The Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025, in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people and left more than 20 injured, has exposed a deepening nexus between Hamas and Pakistan-based terror groups, raising significant alarm in Indian and international security circles.
The attack, which targeted Hindu and other non-Muslim tourists in the Baisaran Valley, was marked by brutal religious profiling, with attackers reportedly forcing victims to recite Islamic verses and segregating them by faith before shooting.
The violence was reminiscent of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel, a parallel explicitly drawn by Israel’s envoy to India, Reuven Azar, who warned that global terror outfits are increasingly collaborating and emulating each other’s tactics.
Investigations have revealed that two months prior to the Pahalgam attack, senior Hamas leaders, including spokespersons Khalid Qaddoumi and Naji Zaheer, attended a public rally in Rawalakot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), alongside Pakistani jihadi groups and nearly 100 foreign militants. The event, held on February 5, 2025, coincided with Pakistan’s annual ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ and was titled “Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood.”
Photographs from the rally showed Hamas leaders draped in shawls bearing the flags of Pakistan, Palestine, and Hamas-an unprecedented public display of solidarity between Palestinian militants and Pakistan-based terror factions. Indian intelligence agencies view this as a deliberate attempt to link Pakistan’s Kashmir campaign with Hamas’s struggle against Israel, framing both as “resistance against occupation.”
This was not an isolated incident. Over the past year, Hamas delegations have repeatedly visited Pakistan, including a notable visit to the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur, where they were hosted at a Pakistani Army facility near the Indian border.
Hamas representatives have also addressed Pakistan’s Parliament and participated in mass rallies in Karachi, further cementing their presence and influence within Pakistan’s militant landscape. These developments point to a growing operational and ideological alliance between Hamas and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with the network’s reach reportedly extending from PoK to Bangladesh.
The timing of these Hamas visits aligns with increased Pakistani political and military activity in PoK, possibly in response to India’s assertive stance on reclaiming the territory following the abrogation of Article 370 and the push for development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, have reiterated their commitment to integrating PoK with India, further heightening tensions in the region.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, India responded with strong diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, expelling Pakistani diplomats, and closing borders, while Pakistan retaliated by suspending the Simla Agreement and restricting trade.
The attack has reignited calls from Israel for India to formally designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation, a move India has so far resisted, maintaining its diplomatic ties with Palestine and support for a two-state solution.
The Pahalgam massacre thus stands as a grim testament to the evolving and increasingly internationalised nature of terrorism in South Asia, where alliances between groups like Hamas and Pakistan-based outfits are creating new security challenges that transcend regional boundaries. The attack has not only devastated the local community and tourism-dependent economy of Pahalgam but has also intensified the geopolitical contest over Kashmir, drawing global attention to the expanding terror nexus in the region.
IANS
