212 Indians Evacuated From Israel Amidst Raging Conflict With Hamas

On Thursday, the first charter flight carrying 212 Indians, including an infant, departed from the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel amid the country's ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Indians left for India on a first-come, first-served basis, according to informed sources. The flight, which took off at 22:14 local time, was arranged to facilitate the return of those who were unable to do so because Air India had immediately suspended its flight on the day fighting began on October 7, and its commercial operation remains suspended till now.

Operation Ajay Launched to Facilitate Return of Indian Citizens

The Indian embassy in Israel had emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight, and messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights. The embassy's tweet followed a message on the same social media platform by Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, on Wednesday announcing the launch of Operation Ajay. "Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return. Special charter flights and other arrangements are being put in place," Jaishankar wrote. The external affairs minister stressed that the government is fully committed to the safety and well-being of Indian nationals abroad.

Situation in Israel and Gaza

While Israel's retaliatory offensive on Gaza continued unabated, there has been a total lull in rocket attacks coming from Gaza. No rockets have been fired on Israel between 10 PM on Wednesday and 9 AM on Thursday, with some analysts saying that Hamas is holding its stockpile for an eventual ground incursion. In efforts to reassure Indian nationals living in Israel, the embassy on Wednesday said that it is monitoring the situation closely and called upon its citizens to remain calm, vigilant, and follow security advisories.

Indian Embassy's Efforts to Assist Indian Nationals

The embassy in Tel Aviv was quick to reach out to a caregiver from Kerala who was injured in the rocket shelling in the city of Ashdod on Saturday and has been constantly in touch with her and her family in India. The Indian community has also been looking after her well-being and visiting her at the hospital. Her condition is stable. The embassy has also been working constantly to help Indian citizens in Israel through a 24-hour helpline. It has listed the 24*7 Emergency Helpline/Contact numbers and email: +972-35226748 and +972-543278392 Email: [email protected]

Appreciation from Indian Nationals

The initiative received a lot of appreciation from Indians all over the world. The embassy thanked its fellow Indian citizens in Israel and outside for the many messages of appreciation. It also reminded Indian nationals in Israel to register with the embassy at the link: https://indembassyisrael.gov.in/whats?iddwjwb. There are about 18,000 Indian nationals living and working in Israel. A large portion of Indians in Israel work as caregivers, but there are also about a thousand students, several IT professionals, and diamond traders. The reassuring messages had a calming impact on some of the students who called the embassy.

The first charter flight carrying 212 Indians from Israel amid the raging war with Hamas marked the beginning of the government's efforts to facilitate the return of Indian citizens who wished to leave the country. The embassy's prompt response and assistance, along with the launch of Operation Ajay, demonstrate the government's commitment to the safety and well-being of its nationals abroad. As the situation in Israel and Gaza remains tense, the Indian government continues to monitor the situation and provide necessary assistance to its citizens.