India’s Army Chief designates Hamas as terror group, signals strategic shift in National Policy

Indian Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi officially labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, marking India’s first such declaration. The statement aligns Hamas with LeT and TRF as security threats. This strategic shift follows Hamas members’ anti-India rhetoric in PoK and Israel’s push for the designation. The move suggests India’s counter-terror focus now extends beyond South Asia to global networks impacting Kashmir.

New Delhi: In an important statement, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has included Hamas in the list of terrorist organizations. Speaking at an event at IIT Madras on Sunday, he said that "terrorist groups like Hamas, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and The Resistance Front (TRF) are a matter of permanent concern for India." This is the first time that an Indian Army Chief has publicly described Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Till now India had not officially considered Hamas a terrorist organization, while many Western countries, including the US, Britain, and the European Union, already consider it a terrorist organization. Hamas is not included in the United Nations' terrorist list.

In February this year, on the occasion of 'Kashmir Unity Day,' Hamas members were seen in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) along with terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. These people gave anti-India speeches and talked about "taking Kashmir away from India."

General Dwivedi's statement has strategic importance as it signals a change in India's security policy. It seems that after Operation Sindoor, India's counter-terrorism approach is now expanding beyond South Asia to global terrorist organizations, especially those that are now seen to be linked to Kashmir.

The statement may also be in reference to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 this year, before which Israel was urging India to declare Hamas a terrorist organization. It is clear from General Dwivedi's comment that India will now keep an eye on all terrorist groups that can pose a threat to the country's security.

The story is being updated, stay tuned to Dynamite News for further updates.