Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has drawn a striking comparison between the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel, warning that international terror outfits are increasingly mirroring each other’s brutal tactics.
In a series of interviews with Indian media, Ambassador Azar described both attacks as deliberate, cold-blooded massacres of civilians, suggesting that global terror networks are not only ideologically aligned but also actively coordinating.
“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,” Azar told NDTV, referencing the killing of tourists by Pakistan-linked militants in the scenic Baisaran Valley.
Drawing further parallels, he told PTI:
“There are similarities between the Pahalgam attack and what happened on October 7 in Israel. Innocent tourists were enjoying their vacation in Pahalgam, while in Israel, people were celebrating a music festival.”
The October 7 attack in Israel, orchestrated by Hamas, claimed the lives of over 1,400 people and shocked the world with its scale and intensity. According to Azar, the attackers in Kashmir seem to have drawn tactical and symbolic inspiration from that assault — a growing sign of transnational terrorism being fueled by shared ideologies and possible inter-organizational collaboration.
Azar also referenced reports of meetings between Hamas leaders and Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, suggesting a deeper, possibly strategic connection between groups traditionally focused on different geographies. He cautioned against underestimating these linkages, warning that “terrorists enjoy a series of deeds by countries that supply money, intelligence inputs and weapons, which is unacceptable.”
The Israeli envoy commended India’s swift and firm response to the Pahalgam carnage, where 26 people — including civilians and off-duty personnel from Indian defence and intelligence agencies — lost their lives.
“I'm very encouraged by not only the strong condemnation but also the strict measures taken by the Indian government,” he said.
India's retaliatory diplomatic measures have included suspension of visa services for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of all but essential diplomatic personnel, closure of the Attari-Wagah land route, and the unprecedented step of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, a move signaling the depth of India’s frustration with cross-border terrorism.
Ambassador Azar concluded by urging the global community to hold state sponsors of terrorism accountable:
“We must expose and isolate the countries backing terrorism. The time for moral ambiguity is over.”
