India and Israel on Tuesday reiterated a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism, pledging to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tackling the threat, including through enhanced information sharing.

The declaration came during a joint working group meeting on counter-terrorism in New Delhi, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to Israel.

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Expanding cooperation on counter-terrorism

Both nations stressed that confronting terrorism requires action that is "sustained and comprehensive".

"Against this backdrop, the two sides renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism including in the UN, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and other multilateral platforms," the India-Israel joint statement said.

The meeting highlighted cooperation against terrorist organisations, their proxies, supporters, sponsors, financiers, and backers. Law enforcement and judicial collaboration, including mutual legal assistance and information sharing, was discussed as a key measure to tackle terrorism.

Addressing modern threats

The joint statement noted that both sides condemned terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism". Specific reference was made to the brutal October 7, 2023, attack in Israel and the Pahalgam terror attack in India last year, underscoring the need to hold perpetrators accountable.

India and Israel also discussed evolving threats, including the recruitment of terrorists, misuse of technology, financing of terrorism, and the growing use of drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and artificial intelligence for terrorist purposes.

"They expressed concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and AI for terrorist purposes. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation against (these) challenges, including through training, cybersecurity, exchange of best practices, and information sharing," the statement added.

The dialogue reinforced the "spirit and breadth" of the India-Israel strategic partnership, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to tackling terrorism through collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels.