In a significant development in the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has, for what is believed to be the first time, formally flagged the need to probe
possible links between Pakistan-backed terror networks and Hamas. In its chargesheet, the agency stated that further investigation is required to establish connections between the accused organisation and the Gaza-based terror group.
The NIA said in the chargesheet that it is continuing its probe into the “links between the accused – Lashkar-e-Taiba/The Resistance Front – and other terrorist organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al Qaeda and its affiliates, Hamas and other global terrorist organisations.”
The disclosure places Hamas squarely within the ambit of an ongoing Indian terror investigation and marks what is believed to be the first instance of India’s premier anti-terror agency naming Hamas in a terror case while examining its operational linkages with Pakistan-based terror outfits.
The agency has indicated that this aspect of the investigation remains open, with officials seeking to uncover the nature, extent and operational dimensions of any such connections. The probe is part of a broader effort to map international networks linked to the accused organisation and determine whether global terror entities played any role in facilitating, inspiring or supporting terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA’s reference to Hamas assumes significance against the backdrop of intelligence inputs gathered after the Pahalgam attack. Officials familiar with the matter have indicated that Indian agencies have recorded an increase in interactions between Hamas and Pakistan-based terror organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in the months following the attack.
Security agencies have also examined whether the Pahalgam attack displayed tactical features resembling Hamas-style operations. Sources have previously pointed to similarities in planning, target selection and execution, drawing comparisons with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
While investigators continue to pursue financial trails, digital evidence and cross-border networks linked to the attack, the NIA’s chargesheet makes it clear that establishing possible Hamas linkages has emerged as a key unfinished component of the investigation. Officials say the findings could provide crucial insights into evolving cooperation between Pakistan-backed terror groups and global jihadist organisations.
