In a significant development, India has appointed Renu Yadav, a 2013 batch IFS officer, as its country representative to the state of Palestine. Israel and Palestine have seen severe escalation in violence since the beginning of 2023. Yadav presented her credentials to the President of Palestine recently in Ramallah and assumed charge. She is the first woman diplomat to be appointed as India’s envoy to Palestine.
A career diplomat, Yadav had her first diplomatic assignment at the Embassy of India, Cairo. She later served at the Embassy of India in Bahrain as Second Secretary/First Secretary, handling administration, media, education and political work. During her last assignment, she was Deputy Secretary in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Division of Ministry of External Affairs, India, handling the matters pertaining to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Djibouti.
Yadav has a Post-Graduate Degree in Economics from the prestigious Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University, India and also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with specialization in Finance from Symbiosis Institute, Pune. While posted in Egypt, apart from the other duties at the Embassy, she obtained an Advanced Diploma in Arabic Language from the American University, Cairo.
2023 has seen increasing volatility in Palestine, with deadly escalation between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups. The year has already seen large-scale violence and causalities, highest after 2005. India supports Palestine and Palestinian refugees through its contributions to UNRWA. India is a member of its Advisory Commission since 2020. India has been extending various forms of economic assistance to Palestine amounting to approximately US$ 130.5 million, including US$ 70.6 million worth of developmental assistance. India has also provided budgetary support to the tune of US$ 39 million to the Palestinian Authority. Since 2002, India has contributed a total of US$ 29.53 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).