As the worst hostilities between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Israeli Defence Forces began their fifth day, India launched an operation to repatriate its citizens trapped in Israel.
“Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return,” India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, tweeted on Wednesday. “Special charter flights and other arrangements are currently being made.” “We are completely committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals living abroad.”
On Thursday, the first set of Indians will be sent back to their homeland on a special flight. “The Embassy has emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight tomorrow (Thursday),” according to the Indian Embassy in Israel.
Sanjeev Singla, India’s envoy to Israel, delivered a video statement for the country’s Indian diaspora, claiming that the embassy is “constantly working” for their safety and wellbeing. “Do remain calm and vigilant,” he advised, adding that the embassy is keeping a close eye on developments.
The Indian government has set up a 24-hour control room “to monitor the situation in the war-torn regions and provide information and assistance to Indian citizens,” according to the foreign ministry. According to the mission’s website, over 18,000 Indian citizens live in Israel, largely as carers for elderly Israelis, diamond traders, IT workers, and students. There are also over 85,000 Jews of Indian heritage in Israel, who were among the first waves of emigrants from India to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s.