India has now joined a group of countries criticizing Israel for its recent unilateral actions in the West Bank. Earlier, 85 countries had issued a joint statement on February 17, 2026, condemning Israel's moves, but India had not signed it initially. Now, India’s name appears alongside global powers including the EU, BRICS founders Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa, as well as Quad partners Australia and Japan, and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Pakistan. The statement, read by Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour at a UN event, condemned "unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank." Mansour emphasized strong opposition to any form of annexation and rejected steps that change the demographic and legal status of Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem. This criticism comes after Israel’s Knesset passed laws to tighten control over parts of the West Bank, areas previously under Palestinian Authority since the Oslo Accords. Measures include easing land purchases and verifying residency documents, seen as prelude to annexation. The statement called these measures violations of international law that undermine peace efforts and threaten stability in the region. India faced sharp criticism on social media for initially not joining the statement. Former diplomats expressed regret and urged India to maintain its moral positions. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had hosted the League of Arab States and met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister on January 31, but there is no clear information on discussions about upcoming visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel or Palestine. Modi’s visit to Israel, his first since 2017, is being planned after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his trip to India last November. Modi’s visit will happen weeks after the release of controversial "Epstein files" in the U.S., which included disputed claims involving Modi, strongly denied by India’s External Affairs Ministry.