India and Israel have agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation with a long-term perspective. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held a bilateral meeting with Director General, Israel Ministry of Defence, Major General (Res) Amir Baram in New Delhi yesterday. The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said that during their meeting, they concurred to work towards developing an institutional framework for further deepening of defence ties. Major General (Res) Amir Baram condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and conveyed full support for India’s fight against terrorism. The Defence Secretary also reiterated India’s zero tolerance approach to terrorism and condemned the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel and called for the release of all hostages. The two sides also reviewed the progress of the ongoing defence collaboration activities since the last Joint Working Group meeting held in July last year in India.

The statement added that this visit by Major General (Res) Amir Baram marks a pivotal step in India-Israel defence relations and reinforces both sides’ commitment to enhance their strategic partnership.