Govt brought back 1,200 Indians from war-torn Israel: Union minister
The first flight took off from the Ben Gurion airport in Israel on Thursday evening and reached New Delhi on Friday morning.
Pune: India has so far brought back around 1,000 to 1,200 of the 20,000 Indians in Israel and the government has mapped those still in the Middle East country after an upsurge in violence, V Muraleedharan, minister of State for foreign affairs, said on Tuesday.
Speaking in the city on the sidelines of a review meeting under the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha) meeting, Muraleedharan said that these 1200 persons were flown back to India under Operation Ajay in five trips, while others have been asked to register at Indian Embassy at Israel.
“It was on October 11 that India launched an operation to facilitate the return of its nationals from Israel following the violence. The first batch arrived home on a special flight carrying 212 passengers on October Friday,” the minister said.
The first flight took off from the Ben Gurion airport in Israel on Thursday evening and reached New Delhi on Friday morning. Reportedly, the passengers were chosen on a ‘first come first serve’ basis
“These 1,000 to 1,200 Indians were rescued and flown back to India in five batches. Currently, there are 20, 000 Indians in Israel and the Indian government has mapped their stay in those areas so that at any given point they can be brought back to the country in case of escalation of violence,” Muraleedharan added.
According to the minister, those being flown back are being contacted via email, and special flights are organised under the mission.
The minister further stated that the Indian embassy in Israel has provided assistance to Indian companies and has set up a helpline for Indian citizens in need of assistance.
“The MEA has set up a 24-hour control room in view of the escalating conflict. The control room will help monitor the situation and provide information and assistance,” he said.
According to the minister, Indian nationals stranded in Israel were mainly those who were staying and working in the conflict-ravaged country.
