NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, Israel banned the UN-proscribed Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that carried out the terror strike.Despite not being requested by Indian government to do so, the Israeli embassy said in a statement that Tel Aviv had formally completed all necessary procedures and had “satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations”.“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,” it said in a statement.

Israel has been pushing India for a similar ban on Hamas whose assault on Israel on October 7 was condemned by India as a terrorist attack.

Hamas has been proscribed by the US, EU, UK and Canada, but not by the UNSC.The 2008 Mumbai attacks saw LeT terrorists also targeting a Jewish centre and killing many of its occupants.

With the ban, Israel is hoping to address concerns in India that it has been focused more on Iranian “terrorism” without paying enough attention to cross-border terrorism as perpetrated by Pakistan.

While Israel looks at Iran as the main source of global terrorism, India uses that characterisation only for Pakistan.“While Israel only lists terror organisations that are operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India and those globally recognised by UNSC or US state department, the Israeli ministries of defence and foreign affairs have jointly worked towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of Lashkar-e-Taiba to highlight the importance of a unified global front in combating terrorism,” said Israel in its announcement.“Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others.

Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies,” it added, while offering condolences to all victims of terrorism and the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel.