'Hamas Leaders Visited PoK': Israel Envoy On Link With Pak-Based Lashkar

Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, today compared the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam to the October 7, 2023 Hamas strike on Israel, citing similarities in their targeting of civilians and warning of growing coordination among terrorist groups.

"The terrorists are collaborating at all levels and trying to be copycats of each other. I am sure the intelligence agencies are working together to defeat them," Mr Azar told NDTV.

Referring to the killing of tourists by Pakistan-linked terrorists in Pahalgam, he drew parallels to the Hamas-led assault that killed over 1,400 people in Israel.

"Unfortunately, we must confess, these terrorist groups are inspiring each other. There are similarities between the Pahalgam attack and what happened on October 7 (2023) in Israel. Innocent tourists were enjoying their vacation in Pahalgam, while in Israel, people were celebrating a music festival," he told news agency PTI.

He linked the Pahalgam attack's timing to the recent visits by Hamas leaders to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), where they reportedly met with Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists and a few others, suggesting possible coordination.

The Israeli ambassador praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response to the Pahalgam attack, particularly his speech at a gathering in Bihar's Madhubani today, where he promised to "hunt down" those responsible for the killings.

"I'm very encouraged by not only the strong condemnation but also the strict measures taken by the Indian government," Mr Azar told PTI Videos, referring to India's diplomatic moves, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the attack in Pahalgam.

Mr Azar asked the global community to expose state sponsors of terrorism, emphasising that the problem extends much beyond individual terrorists.

"Terrorism has to be exposed because terrorists enjoy a series of deeds by countries that supply money, intelligence inputs and weapons (to them), which is unacceptable," he said.

India today said it had suspended visa services "with immediate effect" and ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country, with the exception of remaining diplomats. Experts say a military response may still be in the pipeline, with some speculating that a response may come within days while others say weeks.

Pakistan also held a rare national security meeting today after New Delhi's punitive diplomatic measures.

The killings have shocked India because they were a dramatic shift targeting civilians and the area's vital tourism industry, rather than more common smaller-scale attacks against security forces.

Hindu pilgrims have been targeted in the past, but direct attacks on the tourist trade that underpins much of the local economy are much rarer.

With inputs from AFP