Israel Urges India To Designate Hamas As Terror Group, Cites Rising Links With LeT
Israel has urged India to formally designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation, warning of the group’s expanding ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Iranian proxies.
Israel has called on India to formally label Hamas as a terrorist organisation, warning that the group’s deepening ties with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other Iran-backed proxies pose a growing threat to both nations. The appeal comes amid renewed concerns that Hamas is attempting to rebuild its networks in Gaza and outsource attacks through international operatives.
Israel Pushes For India To Act
During a briefing with reporters in Jerusalem, a senior official from Israel’s foreign ministry stressed the urgency of India taking tougher action.
"Our request is that India must work hard to sanction and designate organisations such as Hamas as terrorist groups," the official said. "Israel designated Lashkar-e-Taiba a few years ago. We would like to see a reciprocation of that from India."
Israel classified LeT as a terror outfit in 2023, shortly after Hamas carried out the deadly October 7 attack.
The latest push follows similar remarks by the Israeli Defence Forces. Earlier, IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said India and Israel "have a common enemy," adding that a formal designation by New Delhi would send a strong message.
"It’s not just about freezing assets or banning operatives from entering India," he noted. "It signals that India clearly sees what Hamas is doing, and no operative should step on Indian soil."
Growing Hamas–LeT Nexus Raises Red Flags
Israeli officials say India is already aware of the expanding network connecting Hamas, Iranian proxies, and global terror groups. They argue that India’s stance could influence how other regional countries, such as Bangladesh, Maldives, and Nepal, shape their policies on extremist organisations.
The senior official pointed to a troubling pattern of cooperation.
"We are seeing significant links between Hamas and Lashkar-e-Taiba," he said. "Hamas and Hezbollah are using international criminal proxies to operate terror attacks. We won’t see an Iranian operative act directly in Europe. Instead, we’re likely to see an international proxy connected to an Iranian operative carry out attacks, as we’ve recently seen in London."
Israel also urged India to halt its funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Gaza’s largest aid organisation. India contributed $5 million to the agency for 2024–2025. According to Israel, UNRWA has been infiltrated by Hamas and has allowed "systematic" misuse of its facilities.
Another senior Israeli official acknowledged India's long-standing policy of maintaining balanced relations in West Asia, a diplomatic approach Israel says it understands.
No Shift In Iran’s Regional Strategy After 12-Day War
Israeli officials also warned that Iran’s posture in the Middle East remains unchanged, even after the intense 12-day conflict between Tehran and Israel earlier this year and subsequent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
"We believed Iran’s policy would shift after the 12-day war," one official said. "However, we now understand there has been no shift. Instead, Tehran is doubling down and investing more in proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah."
The official said Washington’s current pressure campaign on Iran is insufficient. "Just declaring sanctions is a start, but it is not enough. We saw stronger enforcement under the previous Trump administration, but we aren’t seeing that now."
While clarifying that Israel is not seeking regime change, the official added pointedly: "If regime change does happen due to economic reasons or otherwise, I don’t think it would be a bad thing."
Sudan Emerging As A New Hub In Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’?
One of Israel’s strongest concerns now lies beyond the Middle East. Officials warned that Iran is expanding its reach into Africa, particularly into the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa.
"We are seeing more and more Iranian influence in countries facing instability, especially in Sudan," an Israeli official said.
According to Israel’s foreign ministry, Tehran views Sudan as a potential node in its self-declared "Axis of Resistance" and a possible base for Hamas operations.
Weapons transfers and militia activity, they said, are already visible on the ground.
Sudan and Iran restored diplomatic ties in 2024 amid the country’s ongoing civil war. Over the past year, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly supplied drones, munitions, and intelligence support to the Sudanese Armed Forces. Sudan’s strategic position along the Red Sea makes it a key location for Tehran as it seeks to expand its influence, particularly as Houthi operations in Yemen decline due to American and Israeli strikes.
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