Israel Military Issues Apology After Posting Map Incorrectly Showing Kashmir In Pakistan

Following a backlash from the Indian users, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued a public apology after sharing a map on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that inaccurately depicted India's borders - notably, showing Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan.

Incorrect Map

The map, which was part of a post aimed at highlighting Israel's view of Iran as a global threat, drew immediate backlash from Indian users. Many flagged the error and demanded its removal, with some even tagging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to voice their displeasure.

Acknowledging the misstep, the IDF issued a clarification around 90 minutes later: "This post is an illustration of the region. This map fails to precisely depict borders. We apologise for any offense caused."

India's Stand On J&K

India has consistently asserted that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country, a stance reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as recently as May, following a terror attack in Pahalgam and subsequent Operation Sindoor. While the Indian government has not officially responded to the IDF's erroneous map, the incident has struck a nerve among citizens, especially given the strong diplomatic and defense ties between India and Israel.

Since PM Modi's landmark visit to Israel in 2017 - the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister - the two countries have shared a warm and growing partnership. India is now one of Israel's top military equipment buyers and a major trading partner after the US, UK, Hong Kong, and China.

The controversial map was part of a tweet posted late on Friday evening that showed concentric red circles spreading from Iran across parts of the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia - including India, China, and Russia - to illustrate what Israel claims is Iran's growing influence and threat.

This post came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. As both nations exchange threats following Israel's latest strikes - meant to disrupt Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions - the situation in West Asia continues to grow more volatile. In the same post, the IDF stated, "Iran is a global threat. Israel is not the end goal, it's only the beginning. We had no other choice but to act."

Meanwhile, Israel has launched a fresh wave of air strikes on Iran, after hitting nuclear and military sites overnight.