India Exporting Weapons to Israel amid Gaza War, Documents Reveal

In the early hours of May 15, the cargo vessel Borkum was seen off the coast of Spain near Cartagena. Protesters, waving Palestinian flags, urged authorities to inspect the ship on suspicions of it carrying weapons destined for Israel.

Left-wing members of the European Parliament wrote to Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, urging him to prevent the ship from docking. “Allowing a ship loaded with weapons destined for Israel is to permit arms transit to a country currently under investigation for genocide against the Palestinian people,” the group of nine MEPs stated.

Before the Spanish government could act, the Borkum diverted to the Slovenian port of Koper. Inigo Errejon, spokesperson for the hard-left Sumar party, tweeted that the ship's decision to skip Cartagena confirmed their suspicions.

Documents seen by Al Jazeera indicate that the Borkum carried explosives loaded in India, bound for Israel’s port of Ashdod, located 30km from the Gaza Strip. Marine tracking sites showed it departed from Chennai in southeast India on April 2, avoiding the Red Sea to circumvent attacks from Yemen.

Documentation, obtained by the Solidarity Network Against the Palestinian Occupation (RESCOP), identified the Borkum's cargo as 20 tonnes of rocket engines, 12.5 tonnes of rockets with explosive charges, 1,500kg of explosive substances, and 740kg of charges and propellants for cannons.

A confidentiality clause in the documents mandated that employees and consultants not mention IMI Systems or Israel. IMI Systems, acquired by Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems in 2018, was involved.

MLB Manfred Lauterjung Befrachtung, the German commercial manager of the ship, denied loading weapons for Israel in a statement to Al Jazeera.

Another cargo ship from India, the Marianne Danica, was denied entry to Cartagena on May 21. The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported it left Chennai with 27 tonnes of explosives for Israel’s port of Haifa. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed the ship was denied entry due to its military cargo for Israel.

These incidents suggest that weapon parts from India, traditionally an advocate for dialogue over military action, are reaching Israel during the ongoing Gaza war. Analysts note the lack of transparency in India’s arms transfers.

Zain Hussain of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) told Al Jazeera that the lack of verifiable information complicates the assessment of these transfers. However, he noted that collaboration between India and Israel has been ongoing for years, making the use of Indian components in Israel's Gaza operations plausible.

On June 6, following Israel’s bombing of a UN shelter at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, the Quds News Network released footage showing missile debris labeled “Made in India.”

India has long balanced its relationship with Israel, attempting to mediate in the Gaza war while calling for peace and a ceasefire, and demanding Hamas return captives held in Gaza.

Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, and UN diplomats, consistently advocate for dialogue and negotiations to resolve conflicts. This has been India’s stance on Russia’s war on Ukraine and Israel’s war on Gaza.

However, reports of India supplying weapons to Israel challenge this narrative, according to Nicolas Blarel, author of "The Evolution of India’s Israel Policy." Al Jazeera's attempts to obtain comments from India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence went unanswered.

India recognized Israel in 1950, establishing formal diplomatic relations in 1992. It was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the representative of the Palestinian people in 1974, and recognized the State of Palestine in 1988.

During the 1990s, as the Cold War ended and PLO leader Yasser Arafat engaged with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, India also began collaborating with Israel. This relationship accelerated after the 1999 India-Pakistan war, with Israel uniquely willing to sell weapons to India.

Since his 2014 election, Prime Minister Modi has shifted from India’s pro-Palestinian stance, publicly embracing Israel and becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the occupying entity in 2017. This visit resulted in a strategic partnership encompassing space and technology, altering India's stance on Israel to a case-by-case basis, Blarel noted. Modi has frequently referred to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a friend.

On October 26, weeks after the start of Israel’s war in Gaza, India abstained from a UN General Assembly vote calling for an “immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce.” Foreign Minister Jaishankar cited sympathy for Israel.

India later supported a UNGA resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but abstained from a UN Human Rights Council vote calling for an arms embargo on Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza. This month, India joined the BRICS grouping in expressing concern over the violence in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire.

Blarel noted that India’s support for UN resolutions varies, balancing its good relations with Israel and support for Palestinians. Modi's BJP lost its parliamentary majority recently, making coalition diplomacy crucial, especially in the Middle East.