Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on 25 August called for significantly stronger counterterrorism cooperation between India and Israel, citing the expanding footprint of Hamas in South Asia and its deepening operational links with Pakistan-based militant networks in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks. The call came at a high-level panel discussion in New Delhi organised by the Usanas Foundation following the release of its report, 'The Hamas-Pakistan Nexus: Examining Networks, Operations, and Strategic Convergence in South Asia.'

What the Report Reveals

The Usanas Foundation report documents Hamas' growing presence across Pakistan and South Asia through public rallies, alliances with local militant outfits, and the deliberate exploitation of Kashmir-Palestine solidarity narratives. Hamas leaders, including Naji Zaheer and Khaled Qaddoumi, have reportedly addressed gatherings in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while forging ideological ties with proscribed groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The report flags the potential transfer of operational knowledge — particularly tunnel warfare tactics — from Hamas to South Asian terror networks as a critical emerging concern. It also details Hamas' use of liberal democratic rhetoric in English-language materials and links with mainstream religious institutions, tactics that analysts say complicate conventional counterterrorism responses.

Key Assessments from the Panel

Retired Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla, in his special remarks, described the Hamas-Pakistan nexus as a serious and fast-evolving threat. He pointed to Pakistan's long-standing use of terrorism as an instrument of statecraft and noted the rapid integration of advanced drone and missile capabilities into its terror toolkit, alongside constitutional changes that have consolidated the Pakistani Army's control over nuclear and missile forces.

Lt. Gen. Shukla called for the immediate operationalisation of space and silent surveillance commands, the development of a dedicated drone-missile force capable of stand-off precision strikes, and sustained investment in cyber and persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. He also flagged the growing strategic significance of China's BeiDou-3 satellite system and its implications for India's technological preparedness.

Retired Col. Miri Eisin offered a forward-looking assessment of West Asia, describing Hamas as a sophisticated terror-state actor employing extensive underground networks and urban warfare. She warned that Hamas' growing legitimisation in countries such as Pakistan and Malaysia is altering recruitment dynamics and regional threat perceptions.

The Transnational Islamist Dimension

Michael Barak elaborated on Hamas' efforts to cultivate relationships with global Islamist networks, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and its use of the Kashmir cause as a unifying symbol for transnational recruitment. He pointed to Turkey's role in facilitating connections between Hamas and Islamist groups across South Asia.

Barak warned of a broader transnational Sunni Islamist axis and raised the prospect of an emerging 'Islam East' bloc — potentially combining Pakistan, Bangladesh, Libya and Somalia — that could pose challenges well beyond the Middle East, extending into South Asia and Africa. He stressed that addressing these networks would require sustained international cooperation.

Strategic Implications for India and Israel

Abhinav Pandya, founder of the Usanas Foundation, outlined broader strategic implications for India-Israel cooperation, including greater engagement across the Middle East and South Caucasus and stronger coordination across strategic, military and intelligence domains. The discussion concluded with a consensus on the urgent need to deepen intelligence sharing, counterterrorism preparedness and joint frameworks to address the increasingly transnational character of modern terrorist networks.

As Hamas continues to expand its ideological and operational influence beyond West Asia, the pressure on New Delhi and Jerusalem to formalise and accelerate bilateral security cooperation is likely to intensify.