Pakistan remains ‘seized of defence ties’ between Israel and India: FO

• Pakistan ready to deter any Indian aggression, says FO. 
• Says Pakistan remains cognisant of threats to its security.
• India, Israel to boost defence cooperation, Modi says.

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said that Pakistan remained seized of the defence ties between Israel and India, including systems and platforms used by New Delhi against Islamabad.

FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the remarks while responding to a question about expanding defence ties between New Delhi and Tel Aviv and the pacts announced during the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel during his weekly press briefing.

“We are alive to the threat that they pose to our security and our sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to the regional peace and stability,” he added.

The FO spokesperson said that Pakistan remained cognisant of these threats.

As regards the future threats emanating from India, the spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan has robust military preparedness to defend and deter any Indian aggression.

India, Israel to boost defence cooperation

Pakistan’s reaction came as PM Modi said New Delhi and Tel Aviv would pursue joint development, production and transfer of technology in defence, as well as work on a free trade agreement.

Here are some details on what the two countries agreed upon during Modi’s two-day visit to Israel:

The two countries will cooperate in the field of “horizon scanning”, which would enhance India’s strategic capabilities, an Indian foreign ministry statement said.

This would help strengthen strategic foresight, risk assessment, and technology planning through joint research, capacity building and AI-driven tools, it said.

Israel would allow 50,000 additional Indian workers into the country over the next five years, especially in manufacturing sectors, the statement said.

Modi said India would continue to consult, and cooperate with all partners on establishing peace in West Asia.

“The Gaza peace plan has opened a pathway to peace, and India has extended its full support to these efforts,” he said during a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Modi is visiting as the United States deploys a vast naval force near Iran’s coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic, with the two countries at an impasse in talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

PM Modi said that India and Israel had pledged to fight terrorism “shoulder to shoulder”, as he concluded a two-day visit focused on deepening strategic ties.

The trip, which has drawn criticism at home, marks Modi’s second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014.

Modi, who addressed Israel’s parliament a day earlier, spoke of future cooperation between Israel and India in a variety of fields including technology and energy.

“Together, we will move forward towards joint development, joint production, and the transfer of technology,” Modi told journalists.

“At the same time, we will also advance our cooperation in areas such as civil nuclear energy and space.”

Both leaders used the visit to announce a series of initiatives aimed at deepening trade and technological cooperation.

Israeli officials had framed the visit as an expression of a robust and expanding partnership, with Netanyahu describing Modi as “more than a friend, a brother”.

A senior figure of India´s Congress party, Priyanka Gandhi, had criticised Modi’s visit before he arrived in Israel.

In a social media post, Gandhi said she hoped that Modi would mention the killing of “thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza” during his address to the Israeli parliament.

In his speech to Israeli lawmakers, Modi did not say that explicitly, but said that India “supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability”.

— With additional input from Reuters and AFP