Pakistan’s False Conflation of Gaza Crisis with Kashmir

The Pakistan-backed terrorist operation in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025 was a carefully calibrated and cunningly timed atrocity. The 26 gruesome murders of civilian tourists were not carried out indiscriminately, but were clearly aimed at unravelling India’s strong secular social fabric. In addition, the diabolically designed killings were conducted at a time of growing international concern over the worsening Gaza situation in an attempt to internationalise the non-issue of Kashmir alongside the festering West Asian crisis.

Just like the 7 October attacks, which Hamas admits was meant to derail the gradual détente in Israel–Arab relations, Pakistan-backed terrorists targeted the steadily returning normalcy, peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir and sought to lure India into making an intemperate reprisal.However, the Indian response—which came in the form of Operation Sindoor—followed a strategically astute, precision-focused and multi-agency approach. On the one hand, India’s military strikes were meticulously planned and intelligence-driven that targeted verified terrorist camps to avoid escalation and undue collateral damage. On the other hand, Indian strategy successfully launched a major non-kinetic diplomatic offensive against Pakistan worldwide. Displaying the nation’s collective resolve, inherent cohesion and solidarity against Pakistan’s designs, the government sent all-party parliamentary delegations to 32 countries to expose Pakistan’s use of terrorism as a strategic doctrine to undermine India’s security.

For a long time, Pakistan has been focused on conflating old, intractable conflicts between the West and the Arab world with its own expansionist agenda on Kashmir, under a pseudo pan-Islamist banner. In doing so, it has invariably undermined efforts for resolving complex security issues facing West Asia and has also acted contrary to India’s sustained efforts to promote peace and prosperity in South Asia.

At least since 2019 onwards, Pakistan-backed Kashmiri and Khalistani separatist groups have tried to become part of pro-Palestinian rallies in the West to garner more support for its bogus and unpopular causes.[1] Such attempts have increased in recent times, with Kashmiri slogans raised in pro-Palestinian rallies at the Columbia University[2] and The Rutgers University.[3] The US government has taken strong measures to suspend students from participating in such demonstrations.

Again on 12 May 2025, a small group of 50-odd Pakistani nationals stood alongside an even smaller group of so-called pro-Palestinian demonstrators as they tried to stage a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London, but the event turned out to be a damp squib.[4]

Pakistan has also been spreading vicious anti-India campaigns to English-speaking Muslim populations in the West and Gulf Arab states through populist e-magazines like Middle East Eye with columnist Azad Essa making the outrageous claim that “India’s attack on Pakistan is a declaration of Israel-style expansionism”.[5] The UK-based Islamist podcast ‘Thinking Muslim’ has also disseminated unsubstantiated stories about India–Israel cooperation against the Muslim world.[6]

India Debunks Pak’s False Palestine–Kashmir Hyphenation

However, attempts at pan-Islamist anti-India campaigns have largely been unsuccessful. In fact, much of the Arab world remains fully aware of the important role India has played in the anti-colonial struggle of several West Asian states over the decades and its clear position on the Israel–Palestine issue.

This position was again ably reiterated and emphasised by Nishikant Dubey (Member of Parliament), who recently visited Saudi Arabia as member of India’s parliamentary delegation. In an interview, the MP stated that way back in 1974, India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Again, India recognised the State of Palestine in 1988 and has ardently advocated a two-state solution for resolving the Israel–Palestinian issue.[7]

Dubey also pointed out that India had offered critical help to Arab nations, particularly Palestinians, by sending vaccines during the COVID-19 crisis, and has been providing millions of dollars, worth in aid to Palestinians since then. He said that Israel and Palestine are two different countries and India is against violence anywhere.[8]

It should be noted here that Dubey’s comments reiterate India’s consistent condemnation of civilian deaths in the ongoing Israel–Palestinian conflict. In an answer on India’s stance on Palestine, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in December 2024:

India extends humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine both bilaterally and through United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in Near East (UNRWA). Since the beginning of the conflict, we have provided around 70 MT of humanitarian aid, including 16.5 MT of medicines and medical supplies in 2 tranches. We released $5 million last year and we have disbursed another $5 million this year to UNRWA. Recently, we also sent 65 tonnes of medicines to UNRWA and Palestine Ministry of Health in October and November 2024.[9]

In fact, India committed US$ 4 million for Gaza Reconstruction at the Cairo International Conference on Palestine on 12 October 2024.[10] Earlier on 24 May 2024, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, expressed India’s concern over the loss of Palestinian lives at the 10^th UNGA Emergency Special Session on Palestine by stating:

India’s position on the conflict has been clearly articulated on more than one occasion by our leadership: One, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone under all circumstances.[11]

Unequivocally condemning the October 7 terror attacks, the Indian diplomat also stated:

We (India) support the membership of Palestine at the UN and therefore, we have voted in favour of this Resolution. We hope that Palestine’s application will be reconsidered by the Security Council in due course and that Palestine’s endeavour to become a member of the UN will get endorsed.[12]

These clear and unequivocal positions in favour of a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel–Palestinian issue, based on a two-state solution, should allay any misapprehensions caused by Islamist propagandists, especially emanating from Pakistani or Turkish sources against India. Colombia also recently withdrew its statement expressing condolences over deaths in Pakistan following India’s Operation Sindoor, after strong disapproval from visiting Indian delegate MP Shashi Tharoor.[13]

Therefore, developing nations around the world should not fall prey to the false propaganda of India’s enemies that insinuate against India’s continued longstanding and impartial position on West Asian issues, and seeks to misrepresent India’s relations with Israel and Palestine on a de-hyphenated manner that transcends a ‘zero-sum’ mindset.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the Government of India.

[1] Samira Asma Sadique, “New York: Rally for Human Rights in Kashmir”, Al- Jazeera, 29 September 2019.

[2] Rishabh Sharma, “Video: ‘Azadi’ Slogans Raised in Pro-Palestine Protest at Columbia University”, India Today, 21 April 2024.

[3] Shankhyaneel Sarkar, “Indian-American Community Urges Rutgers University to Not Allow Display of Separatist Kashmiri Flag on Campus”, News 18, 5 May 2024.

[4] Manoj Gupta, “Pakistanis, Palestine Supporters Protest Outside High Commission in UK”, News 18, 12 May 2025.

[5] Azad Essa, “India’s Attack on Pakistan is a Declaration of Israel-Style Expansionism”, Middle East Eye, 9 May 2025.

[6] Muhammad Jalal, “Ep 215. – Why Have We Forgotten Kashmir? With Dr Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur”, The Thinking Muslim, YouTube, April 2025.

[7] Vikram Kumar, “Israel is Not Listening to Anyone, Wrong is Happening With Palestine, Nishikant Dubey’s Tone Changed in Kuwait”, ABP News, 28 May 2025.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “Answer, Minister of External Affairs (Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar) to Question no. 108 India’s Position on Palestine”, Rajya Sabha, Parliament Q & A, Media Centre, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 25 December 2024.

[10] “India Commits US$ 4 Million For Gaza”, Representative office of India, Ramallah, Palestine.

[11] “Simply Unacceptable: India Condemns Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza as Israel-Hamas War Intensifies”, DD News, 14 May 2025.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Rimjhim Singh, “Colombia Retracts Statement on Pak, Backs India After Tharoor’s Disapproval”, Business Standard, 31 May 2025.