New Delhi: Israel on Saturday said it is "surprised and disappointed" at the release of 26/11 terror attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and termed it a "setback for the international efforts in the war against terror in which India and Israel are close partners".
Israeli Ambassador Daniel Carmon in a statement said: "Israel is surprised and disappointed by the release of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack in which as part of the horrific attack also Israeli nationals and a Jewish Center - the Nariman House - were targeted. This release is a setback for the international efforts in the war against terror in which India and Israel are close partners."
India on Friday had registered its strong concerns with Pakistan on the release of Lakhvi and said that it was a "most negative development" for bilateral ties.
In Paris, French President Francois Hollande told visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the release of Lakhvi on bail is "deeply shocking".
Lakhvi was released overnight from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi without any announcement by the jail authorities or the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), the organisation that Lakhvi was affiliated with, Geo TV reported on Friday.
