'Hamas leaders recently visited PoK, met with terrorists,' says Israeli ambassador to India after Pahalgam terror attack

Reuven Azar, Israel's Ambassador to India, has compared the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam to the 2023 Hamas strike on his country, citing similarities in their targeting of civilians and highlighting increasing coordination among terrorist outfits. He further said that Hamas leaders had recently visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where they reportedly met with terrorists, including those associated with the outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Terror groups 'inspiring each other'
"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," the envoy said in an interaction with NDTV.

"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 separately told the news agency PTI.

Pahalgam terror attack
On Tuesday (April 22), 26 people -- most of them tourists from across India -- were killed in a brazen militant attack in Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir. The deceased also included a local resident and a Nepali national. The attack has triggered a swift diplomatic standoff between India and Pakistan as New Delhi launched a scathing attack on it neighbour.

India has paused the crucial Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and suspended visa services to all Pakistani nationals. In response, Pakistan has suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement and shut its airspace for Indian airlines.