congress meetings.
18:47In a laudatory report
18:49it credited Kim
18:50for raising the prestige
18:51of the country
18:52creating an international
18:53environment
18:54favourable
18:54to its revolutionary struggle
18:56and strengthening
18:57the country's military
18:58into an elite
18:59and powerful army.
19:05New York City's
19:07iconic Times Square
19:08was covered in snow
19:09as a major snowstorm
19:11swept through the
19:12northeastern United States
19:13bringing heavy snowfall
19:15and icy conditions.
19:16New Jersey,
19:18Connecticut
19:18and Massachusetts
19:19governors issued
19:21state of emergency orders
19:22and a halt to
19:23non-essential travel
19:24on Sunday, February 22nd
19:26as this storm
19:26was expected to bring
19:28up to 24 inches of snow
19:29and strong winds
19:30to the region.
19:41News just coming in
19:42a major air tragedy
19:44in Jharkhand's
19:45Chhatra district
19:46is being reported
19:46this is a major air tragedy
19:49this is an air ambulance
19:50we are talking about
19:51has crashed
19:52in Jharkhand
19:53according to reports
19:54the air ambulance
19:55had taken off
19:56from Ranchi
19:57and was on route
19:58to Delhi
19:59it includes
20:00the patient
20:01who was on board
20:02was being taken
20:03from Jharkhand
20:04to Delhi
20:05for treatment
20:06what we are given
20:07to understand
20:08as per reports
20:09is that
20:09seven persons
20:10were on board
20:11the air ambulance
20:12a patient
20:12a doctor
20:13a paramedic
20:14two attendants
20:15a PIC
20:16and a copilot
20:18they were all on board
20:19that's just
20:20the initial reports
20:21that are coming in
20:22we are given
20:23to understand
20:23that this was
20:23a chartered air ambulance
20:25on route
20:26from Ranchi
20:27to Delhi
20:27and the radar contact
20:31went missing
20:32with the aircraft
20:33having lost touch
20:36with the radar
20:37control room
20:39after take off
20:41from Jharkhand's
20:42Birsamunda airport
20:43those are reports
20:44that are just coming in
20:45and we are given
20:46to understand
20:47that the aircraft
20:49has crashed
20:50this is an air ambulance
20:52we have seen
20:53recent incidents
20:54of air crashes
20:57but rarely
20:58an air ambulance
20:59that has met
21:00with a massive tragedy
21:02over here
21:02we do not have details
21:04on what has happened
21:06on the ground
21:07those are visuals
21:08the first visuals
21:09that are coming
21:09from Chhatra
21:10in Jharkhand
21:11where the air crash
21:12has taken place
21:13it's an air ambulance
21:14that was carrying
21:15a patient
21:16along with a doctor
21:17a paramedic
21:18an attendant
21:20co-pilot
21:21and the pilot
21:21those are details
21:23that are just coming in
21:24Amit Bhardwa
21:25joins me
21:26for more on this
21:26on the phone line
21:27Amit a major tragedy
21:29yet again
21:29this time
21:30it's an air ambulance
21:31and it does seem
21:32like the patient
21:33was on board
21:34with the doctor
21:35the paramedics
21:36the attendant
21:37as also
21:38the pilot
21:39and co-pilot
21:40and it has crashed
21:41it was en route
21:42to Delhi
21:45right
21:45the initial
21:46that we have
21:47at this point
21:48in time
21:48which depends
21:49on to our viewers
21:50as well
21:50is that
21:51this was an air
21:52ambulance
21:53which was sent
21:54to the national
21:56capital
21:56have taken off
21:57from Ranchi
21:58and this
21:59included
22:00individuals
22:01the patient
22:03one doctor
22:04two paramedics
22:05two attendants
22:06so in total
22:07seven people
22:08are believed
22:08to be on that
22:09craft
22:09and the initial
22:11information
22:12also suggests
22:13that this
22:14was being
22:15operated by
22:16Redbird Airways
22:17Private Limited
22:18so the aircraft
22:19mini aircraft
22:20which was
22:22being used
22:23as air ambulance
22:24was being run
22:25by Redbird Airways
22:27Private Limited
22:28more information
22:30is awaited
22:31in this particular
22:32regard as to
22:33why the crash
22:34has happened
22:34whether there was
22:35you know
22:36any
22:37whether
22:37the aircraft
22:39went off
22:40the radar
22:40what was
22:41the last
22:42signal
22:42or message
22:42that was
22:43given by
22:43the pilot
22:44by the crew
22:45on board
22:46all of that
22:47detail is
22:48awaited
22:48at this point
22:49in time
22:49the DGCK
22:50did collect
22:51the initial
22:52information
22:52from the
22:52local sources
22:53as well
22:54but certainly
22:55the local
22:56administration
22:57has confirmed
22:57the crash
22:58and that
22:59seven people
23:00were on board
23:02as far as
23:03you know
23:04passengers
23:05are concerned
23:05including
23:06the patient
23:07doctor
23:08two paramedics
23:09two attendants
23:10from the
23:11family
23:11one pilot
23:13and one
23:13co-pilot
23:14as well
23:15so more
23:15details are
23:16awaited
23:17in this regard
23:17but this
23:18we can certainly
23:19tell our viewers
23:19at this point
23:20in time
23:20this particular
23:21air ambulance
23:23charter crash
23:24at left
23:25from Ranchi
23:26was sent
23:27to Delhi
23:27and a crash
23:29in Jharkand
23:30itself
23:30more details
23:31are awaited
23:32in after
23:33the technical
23:33from which
23:34the concern
23:35are stuck
23:35to you
23:35right Amit
23:37these are just
23:37initial details
23:38that are coming
23:39thank you so much
23:39for all the
23:40details that you
23:41shared
23:41keep tracking
23:42the story
23:42we'll come
23:43back to you
23:44as and when
23:45we get more
23:46details
23:46and inform
23:47our viewers
23:47for now
23:48those are the
23:49reports that
23:50are coming in
23:50an air ambulance
23:51is crashed
23:52in Chhatra
23:53in Jharkand
23:53and it was
23:55en route to
23:55Delhi
23:56with the
23:56patient
23:56doctor
23:57attendant
23:58paramedic
23:59and the
23:59pilots
23:59all on board
24:00details on
24:02the situation
24:03on the ground
24:04and casualties
24:04not known
24:05yet
24:06reports coming
24:06in that
24:07the aircraft
24:08had lost
24:09radar contact
24:15that brings
24:16me to the
24:16close of this
24:17show but
24:17news and
24:18updates will
24:18continue on
24:19the other
24:19side and
24:19we'll keep
24:19tracking the
24:20story as
24:20well
24:21thank you
24:21for watching
24:21goodbye
24:22and take
24:23care
24:23and take
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