In the Shadows of Terror: Strengthening the India–Israel Security Partnership

From Pahalgam to Re’im, the striking parallels in terrorist attacks demand a bold, coordinated security response between two democracies under siege.

Israel and India, though separated by nearly 4,000 kilometers, face a shared affliction: cross-border terrorism aimed at undermining their territorial sovereignty and national integrity. These attacks are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader campaign waged by extremist groups and powers driven by radical ideologies.

Mirrored Brutality

The April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir, backed by Pakistan and the October 7 terrorist attack near the Gaza border share chilling similarities. In both instances, defenseless civilians were the primary targets. In Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, 26 unarmed tourists were gunned down by The Resistance Front — a proxy of the UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) operating from Pakistan. At Re’im, festival-goers gathered in peace were brutally massacred by Hamas.

Strikingly, both attacks occurred at pivotal moments when peace, development, and diplomatic normalization were gaining ground. Jammu & Kashmir was witnessing unprecedented infrastructural growth and democratic engagement when cross-border terrorists struck. Similarly, the October 7 massacre unfolded just as Israel was advancing normalization with Arab nations — unlocking prospects for regional cooperation and economic integration.

The ideological drivers, too, were indistinguishable: both were fueled by radical jihadist extremism, bent on derailing progress and sowing chaos through indiscriminate violence.

Similar Modus Operandi

Emerging reports of multiple meetings between Hamas operatives and Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) suggest troubling cross-regional linkages between extremist networks active in Gaza and Jammu & Kashmir. These patterns extend beyond ideology into battlefield tactics. Just as Hamas deployed swarms of low-cost drones across the Gaza border during its October 7 assault, Pakistan employed a similar strategy across the western front following India’s targeted strikes on terrorist infrastructure in PoK and deep within Pakistani territory—carried out as part of its sovereign Right to Respond after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Thanks to robust air defense systems, both India and Israel successfully neutralized the aerial threats. Another stark parallel emerged in the targeting of civilians. In Israel, towns like Ofakim, Netivot, Sderot, Kfar Aza, Be’eri, and Nahal Oz came under direct fire from Hamas. In a disturbingly similar manner, Indian civilians in border regions including Poonch, Rajouri, Akhnoor, Uri, and Samba were shelled by the Pakistani military in retaliatory attacks aimed at densely populated areas.

Moreover, the use of civilian infrastructure as shields—a tactic long associated with Hamas, which has embedded its operatives in mosques, madrassas, and hospitals—was mirrored in Pakistan. Several of the targeted terrorist hideouts destroyed by Indian forces were reportedly located within or adjacent to religious institutions, underlining the shared modus operandi of militant groups in both theaters.

Now, Act Together

Given the historic challenge of cross-border terrorism faced by both India and Israel, and the striking parallels in recent attacks, the time has come for both nations to significantly deepen their defense, security, and economic partnerships. Such collaboration must go beyond symbolism—toward a strategic framework that delivers mutual benefits and enhances their collective ability to deter, disrupt, and dismantle transnational terrorist networks.

This collaboration must be pursued across three interconnected spheres: the defensive, offensive, and digital domains.

In the defensive sphere, which serves as the preventive backbone of counterterrorism, three immediate priorities should be pursued. First, India and Israel should jointly develop an AI-driven terror surveillance grid to monitor infiltration routes, drone activity, and terrorist encampments along the LoC and Gaza border. By combining India’s vast data infrastructure with Israel’s strengths in drone AI and computer vision, both can build a real-time threat detection system with strategic value.

Second, both countries should pursue continuous satellite-based ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) collaboration for live tracking of terror camps and drone launch points. A practical entry point would be shared access to dual-use commercial satellite imagery, paving the way for future military-grade intelligence coordination.

Third, a joint innovation fund should invite startups from both countries to co-develop frontier defense-tech solutions—such as blast-resistant shelters, low-cost radar systems, and portable field hospitals to safeguard civilians in vulnerable border zones.

In the offensive sphere, which represents the disruptive dimension of counterterrorism, India and Israel must move toward more proactive and targeted interventions. First, Israel can assist India in co-developing a cost-effective, terrain-adapted variant of the Iron Dome system — an “Iron Dome Light” — specifically designed to shield Indian border regions from cross-border rocket or drone attacks.

Second, both countries should conduct joint crisis simulation exercises that model complex terrorist scenarios involving both civilian and military infrastructure. These drills would not only enhance mutual preparedness but also facilitate critical information exchange and strategic alignment in responding to evolving threats that increasingly mirror each other in both regions.

Third, institutional collaboration between the Ministries of Defense, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) on the Indian side, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael on the Israeli side, can pave the way for joint manufacturing of swarm-drone neutralization systems and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) devices — technologies vital for disabling hostile UAVs launched by non-state actors.

In the digital sphere, which deals with the information and cyber warfare to counter fake narratives, disinformation and propaganda by jihadist terror groups, India and Israel should establish the Counter Propaganda Cell to not just discredit narratives of terrorists and their supporters but also intervene early to map digital radicalization. Apart from this, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate can partner with Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) to prepare the cyber experts from military for offensive and defensive cyber drills.

United We Stand

The recent pattern of terrorist attacks underscores the urgent need for India and Israel to deepen their cooperation. Cross-border terrorism not only destabilizes both regions but seeks to obstruct development and socio-economic integration—targeting the very populations striving to connect with national progress and democratic stability. Just as India and its people have stood firmly with Israel since the October 7 attack, it is time for Israel—and its people—to continue showing visible and principled solidarity with India in its ongoing battle against cross-border terrorism.

The time to act decisively—together—is now.