Israel urges India to label Hamas as a terror group, asks to to 'reciprocate' LeT ban

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo

Israel has asked India to officially classify Hamas and several other groups operating against it as terrorist organisations. Senior officials in Jerusalem said New Delhi’s position carries weight across South Asia and could influence how others in the region respond to the conflict.

During a briefing with reporters on Thursday, officials from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they expect India to take a stronger step against Hamas, especially since Israel designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror group two years ago. One senior official said India already understands the networks linking Hamas with organisations operating in South Asia.

“Our request from India is to work hard to sanction and designate these organisations as terrorist groups. Israel designated Lashkar-e-Taiba a couple of years ago, and we would like to see this reciprocated,” the official said. The official added that India recognises the “networks and linkages” connecting groups such as Hamas and LeT.

Israel further claimed that ties between Hamas and LeT are “significant,” and alleged that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas and Hezbollah are increasingly relying on criminal syndicates to carry out attacks around the world. According to an Israeli official, proxy actors, not state operatives, are becoming central to terrorism plots.

“You’re not going to see an Iranian operative act directly in Europe. What you will see is a criminal group, a drug lord, a human trafficker or another network connected to an Iranian handler who then carries out an attack, as we’ve seen in Scandinavia or in London,” the official said.

Another Israeli diplomat argued that even a symbolic decision by New Delhi could carry broad consequences. They said neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives “look up to India,” and that its position often shapes regional policy.

“It’s not only about freezing assets or banning operatives from entering India. It signals that India has clearly seen what Hamas is doing, and no operative should step on Indian soil,” the official stated.

Israel has pushed this request multiple times, saying it wants India to treat Hamas the way Israel treated LeT. Officials claimed there are “clear attempts” by Hamas to rebuild its organisational structure, and stopping this is central to the upcoming stage of the ceasefire plan being discussed with the United States.

These remarks echo an earlier statement from the Israeli Defence Forces. On December 1, Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, spokesperson for the IDF, had said that a designation by India would be “a good thing.” He added, “It will be a good thing if India did. India and Israel have a common enemy. It will be good to have a clear statement on who we face.”

Hamas, founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, is classified as a terrorist group by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and several other governments. India condemned the October 7, 2023 attacks, but has not yet formally listed the organisation under its domestic terrorism laws.