Jerusalem/New Delhi, August 7, 2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly confirmed that Israel provided military support to India during Operation Sindoor, the four-day cross-border operation in May that saw India launch strikes into Pakistani territory under the pretext of targeting “terrorists.”
The Israeli leader made the confirmation during a meeting with Indian Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, held earlier today in Jerusalem. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu said the two discussed the expansion of bilateral cooperation, especially in security and economic sectors.
“Afterward, I held a meeting with a group of senior journalists from India and answered their questions,” Netanyahu wrote, indicating growing transparency around the sensitive military engagement.
According to a report by NDTV, Netanyahu explicitly acknowledged the use of Israeli-manufactured weapons by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor, citing the deployment of HARPY drones and Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles—the latter jointly developed by Israel and India.
“The things we provided before worked very well on the field… we develop our weapons in the field and they are battle-tested,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying. “They worked fine and we have a pretty solid foundation.”
Indian news outlet News18 reported that India utilized HARPY and SkyStriker loitering munitions to target Pakistani air defense and surveillance systems during the confrontation.
Operation Sindoor unfolded in May 2025, following a deadly attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, located in Indian-occupied Kashmir. India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the incident—without presenting evidence—and launched strikes that triggered retaliatory artillery, drone, and air attacks between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The situation de-escalated only after a surprise ceasefire announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, who intervened diplomatically amid global concerns over a potential full-scale conflict.
Kobbi Shoshani, Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai, defended India’s actions during the operation, calling it a legitimate act of self-defence.
“That (Operation Sindoor) was an action of self-defense, and I’m very proud of this operation,” Shoshani reportedly told Indian media.
Israel was reportedly among several countries that openly supported India’s actions, signaling the depth of the India-Israel strategic defense relationship.
India has imported over $2.9 billion worth of military hardware from Israel in the past decade, including radars, drones, missile systems, and surveillance equipment. The cooperation between the two countries has intensified, particularly in the areas of border security and counterterrorism.
In 2019, India had also used Israeli-made Rafael SPICE precision-guided munitions during its controversial Balakot air strikes, which it claimed targeted a terrorist training camp. However, local reports later suggested that the strikes caused minimal physical damage and no casualties.
