Hamas Using Bangladesh–Pakistan Channels to Scale Up Global Jihad Operations

Image: Jihad Watch

Israel has sounded a serious warning over what it views as a deliberate and strategic expansion of Hamas into South Asia, cautioning that the terror organisation is actively working to establish and deepen links with Islamist groups in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to Israeli officials, this outreach is part of a broader effort to widen Hamas’s regional and global terror infrastructure.

In an interview with Bangladesh’s weekly Blitz, Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India, said Hamas is intentionally moving beyond its traditional base in Gaza to tap into new sources of funding, ideological support, and logistical pathways. He noted that the group is embedding itself within sympathetic networks across South Asia in order to strengthen its long-term operational capabilities and broaden its influence.

Azar further revealed that senior Hamas leaders, including Sheikh Khaled Quddumi and Khaled Mashal, have been central to these outreach efforts. Their role, he said, has been to actively cultivate relationships with local Islamist organisations, with the aim of building stronger alliances and expanding Hamas’s footprint well beyond the Middle East.

“This expansion allows Hamas to significantly increase its influence and operational reach across South Asia,” Azar warned, stressing that such developments pose a direct and growing threat to regional security and stability.

Pakistan and Bangladesh in Focus

The Israeli envoy also delivered a pointed warning to Pakistan, highlighting the long-term dangers of tolerating or supporting jihadist proxy networks. He cautioned that such strategies often have unintended consequences, with extremist ideologies eventually turning inward and destabilising the very states that once enabled them.

“History shows that extremist networks cultivated abroad can ultimately turn inward,” Azar said, underlining the risks posed by groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He warned that these dynamics can contribute to radicalisation within societies, weaken state institutions, and create long-term security challenges that are difficult to contain.

Overall, Israel’s assessment reflects growing concern that South Asia is becoming an increasingly important arena in Hamas’s broader strategy, with implications not only for the region but for global counterterrorism efforts as well.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)