Overview
- Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, in a Thursday briefing to Hindu leaders, called on India to label Hamas a terrorist group.
- He claimed Hamas links to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and said Iran leads a wider militant network that Israel has worked to weaken.
- New Delhi has not changed policy, with officials continuing to condemn terrorism while backing a negotiated two-state outcome.
- The virtual meeting included Abhishek Verma of Shiv Sena, humanitarian leader Mohanji, and spiritual leader Gauranga Das Prabhu, according to IANS.
- Reporters described the outreach as part of Israel’s broader push to build support against Hamas, as Sa’ar cast the conflict as a 2.5-year fight against radical Islamist groups.