What Starts in Israel Doesn’t End in Israel: A Lesson for India

On April 22, 2025, a gruesome terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians took place in Baisaran Valley, Kashmir, India, roughly seven kilometres from the scenic town of Pahalgam. At least 26 people were killed for their faith, specifically singled out for being Hindus, and 17 others were left injured. The attack, executed by four terrorists from The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, mimicked the Hamas-style tactics used in the October 7 terror attack in Israel. Armed with M4 carbines, AK-47s and body cameras, the terrorists stormed the Baisaran valley, and began shooting indiscriminately at civilians.

It’s important to recognize that this modus operandi did not emerge in isolation. It’s part of a broader geopolitical phenomenon: what starts in Israel often doesn’t end there. The ideological and tactical influence of Palestinian terror groups, particularly Hamas, extends far beyond the borders of Israel, with ripples felt across South Asia. The terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack were actively drawing inspiration from Hamas. For decades, groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and other factions in Kashmir have borrowed heavily from Palestinian terror groups. The tactics of suicide bombings and stone-pelting, which emerged prominently during the first and second intifadas, have become widespread tools in South Asian terror campaigns. 

The brutality of Hamas’ actions on October 7 serves as another stark example of how these terror methods are cross-pollinating across regions. Hamas’ storming of Israeli Kibbutzim and the Nova festival, armed with body cameras, inspired jihadist groups in South Asia who yearned to replicate the same violence. These groups observed the success of Hamas’ shock-and-awe tactics: indiscriminate shootings, rapes, arson, and the abduction of over 250 Israeli hostages. They saw it as a model—a template for terror that could be used to sow fear and chaos in their own backyards. And just last month, they seized the moment to launch their attack on Pahalgam. The only difference, thank God, is that there were no hostages taken in the terrorist attack.

The alarming nature of this pattern was highlighted in February 2025, when the Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation ‘Al Aqsa Flood’ Conference took place in Rawalakot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The conference was attended by senior leaders from Hamas, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed, groups responsible for some of the deadliest terror attacks in South Asia, including the 2008 Mumbai attack which resulted in the deaths of 174 people (including six Jews). Dr. Khalid Al-Qadoumi, Hamas’s representative in Iran, declared that Gaza had “taught the enemy a lesson,” and that groups like Hamas would continue to inspire resistance movements globally. This isn’t just rhetoric; it’s a strategy, one that is being adopted by groups across the world, from Gaza to Kashmir.

Hamas representatives hosted by LeT and JeM terrorists at the Kashmir Solidarity & Hamas Operation ‘Al Aqsa Flood’ Conference.

What makes this even more disturbing is the degree to which Hamas has embedded itself within Pakistan’s terror ecosystem. The Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have long been supported by Pakistan’s deep state, which views these groups as strategic assets. After October 7, there has been a clear increase in the institutionalization of Hamas in Pakistan, with Hamas leaders increasingly invited to major conferences and treated as partners. As the world reels from the brutality of Hamas, the West seems to overlook the growing influence of such groups in Pakistan and the deepening ties between these factions. The attack in Pahalgam is merely one example of this inspiration in action.

After such an attack, global attention tends to shift toward the aftermath, as international reactions follow familiar patterns. In the immediate aftermath of October 7, Israel faced widespread sympathies from the international community. However, once Israel began its ground operations in Gaza, the narrative shifted. The international focus quickly moved away from condemning Hamas’ brutal actions and instead turned toward Israel’s military response. Countries that had initially expressed horror at the scale of Hamas’ terror attacks soon called for a ceasefire and condemned Israel’s airstrikes and efforts to dismantle Hamas. This sudden pivot in the global response highlights a disturbing pattern: as soon as a country takes defensive action, the international community often begins to focus on their methods of self-defense, rather than on the terror they are fighting!

India is now facing a similar dilemma. The international community, while condemning the attack in Kashmir and expressing support for India in pursuing the terrorists, has already begun urging India to exercise restraint in its response, even though it has only used its diplomatic arsenal against Pakistan. As India contemplates military action against terror groups operating on Pakistan’s soil, the pressure from international bodies is similar to that faced by Israel and it will only intensify. India has temporarily suspended the Indus water treaty (an agreement between India and Pakistan over river water distribution) and it has been met with growing international concern. Like Israel was criticized for cutting down the water supply in Gaza, India might eventually be criticized for suspending a bilateral treaty that stood for many decades until the Indian government realized that blood and water can’t flow together.

One of the most evident issues observed throughout Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has been the misuse of international forums and the inability of the United Nations to fully condemn Hamas’ actions and push for the release of the hostages. Instead, the focus has shifted toward urging Israel to halt its military operation, effectively forcing Israel to operate with one hand tied. Unfortunately, this same scenario may very well play out with India, although India’s geopolitical position might offer it more advantages compared to Israel. The United Nations is currently ill-equipped to address the core issue of terrorism effectively. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Pahalgam attack and called for both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further escalation, while reiterating that “military solution is no solution”. However, there is no mention of the Islamist terror groups operating with impunity on Pakistani soil.

The international community conveniently overlooks the fact that Pakistan’s own defense minister, Khawaja Asif recently admitted to supporting terrorism in an interview with Sky News, stating, “We have been doing the dirty work of the United States for three decades.” This admission is not an isolated incident. Following the 2019 Pulwama attack, in which 40 Indian security personnel were killed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Fawad Chaudhry, then Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister, while addressing the National Assembly, openly acknowledged Pakistan’s involvement, “Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success in Pulwama is a success of this nation under the leadership of Imran Khan.”

India should not expect much support from the international community. As India’s foreign minister aptly pointed out, while European nations continue to pressure India to adopt diplomatic measures, what India truly needs are partners, not just preachers. Even countries like Iran, which funds the axis of terror through its support for Hezbollah and the Houthis, have the audacity to lecture India on the need for restraint. While the world worries that a kinetic conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate into a nuclear war, both states have already exercised nuclear deterrence, as seen during the 1999 Kargil conflict. Despite rising tensions, the war did not spiral out of control. Yet, international pressure on India to hold back continues, even before a single bullet has been fired.

This shift from being sympathetic to being preachy reveals the hypocrisy and moral inconsistency of Western nations. While they condemned Hamas for their acts of terrorism, their concern quickly turned toward Israel’s efforts to protect its citizens. The same countries that profess to fight terrorism in Europe often seem more concerned with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, rather than holding Hamas accountable for the violence it has inflicted on Israeli civilians and its citizens in Gaza. The Western nations are grappling with what seems like an incurable disease of political correctness, which has paralyzed their ability to effectively combat radical Islamic extremism. This obsession with maintaining a facade of inclusivity and tolerance often prevents them from addressing the root causes of extremism with the urgency and clarity needed. Similarly, in the case of India, instead of condemning Pakistan, India is cautioned to exercise restraint. Now, restraint unfortunately is a concept reserved for the powerful armies and nations who need to be apologetic for standing up to their bullies. Much like Israel, if India begins targeting the head of the “octopus”—the deep state in Pakistan, we will likely see Western nations likely fall back on their usual playbook of “fear-mongering about a regional war.”

Ultimately, the war on terror, when overshadowed by the false virtue of political correctness and inclusivity, will always be a lonely one. The international liberal order, rooted in idealistic principles of diplomacy and consensus-building, fails to create effective mechanisms for condemning, fighting, and ultimately defeating terrorism. International pressure, often coming from states untouched by the full scale of the problem, may seek to constrain the actions of Israel or India, which are actually doing a good service by going after these terrorists on behalf of the rest of the world. It is crucial for states not to be bogged down by external pressures or diplomatic niceties, but instead to take decisive action against terrorism in their own interest. No one will fight this battle for them, and this is what India needs to learn from Israel.