India on Thursday described the assault mounted on Israel by the Hamas militant group, which rules the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, as a “terrorist attack”, and said it has always backed direct negotiations for establishing a sovereign state of Palestine that can exist side-by-side with Israel.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi outlined India’s position on the surge in violence, following the Hamas attacks last weekend, in response to questions at a regular media briefing in the national capital. India, he said, believes there is an obligation to observe international humanitarian law, alongside a global responsibility to fight all forms of terrorism.

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Bagchi also provided details about Operation Ajay, India’s effort to bring back Indian nationals who wish to leave Israel, and said the first batch of citizens is expected to return to the country on a charter flight by Friday morning. More flights will be arranged as Indians register themselves with the mission in Tel Aviv and express a desire to return home.

Responding to a question on whether India perceives Hamas as a terror group, Bagchi said, “As you are aware, the designation of a terrorist organisation under Indian laws is a legal matter…I think we have been very clear that we see this as a terrorist attack.”

Elaborating India’s position on the Palestine issue, he said, “Our policy in this regard has been long-standing and consistent. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel.”

He added, “There is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law. There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

Bagchi’s remarks were the first official reaction from the external affairs ministry on the situation in Israel following the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,300 Israelis. Another 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in strikes on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had denounced the “terrorist attacks” and told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that India stands in solidarity with Israel.

The position initially taken by the Indian side had perturbed diplomats from several Arab countries, as New Delhi had made no reference to the Palestinian issue so far. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which have normalised relations with Israel, were among the very few Arab countries that named Hamas while condemning the attacks.

Other Arab states such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia didn’t even refer to Hamas in their statements on the violence, which they attributed to continuing violations and attacks by Israeli “occupation” forces against Palestinians, including repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.

Bagchi said the first charter flight under Operation Ajay will reach Tel Aviv on Thursday night and is expected to return with up to 230 Indian citizens on Friday morning. Further flights are yet to be finalised as the situation is evolving, he said.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar chaired a meeting on Thursday to assess the situation and preparations to bring back citizens who wish to return. The ministry is in close touch with the mission in Tel Aviv and the representative office at Ramallah, as well as Indian missions in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

Bagchi said all options are being kept open, including the use of Indian Air Force aircraft to bring back Indian citizens from Israel. “A situation where there is a conflict going on is of concern. We request Indians to follow advisories from the mission in Tel Aviv, and be cautious, take precautions, and reach out to the embassy if they need assistance,” he said.

People familiar with the matter said close to 7,000 out of the 18,000 Indian nationals in Israel had so far registered with the mission in Tel Aviv, but only a small percentage had expressed a desire to return home. There is a limited number of Indians, mainly caregivers, in the conflict zones close to Gaza. A majority of the 1,000-odd Indian students have not expressed a desire to return, the people said.

“This is the situation as of now, but things can change if the situation worsens,” one of the people said.