India brought back the first batch of citizens from crisis-hit Israel under Operation Ajay on October 13. The first flight carried 212 citizens who had registered with the Embassy of India soon after the security situation worsened with Hamas’ attack against Israel last Saturday, prompting a counter-attack by Israel on the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian diplomat stationed in Delhi said that 14 members of his family had been killed in the Israeli bombing.
Operation Ajay’s first flight arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport early in the morning, with Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar present to welcome the passengers. “The operation is very clear as our External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has already said. It is consistent with our PM’s motto of not leaving any Indian behind,” Mr. Chandrashekhar told journalists at the airport.
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In a sign of India joining international conversation on finding an agreeable solution to the ongoing crisis, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a round of telephonic conversation with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan during Friday evening and said, “Appreciated the conversation with Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia. Discussed the grave situation in the Middle East.”
A second aircraft with 235 Indians on board left Tel Aviv during midnight on October 13, the Embassy of India has informed.
Indians flee grim situation
“We woke up to sounds of air raid sirens. We stay in central Israel and I don’t know what shape this conflict will take,” said Shashwat Singh soon after landing at Delhi airport along with his wife. The post-doctoral researcher in agriculture, who has been staying in Israel since 2019, said that the sound of those sirens and the unsettling experience of the past few days continued to haunt him.
Other passengers also painted a grim picture of the situation, and the ongoing exchange of rockets and missiles between the two sides. However, they added that physical safety was possible even in these circumstances because of the underground shelters that the Israeli government has constructed all over the country.
The Embassy of India in Israel has reiterated that it is committed to ensuring the safe return of Indians in Israel. These chartered flights are the only way to ensure evacuation as regular air connectivity has been disrupted by the crisis.
First-come, first served
According to the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Israel has around 18,000 Indian nationals and the airlift operation is aiming to cater to those who are willing to be evacuated because of the current security situation. People are being accommodated in aircraft on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. Officials have indicated that the number of evacuees may increase if the crisis prolongs.
The Indian community in Israel is spread all over the country, but are located mainly in the major cities. In recent years, Ashkelon in southern Israel — which was targeted in Saturday’s attack by Hamas — has emerged as a chosen destination of Indian caregivers. Students and IT professionals are more likely to be located in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba near the Negev desert.
Diplomatic security
The conflict has also led to security measures being tightened around Israel’s diplomatic missions in India. The issue of security for Israeli diplomats in India became a concern against the backdrop of Hamas’ call for a “day of rage” on Friday. An Israeli citizen was stabbed in China’s capital Beijing on Friday, leading to concern among Israelis worldwide. When asked whether the Israeli mission here has adequate security, a diplomatic source expressed satisfaction over the kind of security India has provided to the embassy.
The conflict has touched Palestinian diplomats stationed here as well. Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer of the Palestine Embassy said that 14 people from his extended family had been killed by Israeli bombs in Rafah on Friday morning. “Fourteen members of my family are gone. One of them spent several years in Israeli prison and was released earlier this year and after his release, we got him married just two months ago,” said Dr. Abu Jazer.
