Muslim leaders in India have condemned Israel’s counter attack on the Islamic terror outfit Hamas after the terrorists killed more than 1200 people on October 7.

“We must remember that the Zionist government has been continuously evicting Palestinians from their homes and land for years and oppressing the native inhabitants of the land,” the Muslim leaders said in a joint statement.

“The continuous settlement [of Israelis] in new localities of the Palestinian territories and the desecration of the ‘Al-Aqsa Mosque’ and other such aggressive policies is clear violation of international laws. They are the biggest roadblock in the way of sustained peace and order in the region,” they added.

Urging the global leaders to take immediate action to stop Israel’s counter attack on Hamas, the statement said, “We are deeply concerned about the situation in Palestine, especially in Gaza. We strongly condemn the continuous killing of even children and women, the interruption of food, water, medicine, and electricity supply, and the continuous bombing of populated areas and attempts to evacuate Gaza. There is a need for the international community to act immediately and stop the bloodshed.”

The Muslim leaders also urged the Indian government to follow the pro-Palestinian policy. “We also demand the government to continue India’s long-standing anti-colonial and pro-Palestinian foreign policy advocated by Mahatma Gandhi and [reiterated by] Atal Behari Vajpayee, and use its sphere of influence in realising the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” the statement said.

Among the signatories of the statement are the presidents and senior representatives of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami, Imarat e Shariah, All India Ulemma and Masaikh Board, Milli Council, and the Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees, apart from the imams of Delhi’s Fatehpuri Masjid and the Shias’ Jama Masjid, as well as the former president of Majlis-e-Mushawarat.