'Operation Ajay': Second Flight With 235 Indians From Israel Arrives In Delhi

The second batch of Indian nationals from war-torn Israel arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday morning.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh welcomed the evacuated Indian nationals at the airport.

Upon arrival, people warmly hugged and embraced their families and relatives. A total of 447 Indian nationals, previously stranded amidst the intense Israel-Hamas conflict, were successfully repatriated to India through the efforts of 'Operation Ajay'.

"Second flight carrying 235 Indian nationals takes off from Israel's Tel Aviv," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on X, on Friday-Saturday intervening night.

Most of the passengers were individuals residing and employed in Israel. They expressed their gratitude towards the Indian government for undertaking this initiative and extended their thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Before boarding the flight from Tel Aviv, an Indian passenger Ashish Kumar told ANI: "I am going to India. Here, I am a post-doctoral student, at Agriculture Research Organisation. The situation in central Israel is quite normal, not like the Gaza border, Beersheba and nearby regions".

"I think this is a very good initiative of the Indian government. I had seen only European countries evacuating their citizens. So, I appreciate the government for this," he added.

Another passenger named Wagesh Dwiwedi appreciated the initiative and recalled the tenure of former Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"I work as a visiting scientist at ARO. The situation is tense here because of the bombarding, and it will get even more serious. So, that's why we are leaving. Everyone is scared at home. Operation Ajay is a very positive step and I really appreciate it," he added.

On Friday, India airlifted 212 Indian passengers from Israel. Those who were evacuated after being stranded in Israel thanked the Indian government for bringing them back. Chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' were also seen by the passengers on the first flight, according to a video shared by a passenger.

Indian Ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla had earlier said that the Indian Embassy in Israel is working to ensure the well-being of Indian nationals.

Hamas launched the operation Al-Aqsa Storm' by firing thousands of rockets into Israel on Saturday. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters infiltrated Israel by land, sea and air.

'Operation Ajay' was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back around 18,000 Indians in Israel. Registration of Indians began on Thursday. The Indian embassy in Israel is providing assistance to Indian companies and has set up a helpline for Indian citizens in need of assistance.