Israel officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror organisation on Tuesday, November 21, to mark the 15th anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror strike.

The Embassy of Israel in a statement said that this decision was taken without a formal request from the Government of India.

“To symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organisation. Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations," the Embassy said.

Embassy of Israel in India says, "To symbolize the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar -e- Taiba as a Terror Organization. Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of… pic.twitter.com/bME1PVnlQG

— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror outfit, was responsible for the Mumbai attacks between November 26 and November 29, 2008, which left nearly 170 people dead and more than 300 injured. The group has been designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and India.

Meanwhile, India advocated for resuming the dialogue to establish a sovereign and independent state of Palestine amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants. Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, proposed the resumption of direct negotiations to establish a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, coexisting peacefully with Israel. This statement was delivered during informal discussions on the humanitarian situation in Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly, according to ANI.

Kamboj emphasised India’s enduring commitment to a just and lasting resolution of the Israel-Palestine issue. She stated, “India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards a de-escalation of the conflict and enables the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.”

The Indian representative also affirmed India’s strong stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, ANI added.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the continuing war between Israeli military forces and Hamas militants in Gaza has surpassed 13,000, including 5,500 children and 3,500 adults, according to reports.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)