Israel’s Ambassador links Pahalgam Terror attack to Hamas-ISI coordination

By NI Bureau | 25/04/2025 | Categories: India

Pahalgam Terror attack: The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam has drawn attention to the growing collaboration between Hamas and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Intelligence sources have reported that the four attackers involved—two of whom were Pakistani nationals—used tactics that closely resembled those employed by Hamas during its assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.

As per the reports, the attackers were trained in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where Hamas has reportedly developed a dedicated training module in coordination with terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), under the full support of the ISI.

Earlier in February, several senior Hamas leaders, recently released from Israeli prisons, visited Pakistan. The visit, arranged at the invitation of the Pakistani government, included a tour of PoK where the leaders met with commanders from Lashkar and Jaish. A public rally was held in Rawalakot where these Hamas figures were paraded on horseback and hailed as “liberators.”

Hamas spokesperson Khaled al-Qaddoumi, along with leaders Naji Zaher, Mufti Azam, and Bilal Al-Salat, including Talha Saif, the brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar attended the event. The rally, titled “Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood,” portrayed the Kashmir and Palestine conflicts as part of a shared pan-Islamic jihad and included open calls for unity against India and Israel.

Reacting to the Pahalgam attack, Israel’s Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on April 24 compared it directly to the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. He stated that both attacks showed a deliberate pattern of targeting civilians and warned of increasing operational coordination between terror groups. “The similarities are disturbing,” Azar said. “We are witnessing growing coordination between terrorist organisations who are learning from one another. This is a danger to not only Israel and India, but to many other countries.”

In an earlier interview on February 26, Azar had also commented on Hamas leaders meeting in PoK. He described it as a troubling development, stating: “Unfortunately, terrorist organisations work as networks. They draw inspiration from each other and cooperate in pursuit of their common goal—to spread fear and chaos.”

He emphasized that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances and said, “We are facing an ideology that violates every value of humanity. Just as Israel has taken decisive action against Hamas, we hope that India will continue to protect its principles, laws, and values with the same resolve.”