Middle East Crisis: Top officials meet to coordinate, strategise security in J&K

STATE TIMES NEWS

Srinagar: Top security officials met here on Wednesday to coordinate and strategise security in the Jammu and Kashmir in view of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The meeting was chaired by R R Bhatnagar, adviser to the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, and Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, Commander of the Army’s Northern Command, a defence spokesperson said in a statement.
“A security review meeting of top officials of security agencies of Jammu and Kashmir was held in Headquarters 15 Corps at Srinagar to coordinate and strategise security in the Union Territory in the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East crisis,” the statement said.

Israel urges India to proscribe Hamas as terror organization
New Delhi: Time has come for India to proscribe Hamas as a terrorist organisation like many other nations have done, Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon said on Wednesday.
The Israeli envoy, at an interaction with journalists, also thanked India for its “100 per cent” support to Israel in its anti-terror operations against Hamas.
Gilon said Israel conveyed to relevant Indian authorities to declare Hamas as a terrorist organisation following its brutal attack on Israel on October 7.
At the same time, he indicated that the matter was taken up earlier as well.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among first world leaders to condemn the terror attack… India is a very important moral voice in the world and the important countries for us are with us,” Gilon said.
“It is time for India to declare Hamas as terrorist organisation in India,” he said, adding many countries have already done that. “India is solidly supporting us in our counter-terror operations,” he said.
The latest conflict has been triggered by the unprecedented and multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7. Israel launched a massive counter offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks.
“For Israel, it is a war to survive in the Middle East,” Gilon said, asserting that Israel is determined to destroy Hamas.
He said the purpose of the Israeli action against Hamas is to ensure that the brutality that was perpetrated by the organisation is not repeated.

“Numerous aspects related to the prevailing security situation in the Union Territory were discussed,” the official said. The Director General of Police of J&K, Chinar Corps commander and other senior officials from the military and the UT administration and security agencies attended the meeting, he said.
“The situation in the Middle East was deliberated and various contingency scenarios dwelled on,” the spokesman said.
“The nuances of security in the region in relation to the onset of the winter season also came up for discussion,” he added.