Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's support for the Afghan Taliban and its leader Haibatullah Akhundzada based on a request from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report by @commandeleven on X (https://x.com/commandeleven/status/2026773588997751230) shared within the 29-minute reporting window from 10:16:56 PM to 10:46:15 PM UTC on February 25, 2026. The announcement highlights Afghanistan as a base for groups including al Qaeda, ISIS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, as noted in the source. No specific timing for Netanyahu's statement or additional operational details were provided in the report posted during this period. This development follows earlier reports of Indian-Israeli diplomatic engagements mentioned in previous coverage, though no direct link was specified in the new source. Ongoing regional activities include Israeli raids in Beit Furik east of Nablus, Palestinian Authority payments to prisoners, and Lebanese army border deployments, per prior reports from Quds Network, i24NEWS, and Al-Jadeed.
