Israel Urges India to Designate Hamas as Terror Group
JERUSALEM — Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday called on India to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, emphasizing the group’s alleged links to other militant networks.
Speaking during a virtual interaction with Hindu leaders from around the world, Sa’ar said, “I stressed the importance of Hamas being designated as a terror organisation by India. Hamas has ties with all other radical Islamist terror organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba.”
Sa’ar said he was honored to brief the group and highlighted what he described as strengthening ties between Israel and India.
“I spoke about the positive trends in the strengthening of Israel’s relations with India, and the great importance we attach to this relationship. I also spoke about the historic campaign Israel had been forced to fight for the past 2.5 years against radical Islam. Their declared objective is the elimination of Israel, and they act to achieve that goal,” he said.
“Israel demonstrated on all fronts that it has the upper hand. It dramatically weakened the terror octopus of radical Islam, headed by the Iranian regime. This struggle has, and will have, implications beyond the Middle East,” he added.
The interaction included figures such as Abhishek Verma, Shiv Sena’s chief national coordinator for the NDA alliance and elections, humanitarian leader Mohanji, and spiritual leader Gauranga Das Prabhu.
India has previously expressed strong support for Israel following the October 2023 attacks by Hamas. During a visit to Israel earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence and reaffirmed India’s stance against terrorism.
“I also carry with me the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction in this moment and beyond. No cause can justify the murder of civilians. Nothing can justify terrorism. India has also endured the pain of terrorism for a long time,” Modi said during an address at Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, in February.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked Modi for India’s support following the attack.
“There is another reason for the deep appreciation you receive here in this house and from the public in Israel, because immediately after the horrific massacre on October 7, immediately after that murderous attack, you stood up so clearly, so morally, so sharply, you stood by Israel. We will never forget that,” Netanyahu said during a special Knesset session in Modi’s honor.
The remarks underscore ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two countries as regional tensions continue to shape global alliances. (Source: IANS)
