India not planning to ban Hamas, radicalization a concern: Sources
India has no plans to ban the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, News18 reported citing top intelligence sources. However, the radicalization of youth in the country and celebrations of the terror outfit's October 7 attack on Israel are signs of worry for security agencies, they said. The intelligence sources also reportedly revealed that Hamas's attack on the Jewish nation was also being viewed as a "victory of Jihad" by some sections in India.
Why does this story matter?
While New Delhi was quick to condemn last month's terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel that claimed over 1,400 lives, it did not explicitly name the organization. Moreover, all subsequent statements issued by India over the last few weeks over the conflict in Gaza also avoided any reference to Hamas. Notably, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people on both sides.
Some unable to distinguish Israel-Palestine issue, Hamas's attack: Report
Intelligence sources also told News18 that the majority of Indian Muslims were unable to distinguish between the Israel-Palestine issue and Hamas's attack on innocent civilians. "They see this as a victory of Muslim brotherhood without realizing the impact on Palestine right now," they added. The report also quoted the sources as saying that India is monitoring "the situation carefully." "Muslim groups are maintaining silence on the issue right now, but signs are not very positive," they reportedly noted.
Why India hasn't banned Hamas as of yet
While clarifying why the Indian government hasn't banned Hamas yet, intelligence sources said the terror organization is not on the United Nations (UN) proscribed list, which New Delhi generally follows. "Secondly, to ban Hamas in India, it needs to be banned under the [Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)], which has its own requirements like funding, recruitment, and operations which should be within Indian territory, and Hamas hasn't done any such activity in India," they added.
Jaishankar discusses Israel-Hamas war with Iranian counterpart
On Sunday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said he spoke with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian and discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. On X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar also revealed they discussed the importance of "preventing escalation and providing humanitarian support" in crisis-hit West Asia.
Check out EAM Jaishankar's post on X
India abstained from UN General Assembly vote on Gaza ceasefire
Last month, India abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire between Hamas and Israel to allow aid into Gaza. Presented by Jordan and co-sponsored by over 40 nations, the resolution was passed with the backing of 120 countries, with 14 voting against it. However, India and 44 other countries abstained from voting on the resolution as it allegedly lacked reference to Hamas's terror attacks.
