How Hamas is leveraging Bangladesh, Pakistan ties to expand global jihad

Israel has raised a stark alarm over what it describes as a calculated Hamas push into South Asia, warning that the terror outfit is actively cultivating ties with Islamist groups in Bangladesh and Pakistan to expand its regional and global terror footprint.

In an interview with Bangladesh’s weekly Blitz, Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India, said Hamas is deliberately operating beyond Gaza to secure funding, ideological backing, and logistical routes, while embedding itself within sympathetic networks across South Asia.

According to Azar, senior Hamas figures such as Sheikh Khaled Quddumi and Khaled Mashal have played a key role in outreach efforts aimed at strengthening alliances with local Islamist groups.

“This expansion allows Hamas to increase its influence and operational reach across South Asia,” the Israeli diplomat warned, describing the development as a direct threat to regional stability.

Pakistan, Bangladesh in focus

Azar also issued a blunt warning to Pakistan, cautioning that the long-term patronage of jihadist proxies could eventually boomerang inward, radicalising populations and undermining state institutions.

“History shows that extremist networks cultivated abroad can turn inward,” he said, pointing to risks associated with groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The warning comes amid mounting controversy in Bangladesh, where a senior investigative journalist recently alleged that Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives arrived in Dhaka from Karachi shortly after direct flights between Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed.

Critics have flagged lax border controls, alleged state tolerance for militants, and growing risks to India’s eastern security corridor, particularly as Bangladesh recalibrates its regional posture.

‘October 7 as inspiration’

In one of his strongest remarks, Azar said radical Islamist groups now view Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel — which killed over 1,200 people — as a template to be replicated elsewhere.

“Alarmingly, they want to export these tactics to other parts of the world,” he said, drawing parallels with attacks in the Indian region and warning that such violence “will spread to other places” unless terror sponsors are isolated.

India–Israel cooperation

Amid the rising threat, Azar underlined Israel’s deepening strategic partnership with India, noting growing cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and defence technology.

“Our partnership has matured into a robust framework built on mutual trust,” he said, adding that both nations are better positioned to counter transnational terror networks through sustained collaboration.

Azar also cautioned against the influence of Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks and ideological offshoots such as Jamaat-e-Islami, warning that their cross-border operations continue to fuel extremism across South Asia.