Indian PM Modi pledges $40 million aid to Palestine

Indian leader Narendra Modi pledged $40 million in aid on Saturday to Palestine.

Modi's announcement came during the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the West Bank.

"We discussed regional and global developments that have a role in peace in the world and in the region," Bloomberg reported the prime minister as saying, as he stood alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Last summer, Modi visited Israel but did not stop over in the West Bank. New Delhi has since pursued efforts to "de-hyphenate" its relations with Israel and the Palestinians.

Traditionally, India has been a vocal champion of the Palestinian cause.

India is today the largest importer of Israeli arms in the world, accounting for 41 per cent of the latter's arms sales. 

In January, Modi hosted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on his week-long trip to India, where he sought to revive a $500 million anti-tank missile deal.

New Delhi already provides development assistance in the Palestinian territories, with the $40 million announced on Saturday earmarked for media equipment, schools and a hospital.

"We count on India, an international force on a strategic and economic level, to help Palestinians achieve a just peace in our region," Abbas said.