Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a "message of partnership" to Israel on Wednesday as he welcomed the Gaza peace plan as a route out of the conflict.
Mr Modi addressed Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he assured members that "India stands with Israel" in the wake of the Hamas-led attack that triggered the Gaza war.
"I bring with me the greetings of 1.4 billion Indians and a message of friendship, respect and partnership," he said. His Israeli host and counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to coax Mr Modi into a “hexagon” of allies in the region.
The two leaders met before Mr Modi's speech. Mr Netanyahu hailed what he called an "alliance between us". He said: "India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a protective wall from barbarism".
In his Knesset address, Mr Modi said the path to peace in the Middle East had become "even more challenging" in recent years. "The Gaza peace initiative that was endorsed by the UN Security Council offers a pathway," he said.
"India has expressed its firm support for the initiative. We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestine issue."
Mr Modi said he had an "excellent" meeting with Mr Netanyahu after arriving for his two-day visit. "It is a delight to be back in Israel after nine years," he said. "We discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at boosting bilateral ties.
"Sectors such as technology, water management, agriculture, talent partnership and more offer immense scope for close collaboration. We also discussed key developments in the region," added Mr Modi, who in 2017 became the first prime minister in India's history to visit Israel.
Mr Netanyahu and his wife Sara greeted Mr Modi after he left his plane on landing at Ben Gurion Airport. They laughed and embraced on a red carpet as a trumpet fanfare was played, Israeli media said.
“Welcome, my friend,” Mr Netanyahu was heard saying to his counterpart, before the two stood for the Israeli national anthem, flanked by military personnel.
Mr Netanyahu told his cabinet the visit will lead to more “economic, diplomatic and security co-operation”. India’s ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, told The Jerusalem Post the “historic” visit will open a new phase in bilateral relations.
Before the trip, Mr Netanyahu described a “hexagon of alliances around or within the Middle East” that Israel is seeking to form, to oppose “both the radical Shiite axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis: the radical Sunni axis”.
He said the hexagon would include India, Greece and Cyprus and other countries in the Arab world, Africa and Asia. “These countries all share a different perception, and co-operation between us can yield very great fruits and also, of course, ensure our strength and future,” he added.
Israel's standing abroad has been badly damaged by its military assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and led to accusations of genocide. India recognises Palestinian statehood but has held back from heavy criticism of the war.
Mr Modi's visit comes as the US has deployed 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.
The Pentagon has also sent an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, bound for Israel's coast.
A US attack on Iran could draw retaliation targeting Israel, as well as US military facilities in Gulf Arab countries, where millions of Indians live and work, and send home billions of dollars of remittances each year.
