Pakistan designates Israeli PM Netanyahu a 'terrorist', Hamas welcomes the announcement

Even as cash-strapped Pakistan seeks bailouts to keep its economy afloat, the country has found an admirer in the terrorist group Hamas.

After the Pakistani government designated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “terrorist”, Hamas welcomed the announcement.

Following anti-Israel protests in the country, the Pakistani government struck a deal with the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and declared Nentanyahu a terrorist and Israel a terrorist state.

“Netanyahu is responsible for atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Palestine, and we consider him a terrorist and demand the world community declare Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a terrorist,” reads the government declaration following the deal, as per The Express Tribune.

The newspaper further reported that the deal has also resulted in the formation of a committee that would find businesses with links to Israel for the purpose of boycott.

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“A committee has also been constituted to identify such companies and products in Pakistan that may be directly or indirectly abetting Israel or forces committing war crimes against Palestinians,” said Rana Sanaullah, Adviser on Political Affairs to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as per the newspaper.

Hamas, the terrorist group that triggered the ongoing war with its October 7 attack on Israel, has welcomed these moves and has termed it as a step towards supporting Palestinians. The Gaza-based terrorist group said Pakistan’s declaration was a “step towards supporting our people who are subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Zionist terrorists and an expression of the genuine historical positions of the Pakistani people, government, and parties in support of the first cause of Muslims.”

Pakistan does not recognise the State of Israel and has often issued statements against the country in context of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The terrorist designation of Netanyahu came after the Islamist party TLP held protests in the country. Several thousands of TLP activists held protests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi that disrupted everyday lives.

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The formation of the committee to pinpoint Israel-linked companies has after many in Pakistan called for the boycott of products of companies seen as supporting the Israeli war efforts.